Local Hero Speaks Volumes

2012-01-23T21:30:00.001-08:00

If you don't know...now you know. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) are tabled for now in Congress but they are far from gone. My girlfriend Sarah Austin and I took to the streets to get the message across in order to protect the future of our freedom of information.

I wish I wasn't part of the 99%

2011-10-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever woken up and felt the agony of debt dig so deep into your stomach you could hardly breathe?
Have you ever hesitated to tell a child that they can be whoever they want to be because you were afraid they might not be able to afford school in order to achieve that dream?
Have you ever cried with a parent or loved one because they were denied health insurance to get the care they desperately needed?
Have you ever helped somebody move out because they were tricked by a bank to get a sub-prime mortgage on a home would never be able to pay back?
Have you ever sold a couple things on craigslist to help your sibling pay their student loans so the interest rates wouldn't rise and they wouldn't be further indebted?

If you haven't, praise your lucky stars because you are the exception.

Everyday I wish I was NOT part of the 99%. I hear family members filing for bankruptcy because they were determined to put their kids through college, being put in debt for having a common diseases that could easily be prevented with affordable access to health care. And not being able to pay their student loans which prevent them from moving up on the economic ladder.

Everyday I wish I didn't care so much about my fellow citizens. I wish I wasn't saddened everytime I heard a class size of 55 or more, or another person dying from a preventable disease because the "death panels" of insurance companies were denying another person proper care.

Everyday I wish I could tell the brave U.S soldiers that they fought for democracy and not to secure future oil reserves in Southern Iraq.

I wish I could just trust that my banks were doing their absolute best to make sure, me, THE CUSTOMER, was getting the best financial advice and services they could provide.

I wish I could just desensitize myself from all the pain and suffering I see around me...but I can't.
And that is why I am part of the 99%

I can't ignore that there are millions good, hardworking Americans who are living in third world conditions just to get by. And that is why I am part of the 99%.

I can't ignore that a former Vietnam vet, now homeless man in Oakland, told me that he was put in jail after "acting up" because he was not given the care he needed for his post-traumatic stress syndrome. And I will never forget when he told me that he said the food he got was way better in jail than it ever was in the army. And that is why I am part of the 99%

I can't ignore ignore the pain and suffering that is happening all around me and since I don't have billions of dollars to draw attention to my cause, I stand in solidarity with those know we deserve better than this.

I may not have faith in the government but I have faith in the American people. We are good people and before you judge the protesters look at those who are suffering most and ask yourself, who is fighting for them?

The banks say we need them but we need our families and our communities more. And, most importantly, we need them to be safe.

I wish I was not part of the 99% but until I can tell my baby cousin with confidence that things will get better, I have no choice.

I am one person and I represent the 99% of Americans who were forgotten and demand acknowledgement.

We need to be reminded of this everyday (El Mejor Discurso Jamás Hecho)

2011-10-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

I have been at a loss for words recently. It has probably shown in my absence but I haven't felt too inspired these days. I apologize for the inconvenience but I feel like I have too many frustrations and I need to reflect before I speak. I saw this and it helped me put things in perspective during this chaotic and transitional time. Enjoy and may it inspire.....

Kids gone wild

2011-06-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm a bad blogger. I haven't not been updating my blog lately and to be honest, its because I'm too busy. Every day I think of a new blog post but by the time I come home I'm exhausted and have to put it off for another day.
Nevertheless, things have been fantastic. The kids I teach and the women I work with are so kind, generous, grateful and loving. Even though I struggle, everyday is truly a blessing.

That being said, I thought I would share some of my crazy moments with you. As you may imagine, teaching ESL to 25 kids ranging from 4-12 is not an easy task. An even harder task is getting them all to sit still for more than 5 minutes. Sometimes I get frustrated but most of the time they are just so cute so all I can do is laugh.
In the neighborhood where I work, women do not have time to watch their kids 24/7 like we obsessively do in the US. That is not to say they are bad parents, they are amazing, but its pretty humorous what happens when they do turn their back for a minute. Remember when you were told all the things kids should not be doing, well I've basically caught my kids doing all of the above and then some. In my personal experience I have witnessed and caught my students doing the following:

Beating each other with sticks. Yes, I know that doesn't seem like much, but after I took the sticks away from them I realized they had rusty nails all over them. Lucky for all of us, no one was harmed.
Playing with matches. When I caught them huddled in a corner playing with these I had to laugh because it was so wrong. How many parenting books specifically advise against this, I thought?
Running with scissors. If only this happened once. This happens on a daily basis and although I try to keep the scissors away from them, they always find sneaky ways to get them back into their cute little hands.
Playing in garbage. The shelter I work at is pretty big and is equipped with a small farm, two classrooms, a garden and a huge garbage pile. The kids are most fascinated with the garbage pile and like to climb all over it. I spend more time than I'm proud to admit picking the children out of the trash and diverting their attention to the nice grassy yard.
Eating glue. Now, they are not eating glue to get addicted, they just like to put absolutely anything that looks appealing in their mouths. After glue eating wouldn't stop, I had to take it all away, so they moved on to sucking on markers. I have lectured them several times about not putting things in their mouths but I think it just encourages them more.

These are just a couple examples of the kids-gone-wild incidents I encounter daily. Even though I am paranoid about their safety, I must laugh at how funny it can be. They really are the best kids in the world and they use their imagination to have as much fun with the limited resources around them. No matter how much trouble they get into or how dirty they are I still give each of them a hug and kiss and tell them I love them. I think that is all that matters anyway.

Calling all techies...use your powers to educate the world!

2011-05-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

These are the stepping stones to better education!

So, I realized when I came to Peru to volunteer for a womens shelter that I was in way over my head. I agreed to design a website for the shelter and this is definitely new territory for me. However, I quickly realized that since I was raised in the Western world, I am privy to so much more knowledge about technology and computers than most other cultures. Technology is a new subject that continues to change and innovate and even though I have trouble keeping up, I enjoying learning as much as I can.
So, where am I going with this?
Aside from the fact that local organizations here in Peru (and probably other parts of the world) crave internet attention, there is a need to teach it in schools as well. I teach an ESL class to kids and when I asked them what their favorite subject was, most of them responded, "technology" with great enthusiasm. This started to get me thinking, what if the privileged techies of the Western world could share their in depth knowledge with these children. I'm sure they would be enthusiastic to learn as much as they can, just as they are enthusiastic about learning in general. Children here who realize that education is a privilege do not take it for granted and they anxious to take advantage of all of it if they can.
So, here I am with a simple idea and a need for great support. I want to create a techies without borders organization, group, forum, or whatever to unite techies who have a passion for teaching and want to give back to others as well. Materials and resources might be scarce but the knowledge they have to share will make up for those shortages. I cannot call myself a techie but I do know many who take pride in that name. How about using your geeky talents for good?
The benefits are bringing the world closer together and showing others how to harness the power of technology and the internet are insurmountable.
This great idea only has great potential if people are willing to get together and figure out the best way to teach the new developing generations how to use technology for good. We can all benefit from this, so jump on board!

They want to read, so give them your old English kids books!

2011-05-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

The most amazing thing about working with kids is their eagerness to learn, and the kids I teach in Lima do not take it for granted.
I spent the extra cash to buy them a couple kids picture books in English, and they absolutely love them! This got me to thinking that there are so many kids books I have in storage I really should have brought them down with me and donated them to these kids.
They really want to learn English, and what is a better way than donating your unwanted English books!
I will be living in Lima until July 6th so please send me your books. All you have to do is pay for shipping and you get to help these students learn. I know they will appreciate these books more then you can imagine, so help make it easier for them to learn English.

PLEASE SEND ME BOOKS!
My address is:
Avenida Arequipa 3152
San Isidro
Lima, 27
Peru

"Send me your books, I want to learn English, por favor!"

Bienvenidos a mi class de ingles

2011-05-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I realize that last post was quite depressing but I'm not trying to sugar coat what I'm doing. I also took some time to understand that suffering is internal and if we want to make things better we have to absorb the pain and turn it into love. As corny as that sounds I believe it to be true and plan to use that in my future expeditions throughout life.
That being said, I want to shift the focus to something more uplifting like where I work. If I didn't mention it before I am working in a poor (but culturally rich) neighborhood of Lima called Chorrillos. There an amazing woman named Nelly who started the organization in 1986 in her home. Coming from domestic abuse herself she realized that she did not want the same for other Peruvian women. With hard work and no formal education she was able to transform her small womens shelter into a safe home for women, a school for children and women of the community, and a chocolate company that makes chocolates and teaches women how to be financially independent through learning business and selling chocolates. I am so inspired by Nelly and her ambition. What she is doing is very progressive and I don't think there is another organization like hers in Lima.

With that being said, let's take a couple minutes to see the remarkable place that is called, Mama Victoria.

Welcome to my English class...would you like to take a tour?

How does one translate pain and suffering?

2011-05-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Forgive me as I write this I'm still half in a state of shock, and the other have is having trouble writing in English.
I never really told people about this, but a while back I agreed to helping The Forgotten International, put together their book, Living on a Dollar a Day. Currently, I'm helping the producer and journalist gather stories and translate testimonials about the hardships people go through everyday just to survive. I will get the privilege of working with a Pulitzer prize-winner photo journalist, but after the thing's I saw yesterday, I'm having trouble seeing the excitement in anything besides breathing.

I'm not sure how to describe where I went yesterday or what I saw, but I feel that it's important to write down these thing as a therapeutic outlet, rather then letting them get to me at times when I need to remain strong for my own sake and the sake of those I'm interviewing. In a nutshell, As we drove around the outskirts of Lima, Peru I saw the pain-stricken faces of poverty and domestic abuse at its absolute worse.

I walked through a small shack strewn with garbage as a family of one father and four kids sorts through the trash to recycle in order do make a dollar to feed themselves. They told me stories of how they went hungry and how their house is falling down on top of them, but they don't have time to fix it because one minute spent not sorting through trash to recycle means possibly another day of not eating. I looked into the eyes of 4 beautiful and inquisitive children who all gathered around a dusty dirty corner to shake my hand and kiss my cheek. They looked at me as I was there to save them, but I know I couldn't do what they so desperately wanted...another chance at life. All I could do was hear their story, translate it to the producer and promise to return in order to take pictures and compensate them for their time.
Figuring out the best way to pay these people for these stories is the most complicated part. Food on the table for a week might do, and money isn't always the best solution because many times it leads to buying alcohol just to numb the pain for a little while longer. This is the hardest part because as much as I wanted to rip off the own shirt off my back and give it to someone else, I know that I have to be professional.
As we continued to visit other slums the dark reality of how bad it really gets sunk in. We talked to mothers whose abusers and children stood in front of us, dead pan and unemotional to these womens heart-breaking stories of violence and abuse. As I left one house we confronted one of the abusive husbands and thanked him for his time. We did this for the sole reason that we did not want him to go back and beat his wife for telling such a graphic story of his violence against her.
One woman grabbed my hand and told me of all her physical suffering so I went to the car to at least grab her some Advil for the pain she couldn't afford to treat. Blind and crippled she clutched my hand and held it tight with tears in hear eyes and begged me to help her. This sent me over the edge. I quickly explained to her children that she has to take the medication with food and I ran out the door sobbing uncontrollably. The producer understood that I was being told things I couldn't possibly translate because....how does one properly translate the pain and suffering these people are going through?

I finished the rest of my day at the womens shelter/school where I taught my ESL class. These children also come from psychologically and physically abusive family situations. The mothers either fled with their children and are living in extreme poverty, or are still living with their abusers. However, the innocence of these children is not lost yet. Mama Victoria's founder, Nelly, who was once a victim of domestic violence herself, will not let this happen. She believes that through education we can change these childrens futures so they understand that with love we can conquer all obstacles. Nelly's strength and drive puts me back together and I manage to interview her without a tear in my eye.
As we left the school we drove Nelly back to her house and she held my hand, knowing that I had seen some things that day I was not used to. As I got out of the car to drop Nelly off she looked at me and said she loved me like a daughter and she was so happy I was volunteering at Mama Victoria. I told her I loved her too and shed another mountain of tears.
As I laid down from a long day I cringed at my comfortable room and all the material possessions I got to call my own. How could I could I ever justify wanting anything new again after the things I had seen? Moreover, how could the forces that be tolerate the pain and suffering of so many, just so they could have another beach house or a fancy dress shirt that will be tossed out when next season's trends come?
When I look at how eager these kids and mothers want to learn English for a shot at a better future, I am truly humbled. However, I can't help but think about the bankers, accountants, lawyers, and politicians just up North who are finding yet another excuse to swindle another bonus, even if it means putting a family out of their home. These thoughts have consumed me before and I realized you can't not focus on the things that are tearing apart the world, you need to focus on the people that are desperately helping to put the pieces back together. I am not saying in any way, shape or form that I am one of these people, but I do believe I am in good company.

How to teach 25 children and 5 adults in one ESL class

2011-05-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

This is the classroom

If anyone has been in this situation please don't regard this post as a how-to manual. I'm just trying to write down my challenges so they don't eat me alive.
In the past two weeks that I have been teaching ESL I have been overwhelmed with emotion. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to give back a small token of my, English as a first language knowledge, and the pupils I teach do not take that for granted. However, my pupils range from age 3 to age 35. This is quite the opportunity, to say the least.
No, that's not a typo. I am currently teaching ESL classes in a small nursery school classroom and it's utter mayhem. Everyone is eager to learn but no one is on the same level.
I realize I have a challenge and even as I type I'm trying to figure out how to best execute my future classes. Here is my problem in a nutshell:

The children arrive Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 3pm. The older ones (ages 7-12) first go to their tutor who helps them with their homework. This means that I get the toddlers first. Half of the toddlers are 3 and 4 and don't even know how to write their own names. The other half are 5-7 and they understand the basics of writing but are still learning the basics of reading and spelling.
My first part of the class is trying to keep the kids interested and usually this involves a lot of repetition and a promise that if they are good, they will get to hear me sing a song. This patience does not last long and I find myself having to run around the garden scooping kids up and shoving them back into the classroom (gently of course).
When the older kids finish their studies their mothers usually accompany them into the nursery and everyone is really ready to learn. I write a long list of vocabulary on the board and the kids and mothers ask me questions about definitions, grammar and the common use of these verbs and nouns. While this is going on I have desperate pleas from the toddlers to go play outside and of course they want me to accompany them. "La Ronda, miss!" is what they exclaim and the game they want me to play, I still haven't figured out. From what I've observed it's kind of like ring-around-the-rose but the kids who are not holding hands get to bash into the others and try and break up the circle.
I'm so humbled by the women and children who are hanging on to my every word and desperately trying to listen to my pronunciation but the toddlers are too young to understand are aggressive. If it were not for the millions of hugs and kisses they bestow upon me every day, I might have snapped by now.
But I persevere.
My current plan of action is too buy a lot of markers for the little ones and try to keep them occupied drawing while I teach the vocabulary and grammar lessons to the older ones.
Everyone is so respectful of me and so grateful for what I'm doing I know I will get through this, and everyday, no matter what, I leave smiling.
My own sanity is not what I'm worried about, it's really all about the women and children who have taken time out of their busy day to hear me teach. I want to leave with the hope that these women and children will have a much better grasp of the English language and hopefully be able to use it to their advantage in the future.
Well....here's hoping!

Volunteering at Mama Victoria...it begins!

2011-05-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

I started my first day at Mama Victoria on Tuesday, May 3rd and I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I realized from the beginning I would have a lot of independence to do what I want and at first I was nervous about that. However, after a couple days, I started to enjoy my independence. I was given some really vague outlines to work with and I will outline them here:

They want me to teach English three days a week to the children who range from age 3-13. This has been a challenge trying to organize a curriculum that can try to suit all their needs and keep all their attention.
They have a nice garden that is in need of some maintainence. I mentioned that I had worked in gardens before (i.e. my mother's garden) but they asked me to try and maintain it for them and possibly find some ways to make it better. So far I have only pollinated the corn plants and picked vegetables that were ready to be picked but hopefully I will be able to make their garden more sustainable for the future.
Mama Victoria is run by a wonderful woman named Nelly who doesn't speak any English and is not very versed in the ways of technology. Her organization has a sub-par facebook page and a blog that they have been using as a website, but I want to make a full-functioning, bi-lingual website for them. This will also be a challenge for me because I want to create the website to best fit the needs of the organization. Communicating this will be interesting especially because no one speaks English at the organization.

My Spanish has really been improving because I'm working in a poor neighborhood in Lima, called Chorrillos, where no one speaks English. I also have 25 kids screaming at me in Spanish so this has also forced my Spanish into overdrive. I hope in a couple weeks I will be way more proficient at speaking and hopefully the kids will be able to communicate some words in English with me as well.

I spent Friday teaching the kids English and then helping put on an information session for the women who go to the organization for support and shelter. We made them sandwiches and served them soda as Nelly explained her mission statement. Nelly believes that every woman and child has a right to a free education and a safe and happy home to live in. Because many women face oppression and violence in their communities Nelly's mission is to empower these women so they can be better off themselves and in turn be better mother's to their children.

I have been really moved by Nelly and her amazing work. She started this organization 6 years ago with one small classroom and it has now grown into two classrooms, three bedrooms and two kitchens, a garden and small farm with chickens, ducks, and a guinea pig (not a pet). The shelter still does not have running water witch is definitely a set back, but they make up for it with love and effort.

I'm having the time of my life and will have more to update everyone as events materialize.

Stepping into unknown territory

2011-05-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm living in Lima for the next two months and while I'm living here I will be working at a womens shelter (named Mama Victoria) in Chorrillos (a poorer district of Lima) helping teach women and children English, and also helping out in their garden.
The only problem is...I'm not very experienced in the garden. However, I love a challenge, so I decided to research online some ways to help their garden grow. The first thing I did was walk around their garden and observe what they already have growing. I noticed they have some corn growing so I went online to find a video that helps explain how to pollinate the corn so it can continue growing and making more corn.
I found this hilarious video and I thought I would share it with you. I'm not sure why I think its so funny, but hopefully you enjoy it to.
Hopefully this technique helps Mama Victoria's garden!

First Impressions of Lima

2011-05-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Before I left to embark on a two month internship volunteering at a womens shelter in Lima, Peru I was warned by many of my peers that Lima well...sucked.
I never really got a straight answer from any of these peers as to why Lima was so horrible and I really want to do know now, because after spending some time here, I absolutely love it.

I don't even know where to begin.
My best friend described it as a cultural and geographical mix between Barcelona and San Francisco and I couldn't agree more. Lima is very temperate year-round, it never gets that cold or hot. The coast has a bit of a San Francisco feel to it, since they are both on the Pacific, that makes sense to me. However, the urban landscapes are very Spanish, Lima used to be the Spanish capital of the Americas, yet the Peruvians have not lost their Indigenous roots. The essence of Colonial Spain is of course all around but the Peruvians have made it their own by adding their own culture to the Spanish foundation.

You will find local cuisine all around you and it is delicious to say the least. They grow so many different types of corn and potatoes I can't even keep count and what they do with them will make any mouth water.
Oh, and the people, don't get me started on how nice they are. I feel a bit jaded because in the U.S. if someone you don't know is really friendly and just wants to get to know you, you automatically become skeptical. But here, it's common for Peruvians to be very curious about where you are from and what your country is like. They are very animated and not judgmental. They are very kind and welcoming and I have had nothing but positive experiences so far. Needless to say, I do speak Spanish, and I might be having a different experience because of that.
Nevertheless, here's to all the nay-sayers of Lima, what on Earth were you thinking?
This place is amazing!

Quick rant: Osama's death and the illusion of terrorism

2011-05-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

Osama bin Laden has been killed...and everyone thinks terrorism is dead? Oh, on the contrary.
First off, I think it is mighty hypocritical of the U.S. to "defend" freedom and democracy and yet assassinate Osama without a fair trial. I'm sure he would be guilty but to just kill him and then publicize it as the humane thing to do is just ludicrous. And the reason it is such is because if you kill the most the leader terrorist of a terrorist group, do you think that the rest of the extremists are just going to surrender...I think not. This will just add fuel to the fire.
This will just give the older generation of extremists a reason to teach their kids to be extremists because they believe their devine leader was unjustly killed.
Wouldn't we as Americans do the same if a nation, group, or even individual killed our most respected leader?
I am not in any way defending the actions of Osama bin Laden, I'm just pointing out we are no safe today than we were yesterday or before or after 9/11 at that.
If we continue to fight a war against an ideology we can only guarantee and endless war with millions of casualities and I for one do not want any more bodies piling up. No more civilian deaths on either side and no more soldier deaths on either side either.
We as a nation need to take a step back and protect our own people as they face adversity in the name of natural disasters, poverty, and crime within our borders.
We are not united as a nation if we keep fighting a faceless enemy in the name of combating "terrorism."

Ok, rant over.

How can one sit down and write when they have not stood up and lived!

2011-04-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't updated my blog in a while. Unfortunately my computer charger died a while ago and its been really hard to find someone that has a mac, or a mac store that will sell me a new charger.
Nevertheless, I feel that this break from the computer will do me good.

I feel like I must fully absorb all my surroundings have to offer before I am comfortable sitting down and reflecting on them.

I hope this doesn't upset anyone, but I can guarantee that the wait will not be long and the stories I have to tell will blow your proverbial mind!

Mucho besos a todo!

Going to Bolivia

2011-03-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

Machupicchu trek

2011-03-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Bolivia where the geography is amazing but the internet is not.

2011-03-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.
I just wanted to let you know i just returned from the salt flats in Uyuni, so beautiful, and i will be going to Sucre in eastern bolivia. the internet is no good so if you dont hear from me in a couple days or even a week, dont be surprised. I will be in argentina by the 1st of april where internet is better so i will have more to report then.
Bolivia is absolutley gorgeous and im sure you will adore all my photos.
until then wish me luck on my 8 hour bus ride to the east!
Cheers.

High altitudes, rain and bugs couldn't keep me away...

2011-03-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've seen a lot of photos of Machupicchu (that's how the Peruvians spell it) and I thought I'd seen it all. But nothing, and I mean nothing, prepares you for the epicness that is this lost Inkan city.

I arrived in Cusco and didn't know how I was going to get to Machupicchu. After a bit of research I realized that the best way to do it was to go on an organized trek and that's exactly what I did. I booked it with Condor Travelers and I'm really glad I did.
On the first day, I didn't want to like my fellow travelers in our group. I usually try to avoid obnoxious tourists when I travel and I thought these ones were all the same. I'm happy to say I was pleasently surprised with how chill and awesome my group was. Out of 13 people we had 3 Brits, 1 Swed, 1 Swiss, 1 Dutch, 2 Germans, 3 Argentines and two Americans (My bf and I). March is the rainy season in this part of Peru and it provided an extra challenge to our expedition. However, we took the road less traveled during the low season and it ended up being a great experience. We biked, hiked and bushwhacked it through the Andes and the jungle and although we are beaten up and sore, it was well worth it.

Here's a summary of the trip:
Day 1: The bus picked us up at 8am at our hostel in Cusco and we had a quick introduction to our guides, who were amazing. Then we drove two hours up into the Sacred Valley up and into the clouds of the Andean mountains. Once at the top we were each given a mountain bike with awesome suspension and rode all the way down through the valley. We probably biked through 3 different climates and eventually ended up in Santa Maria by 4pm. Santa Maria is a cute small town that was ravaged by an earthquake 10 years ago and hasn't really recovered. However, the people were lovely and our short time there was well spent.

Day 2: We woke up at 6am and left for the Andean jungle on our first day of backpacking. I was unaware we were hiking with all our belongings so my boyfriend was stuck hiking up epic mountains with a beach bag, poor thing. We hiked up and over several mountains and deep into the jungle. We passed coca plantations, mango trees, avocado trees and coffee plants. We hiked deep into the jungle to this tiny shack where we ate a delicious lunch of guacamole, soup and pasta. After a short break we continued on and upwards into the mountains. My brand new hiking boots couldn't handle the terrain and the bottom fell off about 5 hours into the hike. We glued them back together and continued on. As we walked down into Santa Teresa, our second destination, we passed a couple rock avalanches that reminded me the rainy season can cause some unexpected troubles. Nevertheless, we made it into Santa Teresa, a really cute town surrounded by the Andean mountain range. We had a lovely dinner with quinoa and finished it off with some Incan tequila, que feurte!

Day 3: We woke up at 6am and left Santa Teresa by 8am. The rains made the river go wild and it roared next to us as we walked in sunshine (such a nice change). We stopped by a waterfall and cooled off and ate some bananas growing nearby. After an hour of walking along the raging river we saw a cargo bridge that looked 100 years old. We were told we needed to cross this cargo transport bridge and shivers ran down my spine. However, we all made it across and continued into the Inkan valley where we finally starting walking along the famous Inkan trail. Quechua is one of the original languages spoken in this valley and we had a traditional Quechua lunch of a herb-like soup and curried vegetables with quinoa. We then started walking along the original train route to Machupicchu which is no longer in use and heard monkeys screaming while being surrounded by orchids. We arrived to Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machupicchu. The town itself which was too touristy for my liking, and took a dip in their hot springs, which were rebuilt after a flood a couple a years ago. We finished the night with a fish dinner and went to bed early in preparation for the summit to the lost Inkan city.

Day 4: We woke up at 3:30am in total darkness and put on our wet clothes to prepare for the hike. We packed our bags, put them on our backs and grabbed some snacks for the summit. We walked in total darkness up stone stairs and the rainy provided an extra slippery challenge. The hike was straight up for more than an hour, but our legs had adjusted so no one was complaining. We arrived at the entrance at 5:30am and as the rain poured, my spirits lifted. We had made it. The first 400 can choose to hike the big hump next to the city called Wayna Picchu, which I knew I had to do.
The archeological site itself is absolutely breath-taking and cannot really be described. These people were so technologically advanced and had everything from kitchens, to bathrooms to a proper irrigation system. The guide said the Inkans did not make many tools because the city was so high up, they mainly used the city as a trading post. The site was covered in fog but by 9am we could see a break in the clouds. By 10am it was bright and hot and you could really see how phenomenal this city is. We went to the entrance of Wanya Picchu shortly after 10 and hiked up to the top of the hump to see the most amazing view of the ancient city and its neighboring archeological sites. We decided to treat ourselves to a bus ride back down the mountain because our feet were sore and wet as all hell. We made it back to Aguas Calientes by 2pm and treated ourselves to a big lunch. By 7pm we were on a train back to Cusco and got back to our hostel by midnight.
When I awoke the next morning I thought I had dreamed the whole thing but as soon as I got out of bed my sore body reminded me how real the experience was. There are no words to really describe how magical and enchanting Machupicchu is. When you are there you feel its energy and as you walk along the ruins you really understand how special this place is.

Bussing it to Cusco

2011-02-27T17:20:00.000-08:00

I wanted to see the Peruvian country side so instead of flying into Cusco, we took the bus from Lima.
The bus was actually quite luxurious; we got two meals, nice leather seats that reclined into semi-beds, and decent bathrooms as well. The Peruvian country side is quite impressive and diverse...if only the roads were not sooo crazy.

Here is a little video I made during our 22 hour bus ride. I hope you enjoy...

So much to say...but photos speak louder than words

2011-02-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

I have been in Lima for 4 days. In that time I have seen random high school friends on the street, seen the most beautiful sunsets, and visited the place where I will be working, Mama Victoria, which was all I could've expected and more. I will be working with them in May and I'm very excited. Until then I will be traveling to Cusco, Bolivia and hopefully Argentina as well.
All in all, I'm happy as a clam whatever that means but since the internet connection is sparse and not always so good I will use my time wisely and post some photos so far.
I hope you enjoy (and if you click on the title of the blog you can see a little video my boyfriend and I made on our first day)...

This is the street where we are staying.

This is the beach just a few metres away from our hostel.

This is one of the huge statues that adds a nice touch to the gorgeous beach view I am lucky to see every day when I wake up.

P.S. I tried to upload way more photos but for some reason Peru's internet connection only chose these ones...until next time.

P.P.S. If anyone from CLE is reading this I must give all of them major props (and not just because they are all awesome). A while back they gave me an earthquake emergency kit as a gift and it has definitely come in handy. So far I have used the scissors, the emergency water, the crank flashlight (when the power went out one night at the hostel) and many foreign travelers have benefited from the many band aids provided....thanks again!

First day in Lima

2011-02-23T15:18:00.001-08:00

My boyfriend and I arrived in Lima late last night. We were supposed to be on different flights but we worked our charm at SFO and got on the same flight. After a quick layover beer at the Houston airport we were off to Lima,a 6 hour flight.
There is only a 3 hour time difference so if I'd reading this from the east coast, we are both on the same time (time zones work vertically) so its not that bad. Gotta go eat se food before our next adventure.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Peru

Welcome to my 2011

2011-01-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

Wow, how time flies.
Sorry, it has been a while since I have posted something but since its a new year, lets forget about the old and start with the new and up and coming!
Ok, now get on with it...
In the past few months things have really come together. Right now, I am back in the Bay Area and having lots of fun...just listen to a bit of the sweetness. I will be leaving for Lima, Peru on Feb. 22nd. and I return back on July 6th. I will spend my first two and half months traveling from Peru to Bolivia and then to Uruguay and finally Argentina. After that I will return to Lima to volunteer in Chorrillos, a diverse and impoverished part of the capital city.
At this moment, my Canadian immigration papers are being processed and if everything goes accordingly, I should be back in Vancouver by the end of July, and resuming work at CLEBC , the best company to work for...ever.
Immigration has been a nightmare but I am determined to do it, or at least just get through it. I am trying to stay positive but I have a feeling this process might take longer than expected. Hopefully you will not receive many updates about my trials and tribulations, only posts about how enjoyable this whole experience has been (can you smell the sarcasm in that statement?)

So, after graduating from university and working full-time for almost three years, I felt that traveling is something I needed to pursue next. I am very interested in international politics, public policy and sustainable development and after researching South America from afar, I must see first hand some of things that have fascinated me for so long.

I have been fortunate enough to receive a fellowship from the Forgotten International, which is based out of San Francisco. They work to bring together people in the world who have great resources with people who have great needs. They are also working on a book and a documentary called, "Living on a Dollar a Day". I was given the fellowship to help them do research for the project in one of the areas they have been surveying in Lima, Peru. After telling them about my background in online education and my passion for teaching they were able to get me in touch with Mama Victoria, a grass-roots organization started by a local woman, Nelly Villegas. Mama Victoria is a multifaceted organization. It's a shelter for women who come from abusive families. It is also a school for children which is equipped with a small library. They also have a farm. Their next big project is to start of a fair-trade chocolate company in order to be self-sustaining and help financially empower the women of the shelter to become independent of their abusers.

The link to Mama Victoria is to their blog and facebook profile is only in Spanish, sorry, but that's one of the many things I hope to work with them on. They want me to teach business ESL to women and regular ESL to the children, which range in ages 5-15. I also plan to develop a website for them and research ways that they could start a sustainable business in their community. From what I have observed so far, this organization wants to be a self-sustaining resource for the community and I hope I can contribute in some small way.

I really am blessed to be able to do what I am going to be doing in the next six months. I am so grateful for every day and all the people who support and inspire me. These next 6 months will be full of adventures and I'm sure you are all biting at the chomp to see and read what its all about.

Peace, love and much happiness in the New Year....and away we go!

I stand by Julian Assange of Wikileaks

2010-12-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is what I call a rant. It's unedited, ungamified and probably doesn't make much sense, but here I go...

If you haven't heard about Julian Assange by now, what rock have you been hiding under?

Long story short, this guy founded a whistle blowing website that leaks documents to the public about shady stuff governments, religious organizations and corporations don't want you to know about. Most recently someone (or many) leaked thousands of diplomatic cables to the site and Mr. Assange is getting all the blame for it.

But for what? Seriously, for what?

Ok, if these documents were confidential and they were leaked to Wikileaks they must have been leaked from
1) someone with confidential access
2) a super duper hacker (but highly unlikely)
3) a group of people both hackers and diplomats alike that probably want the public to know about this stuff because America is falling to pieces and we need a spark to ignite a revolution of change.

Don't believe me? I don't care, it's called an opinion and I stick by it.

In the western world, we pride ourselves in not being tryanical and allowing people to speak their minds without persecution but apparently we are not free of prosecution.

And, that is what Mr. Julian Assange was doing. He was speaking his mind when he made the site and others were speaking their minds when they posted to it. And, the U.S., which loves to jump on its high horse and talk about how democratic it is, wants to prosecute this guy!

You want to prosecute an Australian whose website headquarters are based in Sweden for commiting a crime against the U.S. government by leaking confidential documents?! I'm sorry, but a transparent government is a more just government and all Mr. Assange and his gang of leakers did was make the United States of America accountable for their actions.

The U.S. has been sitting pretty for over a century now on its entitlement throne. It will hold others responsible for their crimes against humanity, but it won't participate in the International Criminal Court. We will invade other countries based on reasons of "exploitation" and "coercion" but have state-run organizations based on those exact tactics. And the U.S. has had no problems supporting brutal, violent dictatorships for many years....they just don't want the public or its own citizens knowing about this. YO, founding fathers are rolling over in your graves yet?

The part that really gets me is that the thousands of diplomatic cables that were leaked were based on dimplomats reports. What diplomats mostly do is gather observations about how the outside world perceives them and reports them back to the U.S. in order to analyze and develop future foreign policy in that area. The leaks just validated that not only does the U.S. think its king of the freaking world, it expects every other country to bow down to its will. The funny part is, when you are in a recession and foreign countries own you and that imaginary thorne you perch yourself on....you can bitch but you can't do anything about it.
Oh wait, they can! They can cause a media shit storm that will once again divert the public's attention away from the shady things they continue to do and make them focus on this one guy whose leaks they don't particularly care for.

It's like the U.S. has been shit-talking everyone else in the world for over a century and someone just leaked all the gossip. Now, the U.S. is worried they won't get invited to anymore international birthday parties (because they all hate you now) and since Uncle Sam is broke, sick and unable to bail you out, you have to exploit lady justice instead of just accepting that you got caught red handed.

The drama the U.S. is causing over this debacle is worse than a Kardashian reality show....

Bikes and cars need to learn to love eachother!

2010-11-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

As an American, I moved to Canada with starry eyes. Vancouver has indeed turned me into an American that wishes she was a Canadian. I have been living in this lovely city for 7 years. During this time I have been an avid biker and used to commute regularly around the city. As a responsible biker I always stay on the bike paths and was very excited about the expansion of these bike roads. I always wear my helmet (and encourage others to do so) and take all precautions necessary to ensure a safe and fun ride. However, despite the city and mayor Robertson's enthusiasm for biking I have witnesses and experienced a rise in car related bike accidents in Vancouver. In particular, on June, 14, 2010 I was hit by a car that ran a red light at 10th and Clark. That intersection is a bike friendly intersection but I have had several friends get hit by cars in that same place both before and after my accident. My friend told me yesterday that he was involved in a hit and run on his bike in that exact intersection and although he was alright, that was the last straw for me and that is why I write to you.
One might easily state that there are more car related bike accidents because more people are riding bikes. That observation, however, does not provide any solution, it only states the problem; a problem that I hope does not change (I love to ride my bicycle). I believe there is an unspoken hatred between bikers and cars. I heard many of my car and bike friends complain about the other and still no solutions seem to come to fruition. In light of the fact that I am too self-conscious to ride my bike in fear of getting hit by a car, I would like you and all of Vancouver to hear my proposal.
Bikes and cars can get along and if there was an educational program and advertising campaign put in place it would allow for both types of commuters to get along. ICBC should definitely jump in on this campaign as well. I'm sure they would much rather engage in an innovative and educational program that teaches cars how to drive with bikes in the picture. There is no doubt that with all Vancouver is doing to promote biking, something needs to be done to show car drivers how to deal with bicycles on the road. Responsible driving programs do not address bikers in depth and I think this is deterimental if not highly dangerous to everyone. With a little time and effort a responsible car/bike driving program should be put into effect. It could potentially save the lives of many bikers, ease the stress of vehicle driving citizens and save ICBC a lot of time and energy from not having to process bike related injury claims.
In the 21st century Vancouverites are getting creative by trying to eliminate cars from their lives. We should applaud them but while we do this we should not scold car drivers. Car drivers are alright with me and bikers should love them too. Nevertheless, there needs to be bike awareness educational resources for vehicle drivers so that we can all live harmoniously together.

Premier Gordon Campbell resigns because nobody likes him!

2010-11-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

It was just published that Liberal (aka conservative neo-con) Premier Gordon Campbell has chosen to resign.
If you live in BC you probably know why. It's because he passed this Reganonmics sales tax called HST that he claimed would, "pass the savings onto the consumer," but instead only hurt those already struggling with the unstable economic times we are currently facing. He passed HST without any referendum or voter approval and thought that everyone would just forget about it and corporations would give him a big pat on the back! WRONG!
His approval ratings dipped down to single digits and when you have an approval rating of less than 10% it's best to throw in the towel and call an election.
He has asked for new leadership as soon as possible so he can forget this all happened and go back to driving drunk in Hawaii.

I knew the sun came out today for a good reason.

America is like the girl that keeps getting back together with that abusive moron everyone hates.

2010-11-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

The boyfriend always says, "oh, but i'll be different this time," and we all just sit around and wait until he messes up again. Only when talking about America, the "abusive" boyfriend is really the structure of government under which the U.S. trys to function.

I'm a very active citizen and i'm extremely active within my community, but I'm not a team player. What does that mean exactly?
Well, it basically means that after moving out of the U.S I have realized that no matter how much "change" is proposed, nothing is going to get done based on the fact that the U.S. system is archiac and broken. It's inefficient to say the least. The foundation of the governmental system is flawed and needs major renovations in order to run properally. Way back in the day (like Founding Fathers days) Thomas Jefferson proposed that the U.S. revolutionize its political system every 7 years so that it can change according to the times and adapt to best suit the needs of the people. Opponants did not agree with him and it was not put into place. Although I don't believe we should do as France does and change its republic everytime they cry over spilt milk, but the its the foundation of government that is flawed.
So, what kind of renovations am I proposing? Well these are just off the top of my head and if a niave 20-something who spends way too much time looking at cute animals can propose this, I'm assuming that "brilliant" minds in Washington can do the same.
So....America, you need a make-over!

Let's cap campaign spending (seriously!)
bring in proportional representation (if you don't know what that means check out New Zealand or Germany, I like how they do it)
limit if not elminiate the influence lobbyists in Washingtion (if you don't want the government in your bedroom, corporations shouldn't be there either)
bring back party discipline (or at least have it, meaning no rogue politicans voting all crazy like and not getting punished for it)
actually hold politicans accountable when they don't live up to their campaign promises (duh!)
and, take away fixed terms! Ya, I said it. It's absurd that the president is only in office for 4 years. The year after he gets in, he (or maybe someday she) is basically campaigning again to stay in power. How is anyone going to get anything done when they are constantly paranoid of getting the boot?

The U.S empire is seriously and literally in decline and we need to majorly change the system in order to survive as a nation as well as an economy. When you attempt to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result its called insanity. Just sayin!

Message to the universe: When I die I want to come back as an octopus, pretty please!

2010-10-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

....A mimic octopus to be exact.

Ok, if anyone knows me they know I have an irrational fascination with the octopus. It all started when I was young and I saw them in an aquarium. They looked so regal, so wise, like they knew something I did not.

Well, after much research I have come to the conclusion that when I die I want to be an octopus. Why? Well, I'm so glad you asked:
-They are entirely made of cartiledge so they can get into anything and they are super stealthy so that's awesome
-They can camoflauge themselves so brilliantly you could be staring at one and not even realize it
-They are known to be quite smart.
-They are master predators that don't get messed with a lot because of all the above characteristiscs about them.

So, my reasoning probably won't sway you but these videos on the mimic ocoptus will surely make you respect this amazing creature.

Let the learning revolution begin!

2010-10-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

Click here to watch the livestream of the TEDxUBC talk focused on the future of learning and promoting the education revolution.

Let's shift those educational paradigms shall we?!

After October 23rd, 2010, the link will not be live streaming anymore. However, if you do click on the link and look at the videos posted you can watch each presentation. The format is still a raw cut and unedited but I recommend you taking a gander at it.

Hype it up with good music

2010-10-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

I love music and I love sharing it with other people. I've been crushin' on Hype Machine for a while because they have a new gadget out that show all y'all the music I've been listening to.
Enjoy.

Yelp Bling

2010-10-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

Yelp is a peer reviewed site for local businesses around the world. This little gadget shows all my recent reviews from all over. Just zone out and see all the cool places i've been and if any of them strike your fancy you can click on the individual pointer and read my review!

Recent reviews by Dani B.

What's this?

Please eat food like a normal person

2010-10-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

The western world, and especially in America, people are obsessed with the latest diet to help shed that extra weight.

I cannot stress how fad diets are not healthy for you. You may lose a tiny bit of weight in the beginning you will probably gain it all back and then some because of how unstable an unhealthy they actually are. More importantly, because there is a lack of nutrition education in U.S. schools private companies are allowed to come in from every technological orifice to try and sell their crash diets and quick fixes to the masses.

Girls and boys are starting to worry about their weight from a very early age and these diets promote bad lifestyles to a growing generation. They should be learning about nutrition and exercise and they could kill two birds with one stone by learning where their food comes from by starting a huge garden and working that land. Yet we live in a society that eats packaged food from a processing plant and thinks a small pill can keep them thin and fit.

I have been victim to a couple of these diets and the results have been disastrous. However, after getting increasingly discouraged with how people view diet and nutrition I would like to post a couple things that I believe are important in making decisions about your health:

1) Everything in moderation (except moderation): If you crave pizza, eat pizza. If you want ice cream, have ice cream. Usually if you have a craving it is because your body wants something so don't deny yourself yummy food, just don't eat too much of it. If you crave pizza every single day then find ways of making it healthier then just grabbing a slice from your local pizza place.

2) Plenty o' colors in every meal: I really live up to this one. As a vegetarian I find that I have to be creative in meal planning and my biggest issue is not eating too many carbs. Carbs are usually beige so as long as every single meal I eat has lots of colors in it then I feel better about putting it in my body. This does not mean condiments and different colored candies count. What I try to do is make sure there is at least three different colors in my meal. So for example if I'm having pasta (beige--> carb) then I must have a red, green and maybe a yellow or orange in there. So I usually chop up some veggies to put in it and ta da! --> yummy and nutritious. Play this game with kids and eventually they will have fun with it.

3) Cook in, don't eat out: I really love food. I love talking about it, making it and of course eating it. When you make something you know exactly how much crap you are putting into it so you can limit yourself accordingly. However, restaurants are not there to look out for your health, they are there to make the food taste good. And what do they usually put in food to make it taste good? Oil, fat, sugar and lots of it so don't think that just because you are ordering a salad from a restaurant you are making a healthy choice.

Here's something for your viewing pleasure as well. It basically just debunks all the crash diets throughout the years and good on them for doing it.

What is wrong with these people?

2010-10-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be a republican or a democrat to acknowledge that America is going through some tough times.
During these times thousands of homes have been foreclosed upon mostly because the previous Bush Administartion allowed sub-prime mortgages to take over, leaving thousands homeless.

So, Obama decides to veto a bill that would have allowed banks to go through with shabby foreclosures. I'm cool with that and so should the rest of America because no matter how greedy you are you need your workforce (i.e. the citizens of America) to be able to live somewhere.

What's my point?

I'm not mad about the bill, I'm mad about the press coverage the veto is getting. When I googled, "Obama veto foreclosure," the only "news" articles that came up were from Fox News. Now I put news in "" because Fox really should not call it news and the headline they came up with was just ridiculous: "Today's Powerplay: Dems hope to avoid their own eviction with foreclosure moves." I could barely read the article but it basically spins it to say that the only reason Obama vetoed the bill is so that he could show the public, right before the November election, that he cares about his country.

I don't think I can comment on this further because Fox really knows how to make me so mad I'm made speechless. If that is the point they were trying to make, it really worked.

Trying to help Americans keep their homes from being foreclosed on is not something to criticize but the way the American media is reporting it, should be!

My sentiments exactly

2010-10-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

You know when someone says exactly what you wanted to say, but better? Well, they say it better with pictures...

Arnold just signed a bill to decriminalize marijuana

2010-10-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sure he's no stranger to this "performance enchancing" drug.
Regardless of how he feels about the shrubby plant, on October 1st, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that would make having less than an once of marijuana a civil infarction, instead of a misdemeanor.

Key things to know:

Don't carry more than an ounce on you.

The law does not go into effect until January 1st, 2011 so it will still be considered a misdemeanor until then.

You still can't smoke in public or around minors and you will still be prosecuted for that.

This is good news consider way too much tax dollars are going to jails for prosecuting kids who just don't know better. This is not a solution to drug crime but it is a step in the right direction.

And just for my Canadian readers if you were wondering about how drug laws work up North, Canada has already decriminalized marijuana, so don't stress.

Tedx UBC on Oct. 23rd, 2010 @ Robson Square: Come one, come all

2010-10-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hello, I'm an intellectual junkie.
I'm so addicted to retaining, sharing and passing along any and every tid bit of information that I come across (I also filter out the crap).
So I've become a fan of TED talks. I like to describe it as intellectual porn but a better way of explaining it is providing a safe intellectual space for great minds to come together and create progress. This can be applied to all areas of intellectual learning including but not limited to: science, economics, culture, and new diplomacy.

So what is TEDx UBC?
It's trying to get great minds together to talk about the future of learning in an age of technology.
Will there be classrooms?
Will there be teachers?
Will there be school at all?
These are all issues that need to be examined and the central focus of the event is re-examining the way we look at education.The traditional education system as we know it is archiac and could definitely use alittle fine tuning.
My job is to spread the word about this event so we can get as many great minds, policy makers and most importantly students in the same space to discuss the future of education.
I'm also going to be hosting and demonstrating how to use online educational tools (like livestream, or even live meeting) as a platform to broadcast your ideas, lectures and information to the world.

Check out the list of speakers!

Details of the event:
Who: Tedx UBC
What is Tedx UBC: Its a local, self-organized event that bring people together and incorporate TED talks into a discussion among the public. This discussion is supposed to serve as the foundation of creating new policys and ideas that will shape and govern future aspects of life.
Where: UBC Robson Square
When: Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

How to register? Click here and be part of the discussion.

THIS EVENT IS FOR EVERYONE! This is not a class and no one will get a grade or a cookie for having a good idea. This is the ideal setting to share ideas and I cannot express enough that every idea counts. Whether you are a high school student who is disallusioned with the current education system, or a university alum who's pissed off that they can't translate what they learned in the classroom to a real-world setting.

Everyone should be a part of this dialogue and I encourage everyone's participation.

You will never eat McDonalds Chicken McNuggets again

2010-10-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Usually, I like to start off my Monday by posting some photos of cute animals so everyone can get their Monday started right with a heaping dose of adorable.

Well....if you see the photo above, you might have guessed that this is far from cute. This is actually the goo that McDonald's makes their chicken nuggets from. This looks like weird laughy taffy that they then squeeze off into tiny bite size portions before they pack them full of artifical flavors so you are not reminded of this photo when you eat the spongey buggers.

I'm sorry, but if no one see's what's wrong with this picture then you have bigger issues on your hands. This is not food and this is certainly not where chickens come from.

As a vegetarian I have no problem with people eating meat, but I do have a problem with people eating this kind of meat.

Before I went all herbivore I used to enjoy McDonald's Chicken nuggets but after seeing where it has come from, I will no longer be seduced by their chemical smells wafting from the bags of innocent, growing children.

Get in the know: What's on the ballet for the 2010 California election

2010-09-27T14:42:00.001-07:00

Ok California you're pretty messed up right now.
Even though our political system is fundamentally flawed and archiac I am still a very firm believer in voting.
I find that largely American citizens are too caught up with paying their medical bills and getting out of debt to really pay attention to propositions on the ballot so I've made a quick-glance guide for those who are too busy.

Important Dates:

October 18, 2010: Last day to register to vote

October 26, 2010: Last day to register for a mail-in ballot (see you don't even need to take time off work to vote, so no excuse y'all).

November 2, 2010: ELECTION DAY

Propositions on the ballot: click on the propositions to learn more about what your YES or NO vote really means.

Proposition 19- The legalization of Marijuana. I'm sure many of you have heard about this so if this is the only reason you are voting, then at least take the time to vote on the other ones.

Proposition 20: Removes elected representatives from the process of establishing congressional districts and transfers that authority to recently-authorized 14-member redistricting commission comprised of Democrats, Republicans and rep.'s of neither party.

Proposition 21: Establishes an $18 annual vehicle license surcharge to help fund state parks and wildlife programs. This would allow all surcharged vehicles free admission into all state parks. I'm super down with this one because we need to save our state parks before they become privitized so I'm going to vote YES.

Proposition 22: Would prohibit the state from taking funds used for transportation, redevelopment, or local government projects and services. I will definitely be voting YES on this, the state government has been poorly managed for way too long and the last thing we want them to do is take more money from an already underfunded sector of govt.

Proposition 23: Suspends the implementation of air polution law (AB 32) requiring major sources of emissions to report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, until unemployment drops to 5.5% or less for a full year. Umm...this bill is trying to prevent big oil companies from having to report all the pollution they will be putting into our atmosphere. I would highly recommend voting NO on this because the wording of the prop. is confusing and people might not realize what they are voting for.

Proposition 24: Would repeal recent legislation that would allow buisnesses to lower their tax liablity. This is another confusing one but I'm voting YES and I'm too lazy to really explain why. But i've done the research so if you like me and my morals and ethics you'll vote this way too.

Proposition 25: Changes legislative vote requirements to pass budget and budget-related legislation from two-thirds to a simple majority. Retains two-thirds vote requirement for taxes initiative constitutional amendment. I'm really torn on this one because I don't think a simple majority would solve the problem of bad policies trying to get passed through. If I knew for a fact that all our California politicans were intelligent human beings look out for our best interests I'd vote yes on this. However, we know that's a joke so I'm not really sure whether to vote YES or NO.

Proposition 26: Requires that certain state and local fees be approved by two-thirds vote. Fees include those that address adverse impacts on society or the environment cause by the fee-payer's business. I'm going to vote YES on this one because it would result in more state and local proposals to increase revenues would require a two-thirds bote by either the legislature or by local voters.

Proposition 27: Eliminates state commission or redistricting consolidates authority for redistricting with elected representatives.

I've said a mouthful so now put the awesome back in active citizen and go get your vote on.

Sit List is the new Craigslist!

2010-09-21T10:12:00.001-07:00

A good, free thing is hard to find these days.

Craigslist is an amazing resource that has jumped leaps and bounds ahead of what we used to know as classifieds and they were able to do this all for free...until now.

New reports are stating that Craigslist is now charging users a fee to post to their classifieds. This has taken effect in big cities like New York, Los Angeles and even its founding place the Bay Area. Craigslist has even taken on Ebay as a shareholder expect to pay to use their site in the near future. Vancouver might not notice slight changes in its beloved Craigslist now, but many changes have taken place in the Bay Area Craigslist, so don't think change is coming.

Do you think this is totally unfair and want to support posting free, local and reliable ads on the web?

Then support the Sit List. They are a new, local ads listing site that wants to keep things free because we all know that life costs a lot money. They are even anxious to get feed back from people about what they liked about Craigslist so they can improve their site to make it more user friendly to its future customers.

So, although you are all sooo busy please procrastinate for 5 minutes, check out the site and provides some feedback so we can keep posting for free.

R.I.P camera (underwater montage)

2010-09-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

My camera was awesome...until it died.
I think I deserved it though. When I went to Burning Man it said "no cameras," but my friend explained that only meant for commercial use. Anyway, my super tough, underwater, shockproof (to a degree) camera died after I took a million amazing photos in the desert and I think it was cursed.

So, R.I.P camera it was nice knowing ya and here is your underwater montage of delightful shots.

A funny thing happened on the way to the hospital

2010-08-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

Imagine this, because this is what happened to me today when I had to go the Marin General Hospital:

A young man, convulsing, holding a $2.99 Ikea garbage can he was throwing up in arrived in the ER.
"Excuse me, sir. You need to register before we can help you." The Insurance registration desk clerk said. The pale man crawled up to the desk but took another break to puke first. The man at the desk sat calmly and asked him for his ID so he could register his insurance before admitting the patient.
The man registering the patient looked too calm...as if he is used to this type of procedure. Before the man could be admitted to the hospital he needed to sign a waiver claiming he is has insurance for emergency coverage. The man begged to be served as he slurred that he thought his esophagus was torn. The man registering him paid little attention and he organized his papers and proceeded to file his documents. It was a good 15 minutes before that poor puking man was given any type of medical attention. He even drove himself to the hospital in his half conscious state because he probably couldn't remember whether the fine print of his insurance covered ambulance rides or not.
This is an eye witness story I observed while sitting in the waiting room of one of the best hospitals in the U.S.
This is America...no coverage....no service....no chance of survival.

This is atrocious. As a recent patient of both American and Canadian hospitals I found absolutely no difference between the quality of care each country delivered. The only difference I found is that the American hospital will not even address you as a human being, let alone a patient, before guaranteeing you can pay for your emergency care.
This is not right. Not then, not now, not ever. Health care is a human right, not a privilege.

2/3 of the trip down, 1/3 to go! A few of my fav photos of my trip so far.

2010-08-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

A man in his art lab in Charlotte, Vermont.
Art installation in Burlington, Vermont.
The dark coast on Lake Champlain.
Grazing cows are happy cows on Shelburne farm.
This is where you're food should come from in Burlington, Vermont.
My lovely friend Oopey on his farm ready to take me out on the Kabota.
Winey times with lovely Andrew, Jodie and Kendra in Montreal.
Sam and Lee made the most amazing warm beet salad and fried tomatoes, yum yum!
"Under Pressure" art installations.
My Little Pony.
Patrick's installation and Under Pressure.

The rain didn't stop the artists.
Amazing panoramic shot.
Sam on the patio bar of the Hotel des Armes.
The birthday girl, Sarah, and her amazing cake.
Hello tiny car, I squish you with my fingers.
Lovely street art on St. Catherines in Montreal.
Lounging outside the Ontario Art Museum in Toronto with Katie.
Antique bike in Kennsington Market, Toronto.
Church near St. Laurent farmers market in Toronto.
Birds taking a bath in a fountain in Toronto.
Peameal bacon aka Canadian bacon at St. Laurent farmers market.
Beautiful street art on Danforth in Toronto.

A night on the town for Sarah Reusch's 16th Birthday. Dress code required heels.
Statue monument to famous Candiennes players in Montreal.
Photo fun with my dear friend Paul next to the Ocheaga music fest in Montreal.
A clever play on words in Montreal.
A proper burial for Paul's shoes in the Plateau in Montreal.
Ridiculous day-glo bar called Candibar in Montreal.
Perspiring statue located on the McGill campus in Montreal.
Beautiful statuesque conglomeration of words in the View Porte, Montreal.
Double helix work of art outside le Grande Bibliotechque in Montreal.
A lovely fire brews during a BBQ in the West Island of Montreal.
Clever advertising in the Historic part of Quebec City.
My favorite summer beer, Mill St. Lemon tea beer during Taste of the Danforth Fest in Toronto.
My love Louise, baby-faced Joseph Lacoste and moi in front of the Parliament building, Ottawa.
Seeking new adventures on bixi's in the Vieux Porte of Montreal.
Bi-lingualism is alive and well in Montreal.
2/3 of the trip down, 1/3 to go! Here are a few of my fav photos of my trip so far.

While waiting at the U.S. border I went on a rant...

2010-08-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Dear American border and customs officials-
I understand that due to your ridiculous jingoistic foreign policy you have a heightened security risk within your own borders. I understand that due to this security risk many people have a lot of animosity towards America and you must therefore be abrasive at customs. But did it ever occur to you the power of kindness? I know that word is not located in the handbook for customs officials but when you yell at each individual arriving at the U.S. border you are basically giving them another reason to hate America.
I know the motto is, "Whatever it takes," but these customs officials should also know that they are the first official welcome committee to the United States. When you badger people, ask them confusing questions when you know their first language is not English, you run the risk of making yet another enemy. Due to our failing economy that will implode at any minute, I don't think it wise to interrogate these people further then necessary.
I'm currently sitting at the U.S. border between Quebec and Vermont and have been sitting here for over an hour because a couple people did not answer these officials questions. There has been research that says people will stutter and even lie when placed under extreme stress and unfortunately these border officials have taken advantage of this very normal human impulse.
I must apologize for my country. America is a great place and Americans can be quite nice and friendly. I must apologize on behalf of my country to all who have had difficulty at the border and from experience I am going to give you a couple tips to take with you the next time you are at the border:

1) Answer their questions and do no ask why. For example when they look at your passport and ask why you went to Asia 5 years ago, just answer and don't ask them why.
2) Do not elaborate. I know you might think this will put them at ease but it mostly makes them nervous.
3) Do not joke around. Seriously.
4) Do not be prideful, cocky or arrogant. I know all you want to do is tell the border guards how rude and inappropriate they have been but save it. It will only prolong things and you might possibly get rejected. Ya, they do that.

How to say thanks when you're broke and traveling

2010-08-12T11:34:00.001-07:00

My mom raised me well. She taught me how to be considerate and polite even in the most difficult of situations.

When traveling and couch surfing there are many ways to say thanks but my favorite way is too cook my hosts a meal. My favorite meal is dinner because its the most social so here is a great recipe full of colors that will please even the pickiest of eaters. Plus, the recipe is easy on the wallet

My famous beet burgers (makes 5-8 burgers)

Ingredients:

2 beets (fresh, not canned)
1 reasonably sized yam
2 eggs (or a can of lentils if you're cooking for vegans)
a half cup or flour
garlic (optional)
onion (as much or as little as you want)
a dash of corn starch (optional)
bread crumbs for coating the outside before frying
Olive or canola oil for frying

1) Shred the beets either by hand or if they have an automatic shredder of some kind, that's better. Then shred the onion as well.
2) Put the yam in the microwave and nuke until soft. Carefully take off the skin afterward but don't be afraid to keep some of the skin on, its more nutritious that way.
3) Grab a bowl and dump the shredded beets and the cooked yam and mash them together. Add the onion and chop some garlic and throw it in there as well.
4) Throw in the flour and the corns starch and mash them all together.
5) Lay some bread crumbs on a cutting board in prep for frying the patties.
6) Make small balls out of the mash and coat them with bread crumbs.
7) Drop the mashed balls onto the frying pan (stove should be on med. high) and start frying. The first one or two usually turn out kinda weird so don't get discouraged.

Garnish them with whatever you want and feast your eyes on a wonderful meal. Sharing a meal with friends is one of my most favorite things to do. Hopefully your hosts will be impressed and won't want to kick you out on the street next time you try and sleep on their couch.

Things I don't hate about Toronto

2010-08-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone in the rest of Canada loves to hate Toronto and some might say for good reason. Coming from the west coast I think I have a bias against big cities. There are too many people which causes everyone to be a bit too self-involved and less considerate. There is too much noise and too much hustle and bustle when all you want is a little piece of quiet. "Nature" in a big city is a man-made park surrounded by a concrete jungle and yet everyone you meet cannot stop talking about how this "amazing" city is the best place on earth. Sorry, I need more quiet, more greenery, less people but more of them being considerate.

I digress.
Toronto doesn't suck when you have good people to show you around and once you wade through the "Toronto is the mecca of the Universe" speeches, it really is a lovely city. Here are a couple things that don't suck about Toronto.

1) Dogs on the metro. Toronto allows you to bring your dog on the subway and I think that is a great way of promoting public transportation and acknowledging that people have animals like dogs as pets. I think cities like Vancouver should adopt this so they don't have to spend extra money grabbing a cab when Sparky is sick and needs to go to the vet.

2) Mill Steet Lemon Tea Beer: This is the best summer time shandy I've had in a can. It's a beer mixed with lemon and earl grey tea. Did I mention its also 5%? Ain't nothing wrong here.

3) Trash cans: Ok, everyone is like, "why did you take a photo of a trash can?" Why? Because Toronto knows how to make them. The city might be big and dirty but these babies are everywhere and they have them organized according to trash, recycling and cigarettes, oh my! Vancouver might complain about litter but with their lack of garbage cans they could really learn a thing or two about how Toronto does it.

3) Cute statues to designate different neighbourhoods: I don't know why a cat on a chair is a cue to know you are in China town but I like that Toronto uses their creative license to make these things. I was certainly entertained.

4) Vegetarian friendly: The city is big and it caters to my kind quite nicely.

Pyro Pieds

2010-08-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

I used to be a pyromaniac, now I'm just an enthusiast.

J'adore Montreal street art

2010-07-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

Ca arrive, aka It is coming! However the amazing art scene has already arrived and made its mark on every street corner, building, gutter and sidewalk.
Everywhere you go there are murals and artful graffiti displayed and the citizens welcome it.
Cities are usually concrete jungles and I think it's wonderful that Montreal spices it up a bit with splashes of color and shapes of all sizes.

Ok, this last one isn't street art per se but I love the PFK (aka Poulet Frite Kentucky) with the anorexic models. C'est un peu ironic, n'est pas?!

Every toilet in the US should look like this

2010-07-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

I found this gem in the bathroom at the Portland, Oregon airport.
Yes, I was the creeper taking photos in the restroom while worried onlookers thought I had some bizare fetish.

Ahh, but I do...for environmental innovations that lessen our carbon footprint. The lesser of two evils is not good enough but its a start.

Mommy, what's gentrification?

2010-07-24T17:36:00.001-07:00

My no non-sense guide to applying for permanent residency under, "Canadian Experience Class"

2010-07-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Oh Canada, my home and native land....woops, not yet!

This guide is super crucial for anyone who:
1) Graduated from UBC as an international student
2) Has a post-graduation work permit and has been working full-time in Canada in a "professional" field for over a year
3) Don't want to pay a lawyer ~$6,000 to do something you CAN do on your own.

Want to know my credentials?
Well, I don't really have any, I'm just awesome.
Also, I happen to work for a non-profit legal education organization (for over two years) and my job revolves around going to legal education conferences and getting updated in the various fields of law, including immigration law. I have also applied for several different visas while living in Canada and am very familiar with the paper work. And finally, I like to try and do things on my own so I decided to conquer this thing by myself.
I am making this guide becasue this was a really tough process and everyone needs all the advice they can get.
Plus, I really like helping people out, so hopefully I'll get some good karma points for this one.

DISCLAIMER: Please know that things change (legislation gets updated, etc.) and this guide should not be your only reference for applying in Canada. This is just a guide for those who don't like guides and need help in this area. Also, you can't get mad at me if you don't get what you want. I'm just trying to help out and ultimately it is Immigration Canada that will decide your fate.

Ok, where does one start?

So, back in 2008 Canada realized they did not have enough citizens of its own to meet the demand for business so they decided to add another category to their immigration list so that more people could apply. This category is called, "Canadian Experience Class."

Click here to read the News release from Immigration Canada about their new category.

Click here to read the Immigration Canada Backgrounder to find out the minimum requirements for applying under Canadian Experience Class.

If you read the Backgrounder and are only confused with the "work experience" part, then continue on. If you do not qualify under the "education" and "language" parts then you're out of luck.

Work experience is tough and I go way more into detail about it further down, so if you have gotten this far, then I recommend you download the Application Package.

Click here to find out "How to apply" for Permanent Residency
and
Click here to just download the PDFs for application (aka all the forms you will need to fill out plus the document checklist).

**You should know that once you download the PDFs, you can only save the blank form, you cannot save your work. They want you to fill out these forms on the computer (and not in your hand writing)! Since you cannot save them I recommend you print them, fill them out by hand and then fill it out on the computer and print it but, ONLY when it is completely and correctly filled out.

The Tough part: Figuring out whether your work experience is good enough
This part sucks. I freaking hated it so at least I'm saving you hours of frustration by making it easier to deal with.
Ok, so Canada has this handy dandy list of how to tell whether your job is attractive enough for Canada to keep you. How does one know if you job is worthy or not.

Here's what immigration Canada tells you:
"Applicants are required to accumulate at least one year of work experience at Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupation Classification, also known as the NOC."
Ya, that doesn't really make sense now, does it?! So here's how we're going to do this one. I'm going to give you a list of things to do in order to not make this process so sucky. If you cannot do all these things on the list you should:
A) Speak to a lawyer which will cost money
or
B) Don't apply.
List of things to do (re: Work Experience):
The most important thing is to talk to the boss. Do you have a good relationship with your employer/supervisor/boss/slave master?

If not, then sucks for you.
If you do, then you need to make sure your employer is willing to write you a reference letter.

This reference letter must state that you:

Work at least 37.5 hours a week at this job

fit the description listed by the NOC to describe you job

Here's an example:
If the NOC states a waiter's job includes
-waiting tables
-cleaning floors
-handling money

THEN your reference letter should state pretty much verbatim what the NOC description says.

After you get your reference letter figured out you need to get copies of a lot of documents, including:

Birth certificate
All stamps in your passport
Your degree (and your high school transcript just in case)
All your previous study and or work visas you previously had
Your current work visa
Copies of any other education or certification you might have
Most recent Tax assessment and T4 slip
There is a new addition to the application and its a language test to prove you speak English or French (Canada's official languages). I couldn't find it on the website but I'm sure it exists so just another thing to add to your list. Do you hate me yet?

You need to provide an original copy of:

Your university transcript
Finger prints: I know you are thinking, "SAY WHAT?" but you have to get fingerprinted and have them send to your home country for clearance. When you send the document you must ask them to send the results back to you and then you send the results receipt with your application. Canada does not require that you submit finger prints but if you have any kind of criminal record and they find out about, they ain't going to be happy.

Here is a link to How to obtain a Police certificate if you are from the US of A.
If you are from somewhere, I'm sorry just look it up.

There is an electronic service that does fingerprinting and I highly recommend you do that rather then doing manual fingerprints. I did the manual ones and the processing time takes way longer and it ends up being more expensive.

Processing Fees:
One of the last things you need to do is send the application in and pay the fees, which are not cheap ($550). Once you pay and send in your application you can't get your money back, so take that into consideration. Also, $550, might seem like a lot but its one of the cheapest of immigration processing fees just to put things in perspective.
You think it's easy to just send in your application but of course they have specific instructions on how to do this so click on this link to do it the "right" way.

***Super important for Americans****
Ok, so if you are American your application is going to the Canadian consulate in Buffalo NY, USA. I know this is silly but whatever.
More important is they have specific instructions on how to send the money so click on this link to figure out how to pay properly.

If you know someone who has done this application before I recommend getting them to look it over before you submit it. You can pay a paralegal to do it for $180.00 an hour (I did it once) and then have your fellow peers look it over before sending it to Immigration Canada.

I wish you good luck and may the force be with you.

Reading is so passe...

2010-07-12T14:30:00.001-07:00

Why read what's coming in store for Local Hero when you watch a video by a mono-tone cute dog/bear like thing who will tell it like it is....

Enjoy, and special thanks to XtraNormal for helping me find new ways to procrastinate.

Transforming Vancouver's most prominent street

2010-06-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

Transformation: Taking something familiar and turning into something completely new and unique to its original form.

What does a great street look like to you?
What sets it apart from other streets?
Which street stands out from the rest in Vancouver?

These are a great questions that the city of Vancouver and the Vancouver Public Space Network (VPSN) all wanted to find out in order to transform Broadway, the longest street in Vancouver.

Broadway goes from UBC, located on the breath-taking cliffs and ocean views to Commercial Drive, the spunky industrial turned artist community.

Broadway is currently the busiest street in Vancouver moving goods and services, people and providing commercial, residential and other services along each side of its concrete expanse.

But what if we could make it work better for us?

Well, that's why the city of Vancouver and more importantly the Vancouver Public Space Network (VPSN) set to find out. They invited several members of the community (including me) to partake in a workshop focused around bringing new ideas to how we can make Broadway a better street.

This workshop was great because we were told to dream big and hold no ideas back. The city wants to collect these ideas and actually consider making them a reality for Vancouvrites. Vancouver also has an ambitious goal of being the "Greenest city" in the world by 2020, so they wanted sustainability to be a top priority.

My group first pointed out what makes a good street, here are our observations.

A good street:
-Stands out as a cultural focal point of the city
-a passage/portal to other places through transportation (accessibility)
-brings community together
-meets your commercial business needs
-makes you feel safe
-entices you to walk along it (upkeep and scenery make it a nice place to hang out)

Then we narrowed down our priorities for what we think Broadway should be. Here were our conclusions in order of importance:

1) Transportation hub for non-cars: Broadway moves a lot of people east/west and west/east everyday but many complain that due to the buses sharing the road with cars, its too hard to get to a specific destination on time. By promoting more transit along Broadway and less cars rapid transit or even a skytrain option would make Broadway a more accessible option for transportation. Also, making room for bikes along Broadway will send a message out to cars that they are not particularly wanted here. This does not mean hate cars but in keeping with the sustainability theme we feel that cars have been a priority for city-planning for way too long. We need to use the streets more efficiently and making public transportation and bicycle transportation more accessible the street will maximize its potential.

2) Providing public space for everyone: Broadway has a lot of people on it all the time, there is no denying this. Nevertheless, it does not have nearly enough public space to accommodate its patrons. Cambie and Broadway is a great example of providing public space while also being a transportation hub. The wide side walks, benches strewn about and small green patches provide Vancouverites with more than just a street to walk on. They become places for relaxation, education and hopefully transformation.

3) Providing diverse business opportunities: Currently residential real estate is more profitable along Broadway than commercial space but in the midst of over-inflated housing prices, this does not seem like a sustainable option. Most people are driven out to Broadway for many of their commercial needs whether its going to the post office, picking up groceries, eating out or even going to the hospital. One of our priorities was making sure that Broadway is not just full of empty condos and high rises and retains its commercial appeal.

The best part about Vancouver right now is that they are open to hearing what we want. Vancouver city planners have made many mistakes in the past by implementing things they didn't really think about (like not connecting the sky train on Granville) but this time they have organized enough time to hear what its citizens want.

This is the kind of city I want to be a part of. One that asks for your opinions before going to the drawing board. Vancouver might not be the best, but right now I think they are doing better than all the rest.

Uninspired and lathargic

2010-06-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

I am gimp and will stab you with my grabber pole!

I must apologize. One would think that because I had time off due to disability I would be invading the internet like whoa with interesting posts and the like...but alas I have not. In fact, I have half-wrote 3 posts and haven't had the motivation, patience or chutzpah to finish them.

Why? Not sure, so I'm filling the emptiness with some random blathering about nothing.

Why is it that I feel most inspired to write, create, network, etc. when I'm at my busiest? Why can't I focus on one thing at a time and give it the true attention it needs?

How was I able to fill up a week's worth of valuable time doing almost next to nothing?

When the doctor said, "you need to rest and do nothing," I didn't want to take her seriously. I did this because not doing anything is extremely hard for me. I have been battling keeping my sanity over these past days and hopefully I'm cresting the plateau onto serenity.

Because for now...I ain't making much sense and I've most likely already lost your attention.

I will never die! A personal reflection on life and death on a bike

2010-06-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

I usually don't reserve this space for personal anecdotes but after surviving two accidents in the past month, I feel its necessary to vent for a bit. None of this will be coherent but I just got back from the hospital so I'm using the pain killers as an excuse.

1) I freaking love Canada and their health care system. As an American who stupidly believed health care was a privilege and not a right was glad to be proven wrong once I moved to Canada. I have been in two major bike accidents in the past month and both times paramedics came to my rescue. They were thoughtful, I received top of the line care, and I am forever grateful for everyone's help at Vancouver General Hospital. The next time some ignorant American tries to say that Canada has sub-pare medical, I will punch them in the face and then allow for their insurance companies to deal with the aftermath when they are getting a $100,000 bill for a mild face injury.

2) I love my friends. Moving to another country has not been easy. I have encountered many set backs but my support network in Vancouver has been better than gold. Actually my support network all over this globe has been platnium. I'm seriously the luckiest gal to have not one, not two, but a gaggle of great people I can call good friends.

3) I love my helmet. Thank you Prohab for saving my life and making me look cool pre-accident.

4) Don't let silly set backs like getting hit by a car or getting flung off your bike only to gash your head open stop you from doing what you love doing. After my first, flung-from-bike accident it took me a week to get back on my bike but I took it slow and gradually regained my confidence. This time around might be a bit more difficult because cars kinda freak me out. I was riding down a bike lane and crossing the street during a pedestrian crossing when the driver ran a red light and hit me. I remember thinking to myself, "there is nothing else you can do but get hit at this point," so I did and dealt with it.
It sucks lying in bed feeling totally useless but it could have been a lot worse. I ended up walking away from the whole thing pretty unharmed (no broken bones or horrible looking scratches) and besides being sore as hell, I'm sure I will recover soon.
Once I can feel my butt again, I will definitely be tearing it up on my bike once again.

Words of advice (I can write this here instead of telling it to your face and watching your eyes roll):
-Safety is sexy (aka WEAR YOUR HELMET)
-Sharing is sexy (aka DON'T BE A JERK ON THE ROAD WHILE BIKING)
-You are only in control of your actions (aka DON'T LET ACCIDENTS SCARE YOU FROM LIVING YOUR LIFE)
-Educate yourself about ways to make biking the norm and not the exception.

Surviving the Demise, a practical guide to living in a post-neo capitalist society

2010-06-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

I was just a sparkle in my mother's eye when the world as we know accepted that communism was not longer sustainable and as the Berlin Wall fell many believed that since communism failed, then capitalism must have won. However, if we look at the current state of the economy, including but not limited to, volatile stock markets, privatization of every public good imaginable and an overall majority of people living below the poverty line, then one must beg the question... who really won?

I believe we are standing at a pivotal time in our lives when we must critically examine our lifestyle and if we want to flourish in this tumultuous paradigm shift (i.e. the fall of neo-capitalism as we know it) then we must look to other to figure out how to survive ourselves.

I'm writing this to warn those who are unaware that the way we are living is not only inefficient, but it won't last long. Those that choose to continue to live this frivolous life based on market rises and falls and truly believe that happiness and well-being can be summed up in $$$ signs will be the ones that fall the hardest.

If you are relatively young (18-30) then take the time to read these guides if only to understand that the environment you have been living in will not last forever. Just like we have learned in history, empires rise and fall and unfortunately the "American dream" is unattainable in the 21st century. This, however, does not mean we are doomed.

1) Thriving in the Age of Collapse: Start here. This author grew up in the USSR in its final days and saw first hand those who were able to survive the collapse and those who were not. This man is not a conspiracy theorist he is using his first-hand experiences abroad and putting them in a 21st century western world context. He is pin pointing what will continue to work in the western world and what will inevitably collapse. It's very insightful and he uses a couple examples to show how someone like yourself can flourish in a post-consumerist society. Kudos to my girl Louise for giving me this article.

Collapse: This man is amazing. Michael Ruppert blew my mind as a teenager with his DVD entitled, The Truth and Lies of 9/11. What about him blew my mind? Well, he tells everyone in 2001 what was going to happen in the next decade, and although many people believed he was just trying to get a rise out of people...he was dead on. This is his newest film and it will be mental preparation what is in store. Here is a trailer to motivate you to see it. Or it might scare the crap out of you, whatever works right?!

6 Reasons why people can't change and what to do about it: Everyone wants to change. Change their hair, change their body, change their outlook, but changing the lifestyle you know and love will be hard. That is why I included this little guide to see where you and I are on the "ability to change" scale.

Now, I'm not a self-hating American I just have so many family and friends still living in the U.S. and clinging to that last bit of sanity not realizing that everything will be ok if we all just accept that nothing will be the same. Gone are the days when we can over consume, under produce, over function our military might while under appreciating our citizens as workers and students. I write this not to criticize but to inspire small changes from individuals. If we cannot unite as a nation and change the system then let's start with ourselves. Revolutionize yourself and others will follow. Success starts when someone is brave enough to break the mold and dare to be original.

Carnival Sized Cinnamon Hearts Presents The Tragic Tale of Pierrot marionette Show

2010-06-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

Haven't seen a marionette show since I was a wee one, but this one was not bad.
The Railway Club was the perfect venue for the show and the puppet masters had a very interesting take on the Tragic Tale of Pierrot.

Many props go to Deet Street, who coordinates lively music and entertainment the first Monday of every month at the Railway. Definitely worth checking out, makes Mondays something to look forward to.

Ok, back to the show. I liked how everyone had their own interpretation of what happened, even those who were familiar with the tale. Considering there was no dialogue its hard to decipher emotion from plastic faces (talking about the puppets here), but I liked the puppeteers modern interpretation of the story. Plus they threw condoms out into the audience which highly encouraged people's participation and they all seemed happy to oblige.

This review is short, just like the puppet show, but this one is for the memory bank because who knows the next time I'll enjoy a show like this.

The Very Best is still the very best! Regardless of whether you catch my drift, read on

2010-05-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

I love and hate confusing band names.

This relationship started with hate when my dad told me at a young age his favorite band was "The Band" and I thought he was teasing me for many of the informative years of my life.

Now, although I am older I am none the wiser. When my friend told me to look up, "The Very Best" my immediate response was, "the very best of what?"

Now, I have said you a lot of time by just adding the link to this post but if you google, "the very best" its quite interesting what comes up, have fun with that one.

Ok, now on to the review:
Friday, May 28th, 2010.
Biltmore Cabaret.
Tickets say show at 9pm, no one came on until 10:30.
Failed to remember or inquire about the openers, wasn't that impressed.
DJ My Gay Husband kept it fresh for intermission.
They Very Best breaks onto the stage like an explosion with many hipster casualties.
Seriously, these guys were hanging from the ceiling and they did not drop the energy for one second.
They kidnapped and held our attention at ransom the entire time. Even the bouncers and security team was dancing.
No one could contain themselves.
They transformed this small hipster venue into a club in Malawi. No one dared to stand still, swishing and swaying was a bare minimum.
A wave of people crashed the stage, they did not skip a beat...they played better.
It was not a concert, it was an experience, like you felt a little bit better about living after. Now that's what I call a show.

I talked to one of the singers after and told him about my experience googling them.
"What came up when you tried to search us?" He inquired.
"The very best of...Barbara Streisand." I replied.

"Well thanks for not giving so quickly." He said.
"I'm really glad I didn't." I answered.

The Ruffled Feathers serenade my soul

2010-05-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

So a dear friend of mine called me up and said, "hey, wanna go to Falconetti's and hear some good music?" Now, when someone says, "good music" its usually quite subjective and you never know what you are going to get, but after seeing the Ruffled Feathers, I will never doubt his taste in music ever again.

I was blown away. They lit up the bar with their sparkly choir pop/gypsy rock and they looked damn good doing it.

I don't know much about this band so I'm more writing this to expose everyone else to them.

The band was tight, and I mean that in a slang and literal way. They looked at ease on stage and all their instruments played together swimmingly.

The dim lights and the females singers sweet-as-candy voice totally memorized the audience. Hearing the soft trumpet was like a lullaby and the bassist kept the tempo steady as a rock.

I'm not really sure what else I can say except I'm a fan! I can't wait to see this ensemble again and if you have a chance check them out on Myspace and Facebook. By the looks of their pages, they are also quite artistic (or just have amazing taste) and it shows in their videos and album art.

Check out their video for Ghost Pirates its simply splendid.

An inconvenient truth about the U.S. education system

2010-05-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

...It's sucks. And it has been sucking for a while.

I realized this a while back when I decided at 17 to move to Canada and attend university there. Even though I grew up in an affluent community the public school I went to sucked. Wait, let me rephrase that. It's not that the school sucked because of its teachers, quite the contrary, the bureaucratic tools they used to organize the school system in Marin County, California, sucked.

The whole education system in the United States has been built that if you are clever (and not necessarily smart) you can get away with murder and basically get straight A's. I'm not proud of this but I worked damn hard to manipulate my teachers and cut corners in order to get good grades. The reason I'm admitting this is besides the fact that I was quite confident I wasn't actually learning anything, I still had the drive to go to college and that is when I got a big fat reality check.

Coming from the U.S. I immediately noticed that the average Canadian had better schooling than I. And the more I met students from other countries, I realized that pretty much everyone who didn't attend a U.S. public school had a better education. Once again, I must stress that it was not the teachers, it was the system.

The educational system in the U.S. is atrocious. If you are familiar with Brown v. Board of Education, you know that segregation in schools lead to minorities receiving less than equal education due to lack of funding and a horrible allocation or resources to its students. Unfortunately, schools are still segregated and this time its economically; students who grow up in poorer areas do not receive the same education as those who grow up in richer areas.
This was more then apparent at my high school and the school system did nothing to remedy this. Instead of adding more education programs to the elementary schools they just accepted that these students would be behind the others once they reached high school and put them in lower level classes than the rest. This lead many of these students (who were also mainly minorities) to believe they were stupider and we all no that if one does not have the confidence to succeed, then there is little hope that they will.

These students were also at a disadvantage because you had to have a certain grade point average to play team sports. So, not only were these kids shunned to the lower level classes where teachers were less than enthused to teach what they have been told were "problem children," but they were also not allowed to play team sports.

Basically this rant is pointing out that the U.S. school system has got it all backwards. They administer tests to schools and the top schools receive more money. THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE! The lowest ranked school should receive the most money so they can improve their programs and schools should be rewarded on the most improved students. Instead of punishing the kids who, by no choice of their own, are put in lower level classes by not allowing them to partake in fun things like sports, why don't you encourage them to join the team and organize team study times and reward the kids who improve their skills in their studies and on their game. Sounds like a win-win to me!

What I'm saying is we can not let our kids, the next generation, fall by the way side. We need to look at education as a precious gift that should be granted to all, but not thought of as a burden to our society. We need to celebrate education and encourage all to be intelligent rather then letting them try and get on reality TV if the whole education thing doesn't work out. Yuck!

We need to start by examining what role models our children are looking at today and then look at how we can change the system to make school cool.

My best friend and I were extremely lucky. We not only had great teachers but we had enough confidence in our own abilities to take our education into our own hands. My friend and I took the GED and she went to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley. I decided to stay in school and graduate early with independent study. We were lucky because we were able to recognize the flaws of our education system and use them to our advantage. We read up on how to make education work for us, and it did, considering we are both college graduates now.

However, this is not the case for many.

Here are some very important tips resources for students who want to take education into their own hands.

Tips from experience:

1) If you want to do something and someone says you "shouldn't," don't always believe them. This is a big one! If I had a dime for every time a teacher, college career counselor, or family friend told me not to do something because it would look bad to college admissions, etc. I wouldn't have done anything with my life.

Instead, make a list of why you want to do that thing in particular and research how it could use it to your advantage.

2) College Career counselors do not know as much as they think they do.

I have met way too many university students that said they had horrible counselors in high school and if they actually listened to them they probably would still be stuck doing nothing. My counselor told me that if I went to school in Canada I would be an attractive candidate for employment in the U.S. because employers are unfamiliar with Canada and their schools. Not only did I graduate from one of the best universities in the world (also, located in Canada) but I got an amazing job straight out of school. Boo ya!

3) If you are passionate about something, make sure you have taken all the necessary precautions to make sure you can actually do what you want.

No one likes math, or science, or a particular subject they are not good at but unfortunately if you skip it all together it could impede on what you actually want to do with your life. I know so many people that have told me they do not need pass math in order to be a musician. But, what you must realize is that since you are young you need to become a renaissance man or a jack-of-all trades in order to really master your craft. If you cut out the things that you don't enjoy doing, it could severely impact what you do enjoy doing in the long run.

4) Just to follow up on that previous statement...you are young and stupid, so don't disregard everyone's advice just because you think you know better.

This is hard to tell other people because I was way to self-righteous as a teen. I didn't want to listen to anyone and I usually didn't. However, my mother always taught me to take any opportunity that comes my way, so I tried to take all the advice I could while still trying to pursue my own goals. This is good advice to take. It's great that you have passions but please please please try and realize that you are young and have a lot to learn so just because you don't like doing something, does not mean you can kick it to the curb just yet. It's best to try a little bit of everything and then narrow your interests until you find your expertise....but then again, I'm still in the "try everything" stage and I'm 23. This applies to me to then, whoa!

5) Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.

My friend once said, "it's better to regret something you did, than something you didn't do," and although that statement doesn't make sense in every aspect of life, it does when it comes to your education. How will you know what you are really good at if you don't try a little bit of everything? If you have found something you are good at get connected within that specialty and see if you can specialize even more.

So, you wanna beat the system and make the most out of your crappy education? Here are some great resources to start you out:

AERO (Alternative Education Resource Org.): This organization was set up to give information to students and families about all the possibilities and opportunities people have to receive an education. If you have a moment, read up on how they can help you suceed!
Summer Search: I have nothing but praise for this organization because I am an alum. This organization goes to schools and recruits students who are smart, ambitious, etc. but have something impeding their success. The organization then takes you under their wing and gives you a mentor to speak to throughout the year. The mentor talks to you about your school and personal life and tries to direct you in a positive way. If you succeed they give you money to go on a backpacking wilderness trip and /or an international community service trip. This program reinstates the confidence that so many students lose when put into schools. They have expanded their organization all over the U.S. so look up if there is one in your area and even if it isn't don't hesitate to contact them to see how you can be a part of Summer Search. Being a Summer Searcher completely changed my life and I am eternally grateful for their time and effort in the program.
Here is a useful list compiled by Paths of Learning, about education alternatives. Now, please be patient (something I lack but am trying hard to work on). You are not going to necessarily find what you are looking for in the next 5 min. but this list might help you map out your educational future.

These are just a few of the thousands and thousands of resources available to you. And it doesn't hurt to see your career counselor to find out what opportunities are available to you.

Oh, and don't believe me about the U.S. educational system sucking a lot? Well, the guys who directed an Inconvenient Truth, made this movie to prove you wrong, check out the film and then say I'm crazy...I dare you.

Laura Bush dissapoints me...

2010-05-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

WTF, Mrs. Bush?

I saw this clip of Laura Bush on Larry King promoting her new book or whatever where she clearly states that she is in favor of Gay marriage and abortion rights for women. Now, don't get me wrong I'm all for those things but why did the former first lady say absolutely nothing about these VERY IMPORTANT issues while she was in office?

Maybe because she thought it wasn't lady-like to steal the limelight from her oh-so-intelligent husband? I guess that's not how they do it in Texas but I like my women a little more mouthy if you know what I mean.

I find it utterly infuriating that in the 8 years in office where abortion rights for women were more threatened than ever before, she sat idly by and not only did nothing, she didn't say a damn thing about it either. In this short clip she talks as if by speaking her mind now she has completely absolved her self because even though she thought abortion was a woman's right, she let a bunch of stupid white men dictate what women should be able to do with their reproductive organs.

...And on don't even get me started on the topic of Gay marriage. While states legalized and then overturned gay marriages all over the country I didn't hear one single peep out of Laura Bush about it. I did, however, hear a bunch of belligerent conservative religious talk from her husband her his constituents about the sanctity of marriage and how Gays are ruining the world, blah blah blah.

Aren't you violating the good Samaritan law or something by not doing anything even though you knew that the Bush administration was dangerously close to abolishing Gay marriage and abortion rights?

I actually would have been more ok with Laura Bush being just as convicted as her husband in his stupid beliefs but the fact that she disagreed with her husband and yet her reigning legacy in office is reading picture books to kids? What a slap in the face to feminism. Way to set an example for young women everywhere; Even though you are the spouse of the most powerful figure head in the Western world just nod and smile and make him look less stupid, even if it means compromising your own intelligence and pride.

Like I previously mentioned, WTF?!?

California is falling to pieces, please VOTE on June 8th, 2010 to put it back together

2010-05-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

I might not live in the Golden State of Cali anymore but I do feel its pain. It's completely in shambles and I do not not how to articulate that with more concern.

It's like the state has been taken hostage by Hollywood and Corporate America and everyone is too drugged out on TV, prescription pills and inadequate education to actually realize how bad it is.

I hate to say it but its bad....real bad. And there is not much we can do about it. But here is something you can do, you can VOTE.

I know, I know, its hard to pull away from the computer or TV for 5 sec. in order to fill out that voting card but you may not have a computer or TV anymore if you just sit back and let the vultures swoop in and take our great state away from us.

Too lazy to do your voter research? No problem! The CREDO action network has tone the tireless research for you and they are going to tell you what you certainly will NOT hear from ad campaigns, so please please please don't vote based on what you see on television.

Here is what Credo is saying about the legislation up for vote:

YES ON PROP. 15: Prop. 15 would clip the power of special interests in state elections. It would assess a fee on lobbyists and use the money to fund Secretary of State candidates who want to run without cash from corporations.

NO ON PROP. 16: PG&E is the sole sponsor of Prop. 16, which would require a two-thirds vote before a local government could sell electricity. It would benefit electric companies and cripple the movement by municipalities to offer green power to their residents in competition with PG&E.

NO ON PROP. 17: Mercury Insurance is the primary sponsor of Prop. 17, which would allow companies to squeeze higher rates from anyone who's had a lapse in auto-insurance coverage. It's a backdoor rate increase.

Now you understand why I told you not to listen to the expensive ad campaigns these corporations are sponsoring to try and get you to vote according to them. Please prove them wrong.

I also recommend voting early so you don't forget (hey it happens). Click here to check our with your county how to do so.

Credo is also nice enough to give out this information form you can take with you to the polls.

VOTE Dummies, its the absolute least you can do.

The time has come...for city-wide composting in Vancouver!

2010-05-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

A while back I got all agro about Vancouver claiming to be the greenest city in the world when they had one of the worst city-wide recycling programs I've seen. So, instead of yelling at them in person I wrote the Waste Management branch and gave them my two cents. In the letter I strongly encouraged they take on a city-wide composting service like Toronto. I was expecting to get ignored but on the contrary, I received a detailed response that said they were "working on it."

I never expected them to be serious....but they were as serious as a heart attack.

On Earth Day, April 22nd, Vancouver started the first phase of their city-wide composting service.

The Georgia Straight is reporting that they will evolve the system but here's what you can do now, and its stupidly easy:
In Phase 1, those who live in single-family residences will be able to put tea bags, uncooked fruit and vegetable bits, eggshells, and coffee grounds and filters into their yard-trimmings cart, which will be picked up biweekly for processing by Fraser Richmond Soil & Fibre.

Read the article linked above to find out how they are going to go about phases 2 through 3 or just do what I say and leave it at that.

When politicians actually DO what they say its like seeing a tiny light at the end of a scary, long tunnel. Thanks Vancity for quelling my cynicism.

Plants and Animals bring Montreal music to Vancouver just in time for summer

2010-05-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

They came, they played and they were scrumptious.

My dear friend introduced me to this band, Plants and Animals, while I was in Montreal, and I instantly fell in love with their album, Parc Avenue. It had been a while where you could just put on an album, press play, and let it take you away.
Parc avenue basically defined my summer and I was itching to see them live ever since I heard them at a hookah bar in the Plateau, Montreal. They had played last year at the Railway Club and the Builtmore and I heard mixed reviews. I didn't care though I knew that when I saw them they would deliver...and they did!

They played a solid mix of their old album Parc avenue mixed in with several songs from their new, self-titled album. They were a little helter skelter, but they kept a solid beat and serenaded me through and through.

The show they played was similar to the experience I had with their Parc avenue album. From the second they started playing I was glued to their sound. Sweaty and swaggering, they did more than justice to their instruments and kept my spirits high and my body swaying.

The only things I didn't like about the show had nothing to do with the band and more to do with the ambiance.
1) I hate the Commodore. I love their acoustics and their space but their management and conduct policies suck big time. Two paying customers decided to jump on stage and the security jumped on them like they were terrorists with Molotov cocktails. The band pleaded that they stay on stage but security wasn't havin' it.

2) The crowd lacked enthusiasm. As a concert goer I don't expect you to know every single word to every song, but at least look like you are happy being there. The crowd was more like a group of lost kids, ambling around, trying to find their mommy. They all stood there, barely moving with indifference stricken all over their faces. My friends and I were having none of that and we rocked out supremely with smiles nonetheless.

The band says label themselves as indie, and if that is the case then this is what I want all indie music to sound like.

Thanks, Plants and Animals, you didn't disappoint me. I'm just sorry if the whack venue and ho-hum crowd displeased you.

Arizona's new law has got it coming!

2010-05-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm not an advocate for violence at all but in the midst of Arizona passing a super racist, anti-immigration law a movie has come at the perfect time to satirize the dysfunction of Arizona and our nation.

Machete, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, portrays a hit man who was hired to assassinate a racist senator, but who ends up getting sabotaged himself. And this Mexican, who goes by the name of machete (assuming that's his weapon of choice) does not go down without a fight. I know this story has been told time and time again:
1) Anti-hero is happy leading an uneventful life until he gets a deal he cannot refuse
2) That "deal" ends up biting him in the ass and he dies...oh wait no he doesn't!
3) Then, not because he wants to but because he has to, he ends up blowing everyone up that wronged him and some causalities too (but I'm sure he didn't mean to).

I don't know why I love this trailer so much, but watch for yourself and tell me you are not totally titillated. Oh ya, Happy Cinco de Mayo!

People like people who know a thing or two about their Supreme Court

2010-05-04T10:52:00.001-07:00

Sadly few too citizens know ANYTHING about their Supreme Court and that is why I love Alliance for Justice. I've spoken about them several times and I must say this organization perseveres in trying to educate the public about what's going on in government. And thank goodness for them because whether we like it or not politics governs life and how we live it.

So, I don't know about you but I love quizzes!

If you think you are all that and a bag of chips when it comes to your knowledge of the Supreme Court, then take this quiz to challenge your knowledge. I bet that even if you get all of them right you will still learn something new, disturbing, and a tiny tiny bit enlightening about the U.S. Supreme Court.

And hey, the more you know the more you are able to change what you don't like....knowledge is power!

Yikes, I sound like a mix between a public service announcement and School House Rock....not sure whether that's a good thing or not, get back to me.

Vancouver's first annual Velopalooza will hopefully not be the last

2010-05-03T10:02:00.001-07:00

Summer + biking = good times had by all.

Therefore, why not devote a whole week of awesome events dedicated to those two wheels that make life more pleasurable.

Bike lovers of Vancouver have done just that. I saw their awesome artistic ad (pictured above) in Bandidas, a bike-friendly vegetarian taqueria, and immediately got excited.

The problem is that the website, velopalooza.ca wasn't as easy to find.

When I googled it, it didn't come up in the search results, boo! So, I've decided to add my tiny two cents in the mix so hopefully this week of awesome bike events will get more publicity.

Velopalooza in Vancity runs from June 4nd to 13th for a total of ten days of bike awesomeness.

The events of the week include themed bike rides like,
a superhero ride
a yummy gelato ride
a cargo-bike/trailer ride
and the Naked bike ride to top things off (or take things off, hehe. Ya, i'm clever like that)

All the events can be found on their website and there is a forum linked to many of the events so you can comment and get the latest info on who's wearing what and more importantly who's riding what!

UPDATE: Some nice person actually read this post and encouraged me to tell all y'all to volunteer.

E-mail them at: info@velopalooza.ca to help out!

Top 10 lies about HST in BC: Things you thought you know but aren't so!

2010-04-27T10:16:00.001-07:00

There is a lot of debate about whether British Columbia should adopt HST or not. To be honest, when I read the first report about HST (put out by the (neo)Liberal govt.) I didn't think it was a bad thing. However, after a while I was able to read in between the lines and basically expose what HST really is.

Don't get me wrong, HST is not a bad idea, but it will not work in British Columbia. HST already exists in Quebec but since Quebec already has such a strong social welfare system (the most socialist of all the provinces) this added tax does not affect Quebecers in the same way it would British Columbians. BC is the most neo-liberal of all the provinces and HST will end up hurting consumers (aka citizens) rather than producers. Plus, the cost of living in BC is way higher than most other places in Canada, so adding an additional tax on all goods will negatively effect the poorer populations.

Why would this tax be bad when I (an admitted socialist) speak in favor of many other taxes?

Because...HST is a regressive tax. It is tacked on to goods and services and EVERYONE has to pay the same price, although if you know anything about capitalist systems, you know that we all don't have the same money in the bank.
This is the opposite of lets say and income tax, which is progressive. The poorer people pay less and the rich pay more.

So, considering BC's government is uber neo-liberal (meaning more like the US than any other province) and has a higher cost of living, implementing HST could be detrimental to the overall population.

Fight HST has been putting out many informational materials about the detriments of HST so for the benefit of being fair and balanced...
Here's the top 10 list of what the BC liberals are telling the public...but just ain't so:

1. The HST Legislation cannot be undone.

Wrong! and this one got me bad.

Page 11, section 42 of hte Comprehensive Integrated Tax Coordination Agreement (CITA) that BC signed with Ottawa to create the HST says, "The terms and conditions of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect, in accordance with and subect to the provisions of this Part, until the date that is specified by a Party in written notices that is delievered to the other Party setting out the Party's desire to terminate this Agreement."

Want that in layman's terms? If there are enough people that don't want HST, it can be overturned.

Want an example? Saskatchewan adopted HST in 1989 and two years later repealed by the newly elected government.

2. The HST is a streamlined, more efficient tax

Ummm....no, not really. The Tax act (CITCA) has 16 pages of formula definitions that require mathmatical experts to compute the tax and the formulas are quite intimidating.

Humans are really great at taking something simple and making it horribly complicated. In fact if they just modified the PST to provide input tax credits to businesses, with a reduction to 3 or 4% to compensate for the expanded tax base would be way better off. Don't understand what I just said? Me either, but try explaining the formula for HST in less then 3 sentences...let alone 16 pages of mathmatical formulas.

3. BC must adopt the HST to compete with Ontario

Nope, no way, BC's closest trading partners (Alberta, the US and Asia) don't have HST.

Plus, when did BC ever have to compete with Ontario?! We're not smug...we're just better.

4. HST rebates will offset the extra costs to seniors

Why must be abuse the generation we will all eventually become?

The HST rebates will be applied as a percentage of the tax, but with a much larger gross tax amount (12% on HST vs. 5% on GST). This means a greater portion of our pensions will be required to pay the differerence between the rebates and the larger amount of overall tax paid.

Why screw over granny and grandpa, Gordon Campbell?

5. HST does not apply to new home construction under $520,000

Nope. All home construction has HST applied.

6. HST will not affect rents/strata fees

God, I love this neo-liberal Reganomics approach to the economy. They claim that when they save the producers money the producers will voluntarily pass down the savings to their consumers, so that would apply to this situation as well, right?! SOOO WRONG. An extra 7% will be applied to all goods and services required to upkeep and maintain buildings so even though the HST will not directly be applied to rents and strata fees, we alls gonna be in the poor house with these extra costs.

7. HST was the Federal govt.'s decision

Umm...things like taxes are a provincial matter, ever heard of federalism?

No? Then the Constitution Act of 1867 can elaborate.

8. HST will create jobs

The public should know by now that whenever politicans want to pass something controversial...they will claim it will generate new jobs and more money for the people. The thing is if its controversial in the first place, that usually means a small minority is looking to benefit over a huge majority.

Almost every small business from the service sector to the production places (alliteration...gotta love it) have stated that HST will cost them business which will most likely lead to more layoffs.

9. HST will lower prices

Umm...say what? Anytime you add 7% to the cost of anything...the price goes up...I know magic, right?! (if you can't smell the sarcasm in my writing, you must not get me at all).

10. HST is revenue neutral

First, the govt. said it would be revenue neutral. Then they said it be redistrubted into healtcare, next they said there would be a first year overall loss of $13million to implement the tax. Finally, they said without HST there would be cuts to healthcare and other essential services.

The funny thing is that its not like HST is an invading force that must be dealt with. The Liberals consciously chose to implement it so, intimating citizens by saying that without it would threaten the healthcare systemis not only wrong...its a cheap shot.

....and i'm spent.

...You're Welcome

2010-04-26T12:21:00.001-07:00

Mondays just got a million times cuter.

Thanks to Alessa for correcting my horrible spelling. xoxo

Thoughts on Vancouver's proposed smoking in public places ban

2010-04-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is beautiful as well as all the people that live in this breath-taking city.
A majority of Vancouverites are healthy, active citizens who care so much about health they feel the needd to tell you what you can and can't do and where you can and can't do it.

Case in point, Vancouver is proposing a smoking in public spaces ban.

Now, I have issues with this proposal. Not because I'm a smoker, but because public spaces are places where people should be able to enjoy themselves as they please. Sitting outside in a lovely park is one way to relax, but for many having a cig break is a way to cut stress.

Many anti-smoking activists state that second hand smoking kills and if we don't allow smoking in public spaces then we will be sparing the lungs of those that don't smoke. Others also claim that it will cut down on pollution.

My rant will hopefully address these concerns:

1) No smoking in public is better for everyone.

While I can agree with this, I would like to do a bit of story-telling that might make you think twice about banning smoking in public spaces.

This year has been rough on me. I had a bad break-up, several friends die and a slew of other issues that weigh down on my already busy, burdened life. And you know what?! When life gets hard I enjoy a cig. I know i'm doing no good for myself, but I acknowledge that with every drag I take.
Now, when I first heard that a good friend of mine died (and not in a peaceful way) I was so outraged, I wanted to throw my computer out my window and I wasn't concerned at looking who might be below.

But, I didn't throw my computer out the window. My next impulse was to verbally and possibly physically assult the next person I saw because her death was in vain and it wasn't fair.

But alas, I didn't. I calmly went into my purse pulled out a smoke and walked around the block contemplating life.

These precious moments to myself allowed me to collect my thoughts and for me, personally, smoking helped calm me.

Of course afterwards I felt super crappy but it was another reminder to myself that I'm alive and I shouldn't take that for granted...until my next smoke of course.

To those who think smoking is polluting:

Yes, yes it is. Happy? But if you haven't figured it out yet, EVERYTHING we as humans do is polluting in some way. I know that we can all cut back, but I'm sure smokers are doing not much more harm then cow farts polluting the atmosphere.

Plus, if you had a cig butt disposal (like this one) it might encourage people to throw their butts away instead of places taking away their ashtrays which cause frustrated enviro-friendly smokers to either carry their butts on them (yucky) or throw them on the..gasp...ground.

So, although government is really good at deciding what's best for all of us, think twice.
Do you really want a bunch of stressed out people roaming public spaces dying for a smoke but instead bash someone's head in?

And the next time you claim that smokers are the worst for the environment, direct that rant to the hamburger you're eating or the car you're driving, or the airplane you're flying in...

IMPORTANT tax info to know as an American living abroad

2010-04-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

First, a rant:

So, if I didn't hate doing taxes before, yesterday solidifed my utter distain for taxes and everything they represent.

I (and possibly only I) firmly believe that taxes represent a failure in human efficiency. When you look at the average tax form its like all the little boxes and number are looking back at me and mocking me, saying,
"I know this looks easy, but we are going to make this incredibly hard for you...so hard we are going to devote an entire career field to just dealing with taxes (accountants) and they are mostly likely going to screw you over. Enjoy filling this out and pray you don't get audited, mwuahhhhhah!"

Stupid, evil taxes, why must you be so difficult to figure out? I tried to fill out my taxes on paper once and I became so frustrated with the process I went to H&R block two years later and made them file my back taxes for me.

Now, on to the important stuff:

So, Americans living abroad, did you realize that even though you are mostly filing taxes with the country you are living in, you ALSO have to file taxes in the U.S.? The U.S. is the only country that makes you file in both countries so don't go talking to your friends of other nationalities about this because they will have no idea what you are talking about....come to think about it most Americans living and working in the U.S don't even know what they are talking about.

But, after researching tirelessly and talking to H&R for over 4 hours on the phone (no joke) I think I have a coherent solution for Americans dealing with the issue of filing U.S taxes.

What you need to do as an American:

-DO IT BEFORE APRIL 15TH, THAT'S WHEN AMERICAN TAXES ARE DUE!

-Get your payment record form your employer (either a T-4 if you are in Canada)

-Obtain a 2555 EZ Form (Foreign Earned Income Exclusion form)

-The IRS currently provides free tax filing services so that you can do all of this online.
WARNING: Mail in the form, even though it says you can e-file it will most likely not work. So don't wait to the last minute to e-file (like I did), if you can't e-file save yourself the time and just mail the forms.

-You will not owe any money and you will most likely not get anything back, yet the U.S still wants you in their system...so obey!

-Click here for a link for a list of numbers for all your tax needs, however, I advice you not to call before the due date.

-Don't think you can fill out the form before the deadline? If you search for form 2350 online, that is extension form but you have to file it before the deadline (April 15th).

Hate life yet? Oh wait, there's more...

Here's a link for Americans who can get bigger and better refunds from the Obama's recent financial reform measures. If you didn't benefit from this tid bit of info this year hopefully you will be able to take advantage of it next year:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/taxsavings

I could go on and on and on about the hell of a process I went through but although I am happy to help y'all out there I'm getting more anxious as I type...so good luck and may the force be with you.

UPDATE: Many advocates have told me that Americans living abroad automatically have a one-month extrension to file whereas I previously mentioned that you had to apply for an extension. However, I have only read IN WRITING that you need to apply for the extension, so i'm just spouting the word of the book. Good luck to y'all.

XX my heart all over again

2010-04-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

I have already blogged about the XX, but their show was so good I need to mention it again.

The XX are some young 20-somethings that rock the best ambient music i've heard in a while. How can one album be both relaxing and energizing at the same time? I'm not musically talented so I can't answer the question but these peeps did it up right.

They played at the Commodore and the acoustics were unreal. The bass literally vibrated my chest and the ambiance was whimsical.

And considering they only have one album that most of the crowd (including myself) knew all the words to, they made some awesome segues and interludes that kept us all super entertained.

The set list went as follows:

Crystalised

Islands

Heart Skipped a Beat

Fantasy

Shelter

VCR

Do You Mind (Kyla Cover)

Basic Space

Night time

Infinity

And for the encore they ended with the last song on their album...

Stars

The set up was really well done as well. In the beginning they were all playing behind a white sheet which displayed their cool shadows then....all of a sudden the sheet drops and the players came alive.

Then came the huge X in the background (as if anyone was guessing who they were) and for the last song they had twinkly lights all about...truly a magical experience if you ask me.

Plus, I was worried that they would get arrogant on their second visit to Vancouver due to their immense popularity but it turned out that they appear to be more humble. They thanked Vancouver for having them and even brought the opening acts on stage just to thank them for touring with them...it was sweet to say the least.

Damnit, those brits have XX-ed my heart all over again.

She's got a point

2010-04-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not a parent yet for many, many reasons but one of the biggest ones is that I'm not done being a kid yet. Being a kid means not having to explain to anyone why you are dancing on tables and wearing metal suits in rain storms.

However, being a parent means giving up all that silly crap to help nurture the life of another. So, if you want your kids to be awesome, YOU need to exemplify that by being a good role model.
This sounds so tired but more often than not I hear parents say, "do what I say, not what I do."

Watch this cute as hell video and important...OBEY!

Canadian dollar trades above parity...cash 'em in kids

2010-04-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

This post will only pertain to a small minority but hey its my blog and I can banter if I want to.

So, I have some student debt in U.S funds yet I work in Canada and make money in CAD (Canadian moola).

So, thinking to myself I've been secretly plotting to exchange my CAD for USD at the right time.
And since the US is currently experiencing the worst recession since...well pretty much ever, I thought if I waited until the right moment to exchange a big heap of my CAD to USD and hopefully get a little more $$$ on the top.

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the CAD holds above parity after flirting with parity for over a week. I'm hoping that the CAD keeps rising despite the fact that when it does that it messes with international trade. After all, I'm not the genius that decided to use the USD as the international trading currency...go back to gold bitches.

Oh ya, that crazy scribble line at the top, that graph is supposed to show the path the USD/CAD has taken over these past tumultuous years.

Being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition, gee thanks health care reform

2010-04-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone thinks because health care reform passed in the U.S that we smoke a bunch of cig's and wait for our free medical, right? WRONG. Most of the changes that were set out in the legislation will take years to take effect and the majority of the population will never see the benefits of this historical legislation.
So, what can we take from health care reform now? If anything this new legislation has brought many of the flaws of our current health care system to light, especially in the area of how messed up Insurance providers are.
With the passing of this law, many new findings have surfaced about how evil Health Insurance companies were (and still are) against the very people who seek their services.

How evil are insurance companies?
Well, we've all heard horror stories about insurance companies who are devilishly good at ensuring their spot in hell by making policies that discriminate against...EVERYONE!

Don't believe me? Are you a woman?

The New York Times just came out with this very informative article about the super discriminatory health care insurance laws against women. Insurance companies were charging companies and their female employees more for health care insurance based on the fact that believed women use the medical system more than their male counterparts.

There may be an argument there if it were based insurance higher fee was applied to women who didn't have kids and lead healthy lives. There is even evidence stating that healthy, childless women were charged a higher premium than their old, smoking male counter parts.

The article goes on to explain, "Until now, it has been perfectly legal in most states for companies selling individual health policies — for people who do not have group coverage through employers — to engage in “gender rating,” that is, charging women more than men for the same coverage, even for policies that do not include maternity care."

When making policies like this one can only wonder, are these insurance companies trying to go to hell sooner then expected? It's like how many evil, unethical and downright criminal things can we do before our short, insignificant lives end and our families can't pay for our funeral expenses.

I highly recommend reading the article in full but if your lazy then just take my interpretation as the word of the lord.

Here's hoping that in 40 years all us can laugh and say, "hey remember that crazy time in American history when insurance companies used to deny people for health care coverage? Haha, ya glad that's over."

I don't even know where to begin....

2010-04-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

I bet most of youngin's watching this don't even recognize or know who half the people are in this commercial.

Philosophers, revolutionaries and international icons are all rolling over in their grave right now.

Blemish on feminism: Globe and Mail opinion piece says only men write blogs and for good reason.

2010-04-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm....
Not really sure how to address this one.
Click here to find out why I've decided to rant about this.
So, Margaret Wente has an opinion about women and blogging and it ain't pretty. Funny thing is she claims that we don't do it. Us women, although we do have opinions we have better things to do them express them in silly things like blogs.
The funny thing is there is not much that separates the Globe and Mail opinions column to the male dominated (or so she would like to think) blog world.
So who's calling the kettle black Ms. Wente?

Ms. Wente's opinion piece is a bold statement claiming that women such as herself are too modest, humble, and oh so proper to write impulsive, invigorating blogs. That thrill men feel from writing blogs is something that women do not feel, because we are too busy being pregnant and caring for our husbands, right?

No, not really but I do believe the article does ring true to many of the stereo types women through the ages have tried to dismantle. She states in her opening paragraph that the reason she doesn't write a blog is the same reason,

"The answer is pretty much the same as why I don't get a souped-up snowmobile and drive it straight up a mountain at 120 kilometres an hour into a well-known avalanche zone. It's more of a guy thing. "

There were so many wrong things with that sentence I don't know where to begin.

First of all, she basically states that she doesn't blog just as she doesn't do other fun things like ride snowmobiles...this chick sounds wack attack to me. Remind me not to invite her para-sailing, surfing, kayaking or anything that sounds remotely fun.

Second, very poor form to use an example like the link provided, where three died in a snowmobile event that took place a little over two weeks ago. Do I need to say it? TOO SOON, oh ya and if that was a clever attempt at comic timing....booooo!

Third, she basically wraps up that craptastic sentence with the the one phrase that still haunts feminists today....ITS A GUY THING!

What exactly is a guy thing, Ms. Wente? If I didn't do all the "things" that apparently belonged to guys then I wouldn't have watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, gone to university or been proud of my battle wounds from rock-climbing. Life is less fun when you categorize things in gender columns and its really irritating when someone of fairer sex does it.

Lastly, she claims that women have opinions (thanks for mentioning that) but alas, we have no interest in blogging. Which decade are we in? Maybe she's been watching too much Madmen but her "opinion" piece lacks clarity, in other words.....you're a hypocrite.

Oh, and I could've saved my breath by just clicking here. And no, they are not all fashion and make-up blogs.

When it rains...it pours. First health care, now STUDENT LOAN REFORM!

2010-03-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, everyone is still high off of health care reform passing, but what happened today cannot be without mention.
I'm usually a skeptic when I hear that the U.S is actually passing progressive legislation but considering what a big F*#@ing deal" health care reform was...I'm happy to announce Mr. President has just signed into legislation a bill to reform student loans.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, but this time i'll summarize:

Sick, uninsured people + way too expensive education = stupid, failing economy and an end to the American empire

So, Obama must have been reading my previous blog posts because not only did sign health care reform, but he just passed another law that will seriously help students with their school debts.

If you ask me no student should ever have to think twice about paying for their university education.
Hell, I had to move to Canada in order to receive a half decent education without selling my soul to the banks.

Even though this (and health care) is just reform and not overhaul, its still a step in the right direction.

The most progressive part of the bill is that instead of the government giving subsidies to banks to then give to poor, education-starved students, it will give them directly to....wait for it...the freaking students themselves.
How many people like a middle-man? Not I. How many people like a middle-man (the banks) who is basically the biggest bully famous for stealing candy ($$$) from babies (college kids, who will remain infant minded without a proper eduction, yo!) You know I graduated from a Canadian university when I can come up with wicked allegory like that.

Organizing for America (Barack Obama's newletter team or whatever) sent me the good news and packaged it into nice bullet points for y'all common folks to read.

And it goes a little something like this:

The bill the President signed this morning includes historic investments to make education more affordable, and delivers on a key campaign promise. The legislation:

-- Ends subsidies to special-interest private lending companies.

-- Doubles funding for Pell Grants to help more students afford a college education.

-- Will cap a graduate's annual student-loan repayments at 10 percent of his or her income.

-- Helps an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates over the next decade, by revitalizing programming at our nation's community colleges.

It's funny because all the rest of the developed nations of the world like Europe and all the Common wealth countries are like, "umm, big freaking deal we've been doing this for a while now." Just think of it like this , the slow kid in class (the U.S) just found out how to spell, you don't want to take away his thunder...just make sure he learns how to read, write and be a civil human being.

Watch Joe Biden's wife explain what the whole hoopla is all about:

Universal Health care is a big F%$*ing deal!

2010-03-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Hear about Health Care Reform from the Horse's mouth (i.e. the president)

2010-03-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

I sincerely apologize to all two of you who read this and have been waiting with bated breath for my latest blog post about health care reform and the historic legislation that was passed yesterday.

The funny thing is....this form of legislation is not unique to the world. If you know me at all you know that I'm passionate about universal health care and have cited many countries that have it besides the U.S. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

EVERY single developed nation outside the U.S. (like England, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, France, Spain, Sweden, Canada, the list goes on and on my friend)
Other countries that you wouldn't expect have it, including: Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, Uruguay, and yes even China!!!!!!!

So, unfortunately this next part is for Americans only because most of the rest of the world already knows what universal health care is and all that jazz.

Many want to believe that this simple, bare bones health care reform will transform the country into an evil communist, baby eating nation, while other just don't really know what health care is because they never had it before.

Well, Mr. Obama took some time out of his busy day to personally write me a note detailing what Americans will get with this new health care reform. I'm not totally lying when I say he addressed the letter to me, I've just decided to ignore the 100 million other people he addressed it to. Plus, it says my name at the top, beat that (insert sarcasm here).

So, don't be scared just read this and you will find out how you will benefit from health care reform:

I'm writing to you on a great day for America.

This morning, I gathered with members of Congress, my administration, and hardworking volunteers from every part of the country to sign comprehensive health care reform into law. Thanks to the immeasurable efforts of so many, the dream of reform is now a reality.

The bill I just signed puts Americans in charge of our own health care by enacting three key changes:

It establishes the toughest patient protections in history.

It guarantees all Americans affordable health insurance options, extending coverage to 32 million who are currently uninsured.

And it reduces the cost of care -- cutting over 1 trillion dollars from the federal deficit over the next two decades.

To ensure a successful, stable transition, many of these changes will phase into full effect over the next several years.

But for millions of Americans, many of the benefits of reform will begin this year -- some even taking effect this afternoon. Here are just a few examples:

Small businesses will receive significant tax cuts, this year, to help them afford health coverage for all their employees.

Seniors will receive a rebate to reduce drug costs not yet covered under Medicare.

Young people will be allowed coverage under their parents' plan until the age of 26.

Early retirees will receive help to reduce premium costs.

Children will be protected against discrimination on the basis of medical history.

Uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions can join a special high-risk pool to get the coverage they need, starting in just 90 days.

Insured Americans will be protected from seeing their insurance revoked when they get sick, or facing restrictive annual limits on the care they receive.

All Americans will benefit from significant new investments to train primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals, and the creation of state-level consumer assistance programs to help all patients understand and defend our new rights.

As I've said many times, and as I know to be true, this astounding victory could not have been achieved without your tireless efforts.

So as we celebrate this great day, I want to invite you to add your name where it belongs: alongside mine as a co-signer of this historic legislation. Organizing for America will record the names of co-signers as a permanent commemoration of those who came together to make this moment possible -- all of you who refused to give up until the dream of many generations for affordable, quality care for all Americans was finally fulfilled.

Love always, Baraky Obama-rama (okay, I added that last part in, hehe).

Ignorance breeds ignorance, who's to blame in this story?

2010-03-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

This news story is very disturbing. Apparently, after getting attention from posting provocative photos of her fat self, fans of hers are giving her money and encouraging her to gain more weight. The disturbing part is at the end of the interview when the woman says she does not believe in obesity-related diseases. Her fans give her money, send her food (all crap) and even give her coupons to fast food restaurants.
This woman is actually making money off of it which I'm sure she'll use to support her family...but won't she die from such an unhealthy diet? She doesn't think so but I think there is overwhelming evidence that proves her wrong.
And what kind of lesson does this teach our children? I think this perverse and I don't use that word lightly (ha, no pun intended).

I weep for the next generation.

Give me a pack...of the Pack AD!

2010-03-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I read a post about this lovely Van duo offering a free download to one of their songs, crazy, and I remembered how awesome these chicks are.

The Pack A.D. (after death) invokes an early White Stripes allure, but these chicks got a different agenda. I saw them open for someone (guess they weren't that great if I can only remember the openers, ha!) at the Builtmore last April and I was totally blown away. They don't take no guff from anyone. They played their little hearts out like no one was watching and then got the hell off stage as if they were expecting boos or something. Quite the contrary, everyone was cheering because these gals got all our panties in a bind....and we loved it!

They are on tour right now and shan't be back in their home Vancity until their album release on April 27th.

In light of the new Runaways movie coming out which, is supposed to remind us that there was once a time when women did not "do" rock-n-roll, I feel like the Pack A.D. reinforces the fact that women can rock out with their proverbial cocks out.

The best part is...if you don't agree they don't seem to care.

Richards on Richards opens new club called 560

2010-03-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

5 6 0

Richards on Richards was my favorite venue in Vancouver. They said they were going to close it so many times I actually stopped believing them. Unfortunately, they did close last April with rumors wafting of a new Richards opening soon.

I don't usually believe hearsay but Beyond Robson is reporting that Richards is indeed opening a new club.

The new club is called 560 and its located on Seymour St. If you are familiar with the area then you know that the new location is where the old A&B Sound used be located (R.I.P music stores).

This new club will be set up similar to Richards except it will have three levels, host live shows on the week days and mainly be a club on the weekends.

Apparently the club was open during the Olympics but they are currently still renovating and putting a couple extra coats of paint on it before they officially open their doors.

If you ask me I'm stoked. I come from the lucky land of San Francisco where, if we have one thing its amazing venues to see live shows. Vancouver is an awesome city but it still needs cool venues to host the ambush of music invading this Pacific Northwest city on the daily.

Holla!

Gavin Newsom now running for Lt. Governor....dude changes his mind like whoa!

2010-03-12T12:00:00.001-08:00

Mr. Newsom, can you please make up your mind?
First, you decide to run for governor, raise about $1.2 million for your campaign (which I actually supported) and then you pull out because you said you wanted to spend more time with your family (aka more time for hookers and blow, or whatever).

Now, you've come back saying you want to be Lt. Governor. In this letter, he explains his reasons and OF COURSE ASKS FOR MONEY! The funny thing is you can't ask for something Californians don't have!

Here is the e-mail he wrote to me:

Today, I am announcing my candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of California.

I didn’t come to this decision easily, but, after a great deal of consultation with my family, constituents and supporters, I believe that the best way for me to serve is by taking all of the many things that are right about California and applying them to fixing what's wrong in Sacramento.

The issues I fought for when I ran for Governor last year haven’t changed: our state still faces a massive budget crisis, painful unemployment, and rising student fees that threaten the stability and accessibility of our University system. Too many Californians lack access to quality health care and too many schools are overcrowded and underfunded.

But, despite our challenges, I will always believe in California – the dynamism of its past and the promise of its future. I’m also convinced that those of us who love this state have both an obligation and the capacity now to reform it and make it better. To do that, we need to embrace a new way of doing things in Sacramento and we need new leaders who are willing to stand up and change state government.

I’m proud that I have the support of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate President Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker John Perez, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, United Farm Workers co-founder Delores Huerta and California Nurses and teachers and I hope I can count on your support too.

On June 8th I need your vote, but I can’t get there without the resources to share my message of reform with millions of Californians.

Please Click Here To Support My Campaign And Its Vision For California

Thank you for your support and for standing with me all these years, together we can make California better.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

I even cut out the last line because he asks for money AGAIN. I'm not even going to activate the first link because honestly, I don't care how good looking you are Mr. Newsom, you must be living under a rock if you think Californians can afford to give you anything.

I was so shocked by his e-mail that I actually wrote back. I know it will probably get lost in the millions of "oh Mr. Newson your my hunky hero" e-mails sent to him, but I needed to tell him why I was NOT going to support him:

Dear Mr. Newson-

I fully supported your initial campaign for governor and as an expat living in Canada I told many of my peers to support you as well. I know that you were able to raise millions of dollars for your campaign which is amazing considering the state of California is wallowing in one of the deepest recessions its ever seen.
So, my question for you now is...what are you doing NOW to help the citizens of California?
As we speak both of my parents had to cancel their health insurance because premiums were too high. My sister, who is desperately trying to finish her last year of San Francisco State University had to fight tooth and nail to get a full class load and constantly gets berated for crossing picket lines just to go to school.
THIS IS WRONG!

And I'm sorry but I just do not think California politicians are acting appropriately...I think they are acting ignorantly actually.

If a state wants a strong economy how can we guarantee that when our workforce is unhealthy and undereducated?
California's GDP used to be the 5th largest in the world...we were at the world's envy, and now I think we are a joke.

I'm sorry for being so blunt my family's future is at stake. I write you this from Canada because I could not sit and wait for politicians like you to make some positive change.
If you took some of that campaign support money and redistributed it into a state run healthcare system (like Hawaii's) or put it back in the school system, then I might be a bit more supportive. I heard you received around $1.2 million from your last campaign for governor. I know those are just pennies in campaign funding terms, but that money could at least help our struggling college students graduate and start finding solutions to our state's problems.

However, you said your family was the reason you did not want to further pursue the governor position. Well, my family is the reason why I'm writing you this letter. I cannot support you or Jerry Brown until I see some positive change.

The funny thing is I'm not asking for much...I'm asking for two things that should be fundamental rights in this state; affordable health care and education.

I know you probably don't want to hear this from a Tamalpais high school graduate (Redwood's rivals) but if someone from Marin, a once affluent county, is begging for these changes imagine what the rest of the state is feeling?!

I'm not expecting you to respond to this, I just hope you think about it for a couple seconds in between you asking the exhausted and over exploited citizens of California for more campaign money.

Sincerely, former resident of California refugee now living in Canada

Whatever, I don't care if he gets this or not, it just felt good to write it.

Every single California politician should be ashamed of themselves....you ruined my state so much I had to move to another country in order to feel some sense of security.

I know I know, it's not all your fault, so fuck Enron too!

Mondays are never fundays....but hopefully this will cheer you up

2010-03-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

When he grows up...maybe he will attack you...but until then...CUTE!

Which health supplements really work?

2010-03-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

This Graph is awesome. The higher up on the scale it is the stronger the evidence and the bigger the bubble the more research has been done on that particular health "wonder." Now when you're friends swear by Snake Oil you can be all, "oh no you didn't!"

When Smirnoff hosts a "house party" expect the worst and hope for.....

2010-03-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

Something!
The motto of the Clipse / Crystal Method Smirnoff experience event was, "I was there. Where u?" And all of your your answers should be, "meh."

This was a weird concert for sure and for many reasons and that's pretty much the only reason i'm not giving a total thumbs down. The performers did what they needed to do but the promoters totally slacked off and left hundreds in line for no reason.

The Rocky Mountaineer station located in the middle of nowhere behind Home Depot (basically) already has great acoustics but the sound guys did not take that into account and just blared the volume so loud that it reverberated around the room like a haunting, deafening echo, instead of an awesome beat.

Here are the highlights:

1) The Humans. Two guys, a guitar, a synthesizer, a loop machine + perseverance = job well done boys! (no links to their music yet, but they're awesome so get 'em up boys!)

2) The Good News: Solid Rock band from Vancity really polished up their act since the last time I saw them play (~7 months ago). They oozed nonchalant hipster vibes and did a great job as an ensemble. Bravo for them

3) Clipse: Oh Rap, how you haven't really changed. These guys are from Virginia Beach and they were GOOD, but the overall vibe was tired and worn out.
How many times can you shake your fists in the air like you just don't care?
How many white "wiggas" can you squeeze together before you suffocate?
When will any of these rappers realize that while they are singing about the "hard life" they are wearing bling produced by diamond mines in Africa where they enslave children?

I'm not saying Clipse was not awesome, they were, but they couldn't have been that awesome if those questions kept popping up in my head instead of me focusing on the music.

4) The Crystal Method: It was a Thursday so I wasn't really feeling the 90s techno dance rave thing they had going on. Don't get me wrong, these guys are amazing but who the hell chooses a line-up that goes Indy Rock --> Rap --> Trance and Techno. I mean if obtuse was your theme, then by all means you achieved your goal.

But my true hateration will go out to the promoters....what the hell were you thinking?
First off, we get it women are objects. Put them in slutty clothes and make them act stupid and you basically have achieved your goal of a douchey evening.
Second, if you have a ticket to a show, you should be able to get in within 5-10 min. max. THAT IS WHY WE PAY FOR TICKETS IN THE FIRST PLACE....TO ACTUALLY GET IN AND LISTEN TO THE MUSIC!
Many of my friends, tickets in hand, were left in a line around the block waiting to get inside. Most of them didn't get in until after Clipse...which was one of the headliners.

Third, don't lie. If you say you are going to give out TWO drink tickets, DO IT!
Fourth, if you are going to charge an exorbitant amount of money on drinks then expect no one to get drunk and everyone to get bitter.

All in all my Thursday was a blast especially when I got to ride my bike home afterward. Something about a midnight right just really puts me in the mood.

Please vote on Bill AB 656 to tax California oil companies (and redirect those taxes to schools)

2010-03-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

Did you know that in the golden state of California oil companies are NOT taxed on the oil they take out of the ground?

Yup, that's right and no, I didn't stutter.

Despite making record profits in recent years, ($18. 5 billion in 2008 to be exact) California is the only state that doesn't have an oil severance tax. Other states like Texas and Alaska use those taxes to fund their public services, including schools.
For stereo-typical purposes only, I am in shock that crazy red-neck Texas actually redistributes its oil tax back into its public schools while liberal-save-the-world California does not?!

As students across California are protesting against the destruction of public higher education, it's time we taxed oil companies instead of students.

I just took a Courage Campaign pledge to support AB 656, a bill that would create an oil severance tax. It will generate $2 billion a year to help roll back the fee hikes and make college affordable again:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/StandUpForStudents

We can't let the oil companies get a tax break while students and their parents struggle to afford the soaring cost of college.

According to the last census taken in 2006, roughly only one quarter of Americans (%28) has a Bachelor degree. If we don't pass this bill I'm sure that percentage will dwindle which is a real shame.

Don't hate the player...hate the game aka don't blame the citizens blame the system!

Best Buy will recycle your used electronics!

2010-03-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Recycling electronics and the like is not always an easy task. At this very moment I have two cell phones, a heap load of batteries and one broken hair dryer that will remain at my house because I don't want to just throw them away.

Now I don't have to! Regardless of where you bought your electronic crap, Best Buy will recycle it for you!

Americans:
If you live in the U.S. Best Buy will pretty much take any of your used electronics and recycle them...even if that means using a third party vendor to do so.

Click here to find out how!

Canadians:
For some reason Canada is always a step behind its U.S. retailers even when its the same company. Unfortunately, at this moment Best Buy will only take:
-MP3 Players
-Cell phones
-Portable DVD players
-CD players
-Batteries (please recycle these, no one like battery acid)
-Ink cartridges
-CDs and DVDs
-and Gift Cards

There's a Best Buy located at 7th and Cambie (conveniently located near a bike street) so pop over and give 'em all your used and abused electronics.

I'm sure after the world saw how awesome Canada is, retailers will update all their Canadian locations...This is actually a gentile reminder...get on it!

Canada's time to shine...When everyones happy, everything is just better

2010-03-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

I'm sure there is not much I can say that will epitomize how epic yesterday was.
Everyone was so nervous because there was previously a curse on Canada in terms of hosting the Olympics. Canada was the only country to not win any gold medals while hosting the Olympics, so needless to say people were anxious about what 2010 had in store for them.

The first week broke the curse and their performance by the end of the Olympics was nothing short of glorious.

1) Canada won the gold medal against the U.S. (and solidifying how awesome they are because they beat the U.S.A. in hockey in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah).
2) Canada broke the record for the most gold medals in the Winter Olympics (14) and...
3) Canada won the most gold medals as a host country

And....with respect to the housing crisis that put many on the streets, the Tent City people negotiated those who were homeless and living in the Tent Village have now been housed, with roughly 50 people moving into empty BC Housing and City spots, including Woodward's! Considering how VANOC basically tried to ignore that Vancouver had a housing issue, this is a huge deal.

So many reasons to celebrate!

Now, I know I am highly critical of belligerent nationalism, but in this case I think Canada deserved it.

Canadians get stereo-typed for many things like, loving hockey (totally true), being nice (mostly true), saying sorry a lot (which is Canadian for "excuse me" or "I sympathize with your situation") and for getting bullied by the U.S. of A.

I have secretly had a crush on Canada for the very reason that they take all the U.S. bullying in stride and although I do feel like they are pushovers sometimes, they don't let it get them down.

And yesterday it was a day to celebrate how awesome Canada is!!!!!!!

Not many people care about the Winter Olympics, but in Canada they do, so they totally deserved to dominate the games and in one of their great cities to boot.

The question remains...did the Olympics change Canada? I don't really think that's the appropriate question...I think Canada changed the Olympics!!!! They showed the world they are a force to reckon with and even when they win bigger and better then any other country in the games, they are super nice about it.
Walking the streets of Robson yesterday I heard very little, "screw (insert other country here)" mostly just, "I love Canada!"

Now compare that to a certain football team's fans (aka the Oakland raiders) who basically riot if they win or riot if they lose...and they don't even have socialized health-care to treat their wounds afterward!

I digress...whether you love or hate Canada there is no denying that yesterday was an historic day.

You could feel the high of the city and everyone's happiness rubbed off on the city. I told my friend in the thick of the crowd..."This is so magical, when everyone is happy everything is just...better." A nice Canadian guy from Manitoba looked at me and said, "You're right!" Canadians from all ethnic, religious and sexual backgrounds flooded the streets and as strangers embraced you knew that young or old, hot or not...this was happiness on crack!

So I think they should change the Winter Olympics slogan to, "When everyone's happy...everything is better!" For historic purposes of course!

Perhaps this is the year for Canada...they could show their neighbours (ya I spelled it right) to the south a thing or two about a little humble pie.

Thanks Canada...for killing all the other countries with kindness....Olympics games wise.

I wrote to my congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and this is her response...

2010-02-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

So, if you know me, you know that there is one thing I am ridiculously passionate about. Liberal, conservative, left right, it doesn't matter to me....but we should all have one unalienable right and that is to affordable health care.

So, when i'm not signing online petitions to save the whales or stop drilling in Alaska I also take time out of my oh-so-busy day to write to my congress people when I feel they are being especially ineffective.

This stalemate with health care reform in the U.S. is literally killing us all (no health care = sick pepole and sick people eventually = dead people) so I wrote to my congresswoman.
Lynn Woolsey is my congresswoman from Marin County and she is a saucy minx (I mean that in the best way). She has stood up and protested against the genocide in Darfur and has been a fierce critic of opponents against health care reform.

Yadda yadda yadda, this is her response:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on improving health care. I appreciate you taking the time to communicate your perspective with me on this important matter.

We must reform our health care system to provide high quality and affordable health care for everyone. At least 46 million Americans are now uninsured and by the end of the day, 14,000 more Americans will lose their coverage. In addition, health care expenses for the average family of four are projected to jump $1,800 every year. Congress has held hearings and listened to the recommendations of many stakeholders, including doctors, patients, and employers and these viewpoints have been important in shaping a health care reform bill.

While I'm an advocate of a single payer national health insurance system, I supported a robust public option that would compete with private plans to bring down the cost of health insurance and give patients the choice between a public or private plan. I'm pleased H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act contains a public option and eliminates pre-existing condition exclusions and lifetime caps. The bill also closes the Medicare Part D Doughnut Hole over time and allows the government to negotiate drug prices, which will lower prescription drug costs for seniors. In addition, this bill will ensure that any increase in health insurance premiums will be reviewed before they take place. These reforms would have far-reaching effects in the 6th Congressional District. They would:

o Improve employer-based coverage for 419,000 residents.

o Provide credits to help pay for coverage for up to 121,000 households.

o Improve Medicare for 101,000 beneficiaries, including closing the Medicare Part D Doughnut Hole for 12,800 seniors.

o Allow 21,700 small businesses to obtain affordable health care coverage and provide tax credits to help reduce health insurance costs for up to 20,400 small businesses.

o
Provide coverage for 47,000 uninsured residents.

o Protect up to 800 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.

o Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and health care providers by $81 million.

H.R. 3962 passed the House on November 7, 2009 and the Senate passed its own health care reform bill, H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, on December 24, 2009. The House and Senate are now working together to merge these bills so a single health care reform bill can be considered by both chambers of Congress. You can count on me to continue to be an outspoken voice for universal healthcare and for measures to ensure quality, accessible, affordable health care for all. Again, it's good to hear from you. The people of Marin and Sonoma counties are the most important voices I listen to as I serve in Congress.

Sincerely,

Lynn Woolsey
Member of Congress

PS - Visit my web site and sign up to receive e-mail updates on legislative issues that are important to you. The address is: http://woolsey.house.gov/emailupdates.asp

I hate United Airlines

2010-02-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

United Airlines can suck it!
I'm sorry for being so crass but its true.
United Airlines has gone from bad to worse in terms of treating their employees right and satisfying their customers.
I flew from Canada to San Francisco with Air Canada and I flew united from San Francisco to Vancouver on my way back.
First, I stood in line only to be pushed around by a bunch of employees that were literally telling people the WRONG information. They told me I couldn't be flying United if I flew with Air Canada on my way down and when I showed them my electronic ticket they shrugged their shoulders and sighed, "meh."
Next, they told the woman who had ONE bag to check that because it was over weight it would cost her $175!!!! For one bag. The lady sighed and paid the fee and the employee looked as if she had just worked two overtime shifts and couldn't stand anymore.

I could go on and on about how horrible the service is...how they charge you for one checked bag, ski's and anything else you might actually want to bring on a trip (God forbid).

Back before the airlines were deregulated (you have Reagan to thank for that) airlines actually competed for how well they could treat their customers. Unfortunately, most of us were too young to experience an airline treat its customers right now its like we have to thank the airlines for allowing us onto their crappy out-dated planes.

I really hope United is listening because we, the people, the consumers, have choices and every time you overcharge your customers and under appreciate your employees....a mermaid somewhere dies.

Vancouver's changing pedestrian etiquette

2010-02-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

For a city, Vancouver doesn't feel like one and that's what I always liked about it.
When I first arrived I found the average Vancouverite helpful and friendly, something I was not accustomed to.
I hail from the Bay Area and always found people from San Francisco really cold towards tourists and commoners in general. It's like everyone who lives there thinks they are the cat's pajamas so they act rude to outsiders.

Before I came to Vancouver 6 years ago I spent a couple weeks in New York and the one of the most notable things I observed was pedestrian etiquette. There are simply too many people in NYC therefore when you cross a street you are bound to bump into a few folks as you frolic by.

This was never the case in Vancouver. It is actually more common if you trip someone crossing the street they are more likely to say sorry first. So, it came as a shock that when I was walking up Robson many people bumped into me without so much as an "excuse me" or "sorry" (Canadian equivalent to excuse me). These bump-in encounters continued throughout the day and I was at a loss for words for what to think.
I was secretly hoping that everyone that bumped me was a tourist, but maybe the attitudes of Vancouverites are changing too?! Perhaps they will turn into snotty San Franciscans who think they are so hip they can't bother to stop and smile once in a while. I really hope that's not the case, I moved away from SF for a reason (although you'll always have my heart ;-).

Now, I know that Robson st. is the main st for Olympic madness but this type of behavior is so NOT Vancouver, it's like the city has transformed into a mini-New York overnight.

I'm hoping this transformed pedestrian etiquette will change back after the Olympics because this is not the Vancouver I know. I want my small-town mentality back in Vancouver.

Maybe i'm just bitching for no reason, but hey this is the place to do it, right?!

Vancouver welcomes you in the cutest way possible

2010-02-05T10:28:00.001-08:00

One thing you can't help but notice over the past couple weeks is the plethora of signs hanging from everywhere. Signs pointing you in the right and wrong direction, and signs welcoming you in every language imaginable; like this one!

They are really making resistance hard when the cutest animals (plus one cute looking STD named Quatchi) welcome you to Vancouver.

New forms to fill out if you're going to the US of A

2010-02-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

So, you've decided to come to the US. Congratulations, now you have a mountain of paperwork to fill out, even if you are American!

I, an American, has been living in Canada for 6 years now and I've traveled to and from the U.S. more times then I can count. And each time I go back to the U.S. there are new restrictions.

Here are some examples of changes that have taken place since I moved to Vancouver in 2004:

-Cannot bring any liquids in carry-on: I used to bring back wine and such for friends and in 2007, much to my surprise, I was not allowed to bring any liquids (above 5oz. or whatev). So, when they threatened to throw away (not even keep) my nice bottle of wine, I had a little pity party with a stranger in the smoking section outside of SFO airport. In retrospect, drinking a bottle of wine before getting on a plane is a much bigger flight risk than just letting me on with the bottle, but hey they asked for it.

-Charging $$$ for ONE piece of checked-luggage: In 2008, the U.S. was surprised that they could not continue living in excess and had to face the music (aka huge pile of debt that is smothering everyone). Every business freaked out and immediately started cutting corners just to stay afloat. One thing that Air Canada (aka United) and Delta started doing was charging for one piece of checked luggage. $25 was the fee and it hasn't budged since. I've been pretty livid ever since.

-No carry-on bags entering the U.S.: This one is a weird one but hey so is the American Neo-Liberal ideal. On Christmas 2009, a man tried to explode himself on a plane coming from Amsterdam and entering Detroit. Apparently he had all the goods on his carry-on, so the U.S. made a rule saying no one could have any carry-on items with them when they get on the plane. Funny thing is...this does not apply if you are LEAVING the U.S., only entering the U.S.

-Additional information card mandatory for entering the U.S.: Here is the lastest and greatest from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)'s Secure Flight Program.

Here is the awesome e-mail they sent to me about two weeks after I booked my flight to the U.S.

We note that you and/or your travel companion(s) have not yet provided the information required by Secure Flight for your upcoming flight to, from or via the U.S. departing on 11-FEB-10. As required under the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)'s Secure Flight Program, Air Canada must collect the following additional information for all passengers who book a flight to, from or via the United States:

Full name as it appears on your travel document
Date of birth
Gender

You must provide the above information for all of the passengers listed in your booking at least 72 hours prior to travel. You can do so using our convenient online Advance Passenger Information (API) form. View our Secure Flight Program FAQs for more information. You may have been in the process of providing the required information while this email was being prepared. If that is the case, please ignore this request. Thank you Air Canada

No, Air Canada, thank you for letting me fly your crappy airline, not letting me bring my friends any liquid gifts, ensuring that I look crappy by not letting me bring any carry-on luggage, and leaving me broke for paying for my checked bag.

Next, they will be asking for a frontal lobotomy before I get on the flight. Oh crap, hope I didn't give them any new ideas.

Chris Velan performs at the Railway. Next stop: my heart strings

2010-02-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

I didn't know what to expect when I first heard Chris Velan. His songs and his character reminded me of Jack Johnson, Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan all rolled into a cute Quebecois singer.

The best thing about this guy is he ain't no dummy. After studying law and passing the bar, he traveled to West Africa where he was the music producer of a documentary film based around a group of refugee musicians from Sierra Leone.

Hailing from Montreal, Chris did not dissapoint performing in Vancouver for his first time.

His one-man band and loop machine was all I needed to be wowed. He utilized everything he had to its epitome. He drumed on his guitar, beat boxed into the mic, looped it all together a tied it up with some beautiful guitar melodies.

The venue was just right too. The Railway Club (Vancouver's oldest Jazz bar) is an intimate setting that was packed to the brim to see Mr. Velan do what he does best. He brought the House down with "Sweet Mary" and no one was "as green as a mango tree." I also dug "Oldest Trick" because it was unpretentious and had a solid beat. An encore was demanded and he delivered a sweet lullaby to end the night.

All in all, I'd say props to Chris Velan. Check out his upcoming schedule and see if you can catch him performing during the Olympics.

Sigma + drum and bass makes wow on the dance floor

2010-01-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

Open studios is a great venue near Main and Terminal where the visuals delight within a two-story black box. Last night was special. Who knew dirty electro and drum and bass could go so well?!

First on the scene was Love and Electrik, a local act from Vancity itself, really kicked it up a notch with disco vocals and synthesized love. Check them out here.
With the playful single, “Sex Video” now available on Beatport.com and coming soon to iTunes, the duo have already been chosen as the opening acts for the likes of Chromeo, Amanda Blank and Devlin & Darko (Spank Rock DJ's). With all this momentum, Love & Electrik aren’t just heading towards any other explosion but instead, a Big Bang!The best part about them is they were humble as apple pie. They were super approachable and almost surprised how much we liked them.

Drum and bass is a sub-genre of electric dance that can either stimulate you with mesmerizing break-beat or give you a head ache.

Let's just say I was mesmerized by Sigma, and wasn't just because he was cute (gotta love those Brits).
Sigma is one of the top new producers in the world of drum-n-bass and he really showed his range last night. His set started at 1am and he didn't quit until half past 3am. Considering it was his first Vancouver premiere, he did not disappoint. Hell he was tantalizing. If you like dirty break beats and are hype to what drum and bass has to offer, check him out without a doubt.

Last but not least gotta give props to Dabbler. He closed the set and just when I thought I was ready he pulls out this re-mix of Nneka's Heartbeat that totally knocked my freaking socks off! Nneka's kinda my latest obsession, but that's another story for another time. So, thanks Dabbler, that's all I wanted to say about that.

Cats take business trips too!

2010-01-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

I haven't added anything to "for days that suck" for a long time now so, here you go. It's a Japanes ad for....I'm actually not sure, but it's cute as hell so that's all that matters.

It's strictly business: