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Archive for the 'Statements' Category
Kingsway-Knight Area Alert
On Seeking to Rezone RT-10 to RT-11
in Vancouver's First Neighbourhood Centre
Context Note
On 18-19 September 2018 a Vancouver City Council held a lamest-duck-ever public hearing just ahead of shutting down business ahead of the quadriennial municipal election. Two controversial mass rezonings stood as the final items on the agenda.
During the public hearing on Item 5 it was declared that Item 6 would restart as "a new public hearing" after the upcoming 20 October 2018 municipal election.
Thus for Item 6, all speaker registrations and all submitted comment were tossed into the wastebasket — a far too typical disrespect shown to the involvements of many Vancouver residents. This was Vision Vancouver's final sneer at "engagement" before the self-deligitimized "party" met with its decimation in the 2018 election.
That suspension of Item 6 provided time for Eye on Norquay to carry out a detailed survey for Kensington-Cedar Cottage. The problems inherent in the hasty redo called "planning" became apparent. Serious defects became apparent in the broad-brush intent to swap out the RT-10 of the Kingsway-Knight "neighbourhood centre" planning for the later RT-11 zoning of Norquay Village.
The report below was sent to appropriate staff in Vancouver city planning on 10 October 2018. The prefatory letter of transmission is appended. Eye on Norquay hopes that the new City Council will look toward planning that takes into account local area specifics (starting with greatly variant lot size and street configuration) within the Kingsway-Knight area, where 1577 properties were already mass rezoned in the past decade.
To so crudely revisit this Kensington-Cedar Cottage area of East Vancouver ahead of any dealing with the many and massive CityPlan Vision areas (1998-2010) that have been subjected to zero planning implementation displays an ongoing, blatant East-West inequity in Vancouver's "planning" agenda.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Rezoning the RT-10 District to RT-11
We live in the portion of Kensington-Cedar Cottage that is included in Norquay's RT-11 (Small House/Duplex) zone. Since the zoning regulations came into effect in 2013, we have been monitoring development in Norquay by looking carefully at applications posted on the CoV web site, by walking through the entire neighbourhood once a month, and by attending open houses.
Norquay Experience of RT-11 Zoning
To date, by our count, 27 conditional RT-11 development applications have been posted on the City of Vancouver web site.
Conditional development in the RT-11 zone of Norquay usually occurs on large single lots. (Smaller lots in Norquay, especially shallow lots with wider frontage, have been zoned for RM-7 Rowhouse/Stacked Townhouse.)
Only 5 of 27 projects have involved assembly.
Only 5 of 27 projects have been built on lots with 33 feet of frontage. Most RT-11 development occurs on lots that are both wider and deeper.
No applications have involved retention and/or multiple conversion of a character house. There are few character houses in Norquay. The one 2015 application that included retention and multiple conversion of one of Norquay's two heritage houses appears to have stalled.
Most redevelopment on 33 ft. lots consists of outright duplexes. Since Norquay's RT-11 zoning came into effect in 2013, at least two-thirds of all projects have been outright duplexes.
Under the too-lax RT-11 Exterior Design Guidelines, many duplexes are new eyesores. Pictures of Norquay duplex development — both successes and failures — can be seen at:
Duplexes on lots 33 x 120 ft. or smaller often result in small units with undesirably small rooms. A disproportionate amount of space is required for stairways.
Detailed Description of the RT-10 Zone
The recent planning initiative to rezone the RT-10 zone in Kensington-Cedar Cottage to RT-11 inspired a walk-through of that entire area as well. What we discovered is a very diverse "neighbourhood centre." Sub-areas of the RT-10 zone vary widely by lot size, by age and character of the housing, and by the amount and type of small house/duplex development that has occurred under RT-10 zoning since 2005. Unlike the RT-11 zone, the area currently zoned RT-10 contains many character houses in good condition.
Here are the sub-areas of the RT-10 zone that we have identified. Map references are to the maps in Appendix A of the Report dated July 6, 2018 and referred to Public Hearing on July 24, 2018. The Report can be found at:
Sub-Area 1: West of Knight Street and North of Kingsway (map: Appendix A, p. 9)
Almost all lots are 122 feet long. Width varies from 25 feet to 50 feet; most lots are 33 feet or wider. Little redevelopment took place here before 2005. The prevalent built form is well cared for, large pre-1940's houses with mature landscaping. Most would qualify as character houses.
Under RT-10 zoning, we counted 6 new duplexes and only 1 single-lot small house/duplex development. A number of multiple conversions appear to have taken place, but it is difficult to count them by looking at the houses from the street.
Sub-Area 2: West of Clark Drive Between Kingsway and King Edward Avenue (map: Appendix A, pp. 10 and 15)
Lots are generally oriented north/south and are 33 x 122 ft. However, along Glen Drive, Inverness Street, and Clark Drive shorter lots are oriented east/west so that all streets have facing houses. Blocks are short. Little redevelopment took place here before 2005. Most houses are pre-1940, 1 or 1 ½ storey character houses. Mature landscaping often includes planted boulevards. This is one of the most charming areas of the city.
Sub-Area 3: West of Knight Street Between King Edward Avenue and East 28th Avenue (map: Appendix A, p. 11)
East of Inverness Street, this sub-area consists of long blocks of 33 x 122 ft. lots. West of Inverness Street blocks are shorter, and most lots are shorter and wider. Redevelopment seems to have proceeded at a fairly steady pace. As a result, the area includes generally well-kept houses from multiple decades.
Redevelopment under RT-10 zoning has been primarily as duplex, with a few multiple conversions. We counted 18 new duplexes, and no redevelopment as small house/duplex.
Sub-Area 4: East of Knight Street and North of East 22nd Avenue (map: Appendix A, p. 12)
Most lots measure approximately 33 x 122 ft., except for the southeast sector where lots tend to be shorter and wider. Some blocks are very long. The northern part of this sub-area contains steep hills. Like Sub-Area 3, this sub-area has seen steady redevelopment and now includes well-kept houses from every decade.
Redevelopment under RT-10 zoning includes at least 11 duplexes and 8 small house/duplex developments on 2 or 3 lots. Only 1 project was observed to include retention of a character house.
Sub-Area 4: East of Knight Street and North of East 22nd Avenue (map: Appendix A, p. 12)
Most lots measure approximately 33 x 122 ft., except for the southeast sector where lots tend to be shorter and wider. Some blocks are very long. The northern part of this sub-area contains steep hills. Like Sub-Area 4, this sub-area has seen steady redevelopment and now includes well-kept houses from every decade.
Redevelopment under RT-10 zoning includes at least 11 duplexes and 8 small house/duplex developments on 2 or 3 lots. Only 1 project was observed to include retention of a character house.
Sub-Area 5: East of Knight Street Between East 22nd Avenue and East 28th Avenue (map: Appendix A, pp. 13 and 14)
Almost all lots are at least 30 feet wide, but many are shorter than 122 feet. Lots on several streets are double-fronted. Quite a few lots lack lane access. Blocks tend to be very long. In the eastern part of this area, boulevards are very narrow or non-existent. Many houses are pre-1940, but most of them would not qualify as character houses.
Redevelopment under RT-10 zoning has primarily been in the form of duplexes. We counted 14 duplexes and 4 small house/duplex developments.
Likely Outcomes of Rezoning the RT-10 Zone to RT-11
1 — Most redevelopment will be in the form of outright duplexes. Making duplexes outright and increasing the FSR from .60 to .75 will encourage duplex development. Only Sub-Area 1 contains the large lots that developers prefer for RT-11 small house/duplex development.
2 — Many character houses in good condition, together with much mature landscaping, will be demolished. Outright duplex development does not require retention of character houses.
3 — Much of the new development would be unattractive and would not fit with the existing neighbourhood. Norquay provides numerous examples of new duplexes built outright under RT-11 zoning that are eyesores. Increasing FSR and height of buildings (from 1.5/2.0 storeys to 2.5 storeys with or without basement) will result in more massive buildings and reduced open space.
4 — Small duplexes built on small lots may lack liveability. Rooms will likely be tiny. CoV needs to develop guidelines for room sizes that apply to low density housing forms.
Sub-Area 1: This sub-area is very similar in character to the adjacent area of Mount Pleasant that has recently been rezoned to RT-5. The City of Vancouver should extend RT-5 zoning to this portion of Kensington-Cedar Cottage.
Sub-Areas 2, 3 and 4: RT-10 zoning appears to have been successful in Sub-Areas 2 and 4. The amount of take-up has been considerable. The height and density specified by RT-10 regulations have ensured that new development fits in well with neighbouring single-family character houses. Any newer zoning needs to build on that success. Section 4.7.3 in the RT-5 District Schedule reads: " … where a Character House is demolished in order to allow for new development, the floor space ratio shall not exceed 0.50 and the use is limited to a One-Family Dwelling or a One-Family Dwelling with Secondary Suite, and Laneway House."
If Sub-Areas 2, 3 and 4 are rezoned to RT-11, a regulation like this one needs to be added to the current RT-11 District Schedule to discourage the demolition of character houses and their replacement by large outright duplexes.
Given the very small number of character houses in the current RT-11 zone, this provision would apply almost exclusively in the area currently zoned RT-10.
Sub-Area 5: This area presents many challenges: double-fronted streets, lots without lane access, long blocks, and narrow streets with little or no boulevard allowance. Careful study is needed to determine effective zoning regulations. RT-11 regulations and guidelines are inappropriate here.
1 — External Design Guidelines for RT-11 zoning need to be strengthened. Otherwise, new development will continue to bring in eyesores.
2 — City-wide guidelines need to be developed for room sizes in low density housing forms. Otherwise, new development will continue to provide very small bedrooms and inadequate living rooms.
A broad brush was used in 2005 to rezone residential areas of the Kingsway-Knight Neighbourhood Centre. Narrow strips on either side of Kingsway and of Knight Street were rezoned to RM-1; everything else was rezoned to RT-10. A wholesale rezoning of the RT-10 zone to RT-11 would amount to using an even broader brush on a very diverse area. The City of Vancouver needs to use the opportunity provided by the postponement of this rezoning for more detailed study. A more nuanced rezoning would result in a better outcome for both area residents and for the city as a whole.
Jeanette and Joseph Jones
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Oct 10, 2018, 9:36 AM
Addressed to Appropriate City of Vancouver Planning Staff
We recognize the Planning Department's desire to simplify and consolidate regulations. But after walking through the entire RT-10 district, we have become convinced that rezoning the district to RT-11 is not a straightforward housekeeping operation. The area currently zoned RT-10 contains very diverse sub-areas. The area as a whole differs greatly from the area zoned RT-11 in Norquay. A wholesale rezoning of RT-10 to RT-11 could create more problems than it solves. We provide a more detailed analysis below.
The overriding concern is that RT-11 zoning provides no incentives to retain character houses in the case of outright single-lot development. This is not a big issue in Norquay, since there are few remaining character houses and many of those are in poor condition. But in the RT-10 zone, there are hundreds of character houses in good condition that deserve stronger retention measures. Many contain secondary suites that provide affordable housing. We urge you to spend more time on the ground in this area.
Developers should not be allowed to demolish these character houses and replace them with much larger outright duplexes, many of them fated to be ugly without adequate design requirements. We ask that you look at this area more closely and add the regulations needed to prevent an unhappy outcome.
Jeanette and Joseph Jones
Rezoning of RS for Duplex
Submission to Mayor and Council Re: Public Hearing 18 September 2018 — Agenda Item 5
REZONING: Amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law for Most RS Zones
to Allow Two-Family Dwellings (Duplexes) to Increase Housing Choice
Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre in East Vancouver includes 1.5 sq km or 370 acres. Since 2013, 1911 lots in Norquay have been rezoned from RS-1 to new low density housing zones that allow for duplexes, triplexes, rowhouses, stacked townhouses and 4-storey apartments. All of the new zones permit duplexes to be built outright on single lots. During the last 5 years more than 60 duplexes have been built or have started construction. Today Norquay amounts to a City of Vancouver demonstration project.
Most Norquay residents do not object to allowing duplexes in our community. There is a completed duplex on our block. We are fine with this.
However, Norquay's experience shows that more regulation for outright duplexes is needed. There are three major concerns.
One problem has been very large lock-off units. We have seen several lock-off units that are really one-bedroom suites. Appendix B of today's Report proposes a maximum size of 350 sq. ft. for lock-off units. We support this change. But two other major problems remain unaddressed.
First, living rooms and bedrooms are usually too small. Living rooms typically accommodate only a couch (and sometimes a chair). Second and third bedrooms often measure less than 60 sq. ft. We saw one unit with 4 bedrooms all measuring 8 x 7. These are not livable family dwellings. At present, no regulations govern room sizes in Vancouver. The 1992 High Density Housing for Families with Children Guidelines document is being updated. But these guidelines apply only to apartments, not to lower density housing forms.
The second problem is inadequate attention to external design. The External Design criteria now proposed for all RS zones are essentially the same as what is being applied in Norquay today. These requirements are a good start, and they have resulted in acceptable external design for approximately 80% of our new duplexes. But that is not good enough. Our Norquay neighbourhood deteriorates when 1 out of 5 new duplexes is an eyesore.
Look at these paired pictures of duplexes built outright in Norquay — visual successes and visual failures.
Staff have confirmed that building duplexes in RS zones will not provide substantially more housing units or increase affordability. This is all about increasing housing choice. Is this worthwhile goal urgent enough to sideline the two major problems that I have described? No. Before approving any proposal to build duplexes outright in RS zones, Council needs to direct staff to develop and bring forward for approval (1) guidelines for room sizes that apply to low density housing forms, and (2) additional regulations to govern external design.
Jeanette and Joseph Jones
17 September 2018
Rezoning of KCC RT-10
Submission to Mayor and Council Re: Public Hearing 18 September 2018 – Agenda Item 6
REZONING: Amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law for RT-7 and RT-8 Zones (Kitsilano)
and RT-10 and RT-10N Zones (Kensington-Cedar Cottage) to Increase Housing Choice
The City of Vancouver proposes to rezone the RT-10 District of the Kingsway-Knight Neighbourhood Centre to RT-11. The Report Summary states that this change "will address the concurrent citywide goals of simplifying and consolidating regulations and providing more of the right supply of housing while reflecting different contexts of neighbourhoods."
The RT-10 zoning schedule requires updating to make it consistent with citywide regulations that have been adopted since 2005. Some RT-11 regulations could be carried back into the RT-10 District. But a wholesale rezoning of the entire RT-10 District to RT-11 fails in "reflecting different contexts of neighbourhoods."
We live in the small portion of Kensington-Cedar Cottage (KCC) that was rezoned to RT-11 five years ago under planning for the Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre. We are part of both Norquay and Kensington-Cedar Cottage. But these two neighbourhoods are quite different. The same rules cannot indiscriminately be applied to both.
Here are three probable outcomes of rezoning the RT-10 District to RT-11.
1 — Many more character houses will be demolished.
RT-11 zoning will imperil the 491 pre-1940 houses — more than 40% of the total — in the
KCC RT-10 District. The Report states: "The increase to the permitted density for development to
0.75 FSR may lead to demolition of older homes in favor of a more viable duplex development" (p. 14).
The large number of character houses in good condition in Kingsway-Knight will face much
greater risk of being replaced by duplexes. In Norquay's RT-11 District, most of the older
houses already have been demolished. Many of the 67 that remain either would not qualify as
character houses or are in poor condition. Report focus on trade-off ignores this stark asymmetry.
2 — The quality of exterior design will deteriorate.
At present the RT-10 District has extensive Design Guidelines, even for duplexes. Most new
development there looks attractive. Replacement of those guidelines with the bare-bones
RT-11 External Design regulations would lead to the outcome already perceptible in Norquay:
approximately 1 in 5 duplexes built outright is an eyesore.
3 — Very little conditional development will occur, and many of the small house/duplex projects
that are built will have problems.
RT-11 zoning regulations were tailored to areas of Norquay where most parcels are wider than the usual
33 feet and/or longer than the usual 122 feet. Only one of the 26 conditional development applications
in Norquay so far has been for an assembly of lots that measure 33 x 122 or smaller.
Conditional RT-11 development on a single lot most commonly results in a duplex plus a laneway
house. This works well on wider lots (side-by-side duplex), or on longer 33 ft lots (front/back duplex).
In the two instances where duplex-plus-laneway has been built on 33 x 122 parcels, the duplexes are
side-by-side. Units are less than 12 ft. wide. Rooms are narrow and dark, and hallways consume a
lot of living area.
Relatively few parcels in Norquay's RT-11 District measure 33 x 122 or smaller. This is fortunate,
and may reflect good planning. Lot size would become a much greater problem factor in the
KCC RT-10 District, where more than half the lots measure 33 x 122 feet and many of the remainder
are even smaller.
When we take all of these considerations together, we can see an unhappy future for the RT-10 District if the proposal to rezone wholesale to RT-11 is approved. One. There will be very few conditional applications. Two. Character houses, most of them in good condition, will be demolished at an even faster rate and replaced by duplexes built outright. Three. Too many of these new duplexes on single lots will be eyesores.
It doesn't have to be this way. Staff needs time to work out which RT-11 regulations are appropriate for the RT-10 District and which are not. Everybody needs to slow down. Much more work is required before Council approves the rezoning of the KCC RT-10 District.
Jeanette and Joseph Jones
17 September 2018
Picking on the Poor
… to Serve Vancouver's "Development" Industry
"Every neighbourhood needs to do their part in taking some of this housing [for the homeless] and helping care for and engage that population" — Gil Kelley, General Manager of Planning, Urban Design & Sustainability, City of Vancouver (27 Nov 2017)
Of Diversions and Displacement
Smoke from localized brush fires over the siting of "temporary modular housing" (TMH) should not divert an onlooker's gaze from Vancouver's main social conflagration. For well over a decade, the City of Vancouver, in the service of the development industry, has conducted overt war on the poor. In 2006 Project Civil City marked an early low point for this new century.
Who are the frontline casualties in this conflict? The latest count of 2,138 persons recognized as homeless. What is the current main diversionary tactic? A bureaucracy that sets off skirmishes in Vancouver's second-tier poor neighborhoods and then accuses those areas of being filled with selfish NIMBYs.
The starting point for all of this is 2,138 homeless people
• Who find themselves perpetually moved along on the sidewalk
• Who often have their few belongings taken away and thrown out by city functionaries
• Whose right to set up a tent and to congregate for safety is subjected to constant challenge
Homeless people fall at the extreme end of a larger spectrum of deliberate displacement. At the more fortunate end are people who can leave Vancouver because they see no reasonable future for themselves in a city being sold out to globalized wealth. All are persons victimized by an ethos of greed that traces back to the corporate agendas underlying Expo 86 and the 2010 Olympics. [1]
The inevitable counterpart of this greed is the fear suffered by people who get exploited and/or shoved out of their familiar surroundings. In a trickle-out phenomenon, the homeless provoke anxieties and defensiveness in every neighborhood that lies beyond the greater Downtown Eastside area. Why is this happening now? Proximity to Vancouver's urban core has turned the Downtown Eastside, a longstanding haven for the city's poorest, into a prime target for gentrification — and for the resulting severest degree of displacement, no home at all.
Scatter and Social Mix
It is telling that the City of Vancouver is making its first moves to "scatter" TMH into the poorest areas of the rest of the city. The notion of TMH "scattered across the city" emerges in Cheryl Chan's July 2017 reporting on an interview with Kathleen Llewellyn-Thomas, General Manager of Community Services. [2] A report that went to City Council on that same day to expedite the spread of TMH offers up this contradictory perspective: "The proposed authority does not extend to single-family (RS) zones" (page 2). [3] Thus is a strong degree of class privilege protection built into a measure that might otherwise promote a possibilty for genuine citywide equity.
The concept of "scatter" is a first cousin to the concept of "social mix." A revealing instance of the phrase "social mix" occurs in the context of a September 2013 review of four simultaneous "community plans" — for Downtown Eastside, West End, Marpole, and Grandview-Woodland (pdf 18 / A3). [4] Only in the planning for Downtown Eastside does "social mix" emerge as a concern. The City of Vancouver seems to raise the issue of "social mix" mainly in the context of gentrifying areas that house the poor. "Social mix" thus acquires a special restricted Vancouver meaning: to displace poorer people in order to provide opportunity for richer people.
In this same vein, the City of Vancouver also professed a policy of "social mix" for "publicly-owned lands in Southeast False Creek, and defined that aspiration as a ⅓ affordable housing, ⅓ modest market and ⅓ market housing mix" (page 15). [5]
David Hulchanski's recent income mapping of Vancouver [6] shows Marpole as the lowest-income area on the west side of Vancouver (slide 24):
A City of Vancouver document from May 2006 provides 2001 census data tailored to the 479 acres that then comprised the Norquay Village study area (this encompassed the 4410 Kaslo site newly proposed for TMH on 1 December 2017). Notable figures include a Chinese population of 48.1% and a "population in low income households" at 32.0% of 10,905. At that point Norquay organically had already achieved the low-income end of the ⅓ ⅓ ⅓ "mix" touted as desirable. It seems certain that Norquay's subsequent planning and development has destroyed that existing balance. In a period of about four years about 11% of Norquay's mass-rezoned 1,912 properties have been redeveloped. This change usually amounts to eliminating the oldest and most affordable housing stock and replacing it with the newest and least affordable.
Not coincidentally, both of these two local areas — Marpole and Norquay — were subjected to planning for mass rezonings during the past decade. Real estate interests have viewed both neighborhoods as de facto "brownfields" ripe for harvesting profits in, since easy build-out opportunities on former industrial lands are ceasing to exist.
Problems, Problems
A good candidate for Vancouver's top problem is 2,138 people who have no home. That specific number has to be a lowball figure. As veteran housing activist Jean Swanson has put it:
So far, TMH has amounted to an intermittent and stopgap approach to attempting to provide even a temporary solution to this major problem. The TMH initiative fumbled big-time at its very inception. On 13 December 2016, City of Vancouver yanked the four specific proposed sites off the table at the last minute via a "yellow memo." [8] Council went on to approve the new policy, but as policy suddenly left with no ground to stand on.
A time very close to Christmas can be a good time to minimize the scrutiny that increases embarrassment. The coincidence here is striking. It will be one year to the very day that City of Vancouver staff will be bringing their "Community Information Session" on TMH at 4410 Kaslo to Norquay and to other area residents.
No wonder the City of Vancouver web site for TMH fails to link to the backstory information that would permit easy discovery of previous fails. A month later, on 31 January 2017 the City of Vancouver fired Mukhtar Latif, "chief housing officer and CEO of the Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency." Upper echelon bureaucrat Latif had spent well over three years in delivering nothing but a snafu. [9]
During another year of bumbling onward, what more has the City of Vancouver produced? One demonstration project of 40 units located at 220 Terminal Avenue, and one massive blowback situation in Marpole.
Any genuine solution must start by incorporating solid input from persons directly affected by homelessness, and from persons who have the trust of homeless people and are intimately connected with their circumstances on an ongoing basis. This by definition excludes City of Vancouver staff.
Distrust starts at the top. Recent Vancouver homeless history provides a singular instance of a meeting where Mayor Gregor Robertson personally signed a pledge that the City of Vancouver would provide "100% welfare/pension rate community-controlled social housing at 58 West Hastings." [10]
At about the same time, the preceding decade of history for that especially contentious and historic site was written up. [11] What has happened in the year since? Gregor Robertson has once again added to his personal dishonor by reneging on this public pledge. [12]
Any genuine solution must amount to something more than portable SROs shoved randomly and opportunistically into sometimes hostile environments, with City of Vancouver officials like Mayor Gregor Robertson occasionally showing up to finger-wag at local residents about how they should play nice.
Homelessness is a major problem that has to be owned up to honestly by every resident of Vancouver. Appropriate funding must be allocated to the situation. The City of Vancouver can always find money for what it really wants to do. Big money fast, like the untold hundreds of millions to bail out the Malek developers of Olympic Village. [13] Big money fast, like $55 million to buy the Arbutus strip of land from Canadian Pacific. [14] The City of Vancouver has to stop crying poor whenever it comes to spending money to house the poor.
Through recently completed planning, Norquay is already slated to provide 100 units of non-market housing at the 2400 Motel site on Kingsway. This is land that the City of Vancouver already owns. Eye on Norquay has specifically brought this matter to the attention of senior planning officials, both in person and through formal correspondence on 19 June 2017. All Norquay residents deserve an explanation as to why the sudden makeshift measures of TMH should take priority over the results of an extensive formal planning process that concluded seven years ago.
Who would want 50 temporary portable SRO units when they could have 100 permanent purpose-built dwelling units? This is a matter of logic. The emotionalism of finger-pointing and name-calling that the City of Vancouver directs at singled-out poorer neighborhoods needs to stop now. Misdirection is a shameful substitute for considered and transparent planning.
[1] Two revealing quotations:
"If the Olympic bid wasn't happening we would have to invent something." — Jack Poole, Vancouver real estate developer and VANOC chair
Frank O'Brien. Western perspective: Taxpayers reluctant skeleton in 2010 bid. Western Investor (June 2002) A6
"Nobody wants to admit it, but Vancouver has become a resort city where rich foreigners live a few months per year … It's a $6-billion ad buy [with the Olympics]. There's never been anything like it. It will change Vancouver, forever." — Bob Rennie, Vancouver condominium marketer
Miro Cernetig. The views from on high are nice, but not many can afford them. Vancouver Sun (25 Jan 2010) A1
[2] Cheryl Chan. Vancouver wants more modular housing built to help homeless. Vancouver Sun (26 July 2017)
Vancouver wants more modular housing built to help homeless
[3] Council Report: Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 – Amendment to the General Regulations to Delegate Discretionary Relaxation Powers to Expedite the Delivery of Low Cost Housing for Persons Receiving Assistance (26 July 2017)
[4] Council Report: Community Plans: Next Steps (25 Sept 2013)
[5] Sustainable Community Assessment for Southeast False Creek (28 Jan 2005)
[6] J. David Hulchanski. What is Happening to My Neighbourhood? The Socio-Spatial Restructuring of Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal 1970 to 2015 (Dec 2017)
[7] Council Agenda: Item 2. Temporary Modular Housing Definition And Regulations: Proposed Amendments To Existing City-Owned Cd-1 Sites, And Design Guidelines (13 Dec 2016)
Includes: Policy Report, Staff Presentation, Summary and Recommendation, and Memorandum
[8] Matt Kieltyka. Vancouver's chief housing officer Mukhtar Latif fired. Vancouver Metro (31 Jan 2017)
[9] Stefania Seccia. West Hastings 'tent city' could be around for years. Megaphone Magazine/Tyee (4 Aug 2016)
[10] Kai Rajala / Nathan Crompton. Battle of 58 West Hastings: The History of a Fight for Housing, 2007–Present. Mainlander (27 July 2016)
[11] City screws DTES again: 58 W Hastings Protest & news conference (24 Oct 2017)
[12] Bob Mackin. City stands firm on Olympic Village loss. Vancouver Courier (21 Oct 2011) 19
[13] Frances Bula. Vancouver acquires Arbutus rail corridor from CP for $55-million. Globe and Mail (7 Mar 2016)
No Legitimate Basis
for Joyce Precinct Review
The following formal comment on Joyce Precinct Review has been forwarded to City of Vancouver.
Re: Joyce Precinct Review
To: Michelle Yip / email@example.com
From: Joseph and Jeanette Jones
Date: 28 November 2015
The Joyce Precinct planning lacks legitimacy because of
• Failure to communicate in Chinese
• Contamination of options by an already-submitted development application
• Disregard of Renfrew-Collingwood's existing Norquay planning
• Inadequate assessment of amenity deficit in the local area
• Discriminatory disparity in allocation of Vancouver population density
Therefore the Joyce Precinct planning needs to go forward by undertaking adequate consultation with a
local-area working group (e.g. Norquay, Downtown Eastside) before presenting further information to the community.
Detailed Comment:
The 20 information panels presented at the 21 October 2015 open house show contempt for the Renfrew-Collingwood community and therefore provide no legitimate basis for further planning.
Lack of Communication — English-only information panels are provided to a diverse ethnic community. At a minimum, all information should always be provided in Chinese for that substantial component.
Misrepresentation — The City of Vancouver web site at http://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/renfrew.aspx presents Renfrew-Collingwood as "primarily a residential area" with "easy access to services and amenities." Astonishingly, the only introductory planning reference is to adjacent Grandview-Woodland.
Norquay Planning — The reality is shown on panel 7. Right next door to the west, still in Renfrew-Collingwood, lies Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre, still an active process. The document for that mass rezoning of 1912 properties and approximately half a square mile stated:
It should also be noted that by planning for new housing types in the neighbourhood centre,
the existing RS-1 zoning is maintained for the majority of the surrounding areas.
(p. 19, Norquay Village Neighbourhood Centre Plan, 4 Nov 2010)
To almost immediately propose to eliminate yet more RS-1 in Renfrew-Collingwood — especially after having facilitated the 2011 assemblage into CD-1 of 33 individual parcels at 5515-5665 Boundary Road, 5448-5666 Ormidale Street and 3690 Vanness Avenue — shows that City of Vancouver regards Renfrew-Collingwood as little more than an ongoing density dump.
Existing Density — Figures show that for 1996-2006, among the 22 Vancouver neighborhoods, Renfrew-Collingwood ranked second only to Downtown in rate of population increase at 17% and in rate of dwelling increase at 26.5%. With 61.6 persons per hectare in 2011 in Renfrew- Collingwood, only six other Vancouver neighborhoods rank as denser: West End, Downtown, Fairview, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Kensington-Cedar Cottage (descending order).
Amenity Deficit — In light of the foregoing, it seems preposterous for panel 19 to assert that "Joyce-Collingwood is generally well-served by existing and planned facilities." Consider those other denser neighborhoods and what they offer in their immediate areas. Renfrew-Collingwood is clearly already overpopulated and underserved in comparison.
Contaminated Options — The legitimacy of this pretense at planning is also compromised by a curiously similar set of three options into which the local community has had no genuine input. Only two points need to be made about the options:
1. Option 3 embeds an existing blockbuster development application for 5050 Joyce Street. This is reactivity, not planning.
2. The highlighted statement on the first options panel (panel 8) defines the information and the process as pure jello:
The following options are not exclusive options. Based on responses, staff will create a preferred option
that may include components of each option.
These words could easily translate as: Staff will pick and choose from positive comment solicited from developer interests through our open house and then aggregate those into our preferred option to maximize both height and density.
Landscaping Concerns
On 30 July 2015 the following formal comment was submitted to three City of Vancouver planners having responsibilities for urban landscape, urban design, and development planning.
Norquay's residential zones are being redeveloped with duplexes, small houses, and townhouses. Since the new zoning came into effect in Spring 2013, more than 50 duplexes have been approved outright in Norquay, and more than 15 have been completed and landscaped. A few single family houses have also been built during this time. Construction has not yet begun on any projects in the RM-7 (rowhouse or stacked townhouse) zone. One 8-unit project is nearing completion and has been landscaped in the RT-11 (small house/duplex) zone. One 4-unit project on a single lot has been completed in the apartment transition zone.
These comments are based on observations of the front yard landscaping around these newly completed residences and on inferences from landscape plans of recently approved multi-family projects.
I. Lawns
Most of the new front yard lawns that have been planted in Norquay within the past few months are now dead or dying. Virtually all grass that has been recently planted on boulevards has died. This was already happening when Vancouver's watering restrictions were at Stage 1, as the picture below (taken on 24 June 2015) shows.
In one completed project, the areas of grass in the front yards are green, but they have not been cut (possibly because they are too small to be cut with a lawnmower). The grass is now about 10 inches long.
Comment and Suggestions:
1. Climate change increases the possibility of drought. Areas planted with grass should be kept to a minimum, especially in multi-family projects.
2. Where grass is planted, the grassy area should be a reasonable size (no tiny pockets), be easy to access, and have a shape that facilitates mowing and edging. If the area is shady, a type of grass that grows well in shade should be planted. Grass should not be planted under conifers or under any large existing tree.
3. Developers should be required to adequately water new landscaping before new residents move in. Perhaps during the hottest months of the year, landscaping should be deferred until cooler weather.
4. Residents of newly landscaped properties should be given information about the care and maintenance of their landscaping when they move in. Specific instructions should be given about watering requirements and restrictions, and about how to apply for a special watering permit if a new lawn has been planted.
5. It seems likely that many residents of new housing have no previous experience in gardening with ornamental plants and lawns, especially with newly planted ones {new plantings}. They may expect their brown lawns to recover in the fall. It would be beneficial for the City of Vancouver or the VSB to run a two-hour course in the spring in both English and Mandarin/Cantonese on caring for new lawns.
6. Residents of new buildings should be made aware that they are responsible for the care and maintenance of the boulevard that borders their property, as well as for picking up any litter that collects on the boulevard or in the gutter. They need to be encouraged to water new boulevard trees.
II. Trees and Shrubs
Few trees have been planted in front of duplexes or single family houses. Where shrubs have been planted, many of them are currently dead or dying. In the almost-completed RT-11 project at Killarney Ridge (East 41st and Killarney), many trees and shrubs on the south and west edges of the property have died even before the new residents have moved in.
In general, the landscaping plants being used in RT-11 and RM-7 projects seem to be appropriately low maintenance and reasonably drought tolerant. But new plantings need to be watered regularly until they are established.
In one completed project, an automatic watering system ensures that plantings are adequately watered.
Comment and Suggestions:
1. If not already required, an automated watering system should be made mandatory for all planted areas in multi-family developments to ensure that they are adequately watered.
2. It would be beneficial for the City of Vancouver or the VSB to run a night course of several sessions in late winter or early spring in both English and Mandarin/Cantonese on gardening with ornamental plants.
3. Where the required 4 ft. allowance between buildings and the fence is not a walkway, this low- visibility area should be covered either in gravel placed over an effective weed inhibitor with a hardy ground cover such as periwinkle. Any other type of planting will be difficult to access and care for. There will be times people need to walk in this space, and to set up ladders and other equipment.
III. Walkways
The surface for walkways should not be stepping stones or gravel. A surface of concrete or pavers is easier to maintain, to walk on and to shovel when there is snow.
Jeanette Jones


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Guillermo del Toro Tackles Frankenstein
We'd never presumed that Kenneth Branagh's portrayal of the mad doctor in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein —for which he also served as director—could ever be bested. But today MTV Movies Blog reports that the man who brought us Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth is working on his very own version.
Del Toro told MTV that he is in the midst of pre-production and has always been interested in Frankenstein so now he's "racking his brains to do one." At this stage, thanks once again to the Writer's Strike, nothing is on paper outside of a few sketches. The director says he won't even write notes during the strike: "I can only draw now," he says.
How can a Spanish fantasy director hope to hold ranks with one of England's greatest actors? By veering away from Mary Shelley: "The only way to do the Shelley novel is to actually do a four-hour miniseries," he says. "But I think there are permutations in which you can tell the myth in a different way." Del Toro went on to joke that his movie would also feature three monsters—not just the freak and the doctor who creates him, but the director himself, who "will appear shirtless for most of the length of the film."
So who should replace Branagh and DeNiro as the new dynamic duo? For my money, I vote Thomas Haden Church as Frank—because honestly, you wouldn't need much more makeup—and Nathan Fillion as the good doctor, if for no other reason than I miss Firefly and he needs work.
If you've got other casting recommendations, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below.Read More

subset: commoncrawl


text: Love the HD tanks wish they all were done but I know that is some work. Just wondering if you guys can let us know in advance what tanks will be getting the HD look? Thanks guys Great job on the tanks that are and have been done. Looking forward for all the tanks to be HD.


text:
Ann Arbor Review
Geoffrey Philip
Joseph McNair
Chris Lord
Coleman Barks
Dave Etter
Elisavietta Ritchie
Sam Cornish
Duane Locke
Karyn Wolven
Marisella Veiga
Michael D. Long
Running Cub
Joanie Freeman
Alan Britt
Shutta Crum
Steve Beaulieu
Gerald Clark
Mary E. Finlan
Fred Wolven
A lunar eclipse--
Earth comes between Moon and Sun"
Thus is Isis veiled.
The Mother goddess 'tween two pillars sits;
Her priestess aspect manifest. She's known
by many names. But here--and matching wits
and wiles with those who'd breach her guard--alone
blocks passage of cowans through wisdom's gate
who fail her tests and trials. Let dilettantes beware,
This one has raised the dead; revived her late
dismembered spouse and had his child. Have care!
Unless you know a peace beyond torment;
are girded 'gainst that which she surely brings--
your past revealed in a single moment;
your inmost sins and follies dredged--she springs,
a hungry sphinx, should you her queries fail.
Her name is Isis, wearer of the veil.
"Let there be Light!" the seeker cries
before the hoodwink leaves his eyes
and thus doth he in awe behold
the Goddess, the exquisite mold
of man, who tempts the would-be wise.
Veiled Isis sits beneath the skies
No less than Nature in disguise
And Nature's boon to grant, withhold?
Her mysteries.
His inner sight to his surprise
beholds the light he seeks; that prize
bequeathed the pure in heart. The gold
reduced, the Argent Vive foretold--
Her mysteries!
Reason can lift the priestess' veil;
Can scry the seal adorning Nature's breast,
When wed to intuition strong and hale.
Where quondam dabbling in the sacred fail
to bring acuity, with inner sight possessed,
Reason can lift the priestess' veil.
Where insight often helps the will prevail,
Is not then Reason stronger? Doubly blessed?
When wed to intuition strong and hale.
The Virgin Priestess' symbol tells the tale--
A coupling of matter and spirit. Let the gods attest:
Reason can lift the Priestess' veil.
Mind and sight may grasp the holy grail
When beheld through virtue's lens. But Reason is best
When wed to intuition strong and hale.
What aids the seeker? What will avail?
None less than Virgo's gifting--her bequest.
Reason can lift the priestess' veil
When wed to intuition strong and hale.
Joseph McNair, Miami, Florida
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text:
Please mask moisture moist and the whole body
as well as dry face, neck, legs.
Silky veil is to protect the nutrients and to skin
from the dry air.
[How to use]
After the shower or washing the face, stretched
enough to paint the body or face an appropriate amount,
and convolution lightly.
– Condition : New
– Contents : 110ml
울트라 올스킨 마스크 110ml 3종 set
|0.21 g


text:
Cheering on Cheltenham from the comfort of our desks!
One of the obvious benefits of working for a world-renowned manufacturer of performance equestrian and sports fencing is being able to work for a great company with an excellent portfolio and global recognition… the second is having the perfect excuse to keep up with the Cheltenham Festival. By 'keep up with', we mean sitting on the edge of our seats, shouting 'ComeeeeOnnnn!!' at our screens, followed by a spell of admiring our brilliant white fencing across the broadcasting!
Winners in the bag.
Why 'study the form' when you have a faithful friend, who can do it for you and then give you the tips?! This has so far worked in our favour with My Tent or Yours coming in with a nice second place and Quevega taking the title of the Mares Hurdles for a record sixth time! In fact, our on site man even got a winning smile from jockey, Ruby Walsh on his return from the course.
Our Conor races his last race.
However, a sad turn of events reminded us how horse racing is most definitely a sport for the brave, as Our Conor took a hard fall over the fence. He was attended by veterinary professionals who deemed that he had sustained back injuries and was then humanely put to sleep to ease his suffering.


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Update: Thomas Yanaga given 40 years to life in prison
– Thomas Yanaga, a 53-year-old Paso Robles man found guilty of second degree murder of 32-year-old Marshall Savoy, was sentenced on Oct. 8 to 40 years to life in state prison, according to reports.
Yanaga was found guilty of using a firearm during the murder, so he faced enhanced sentencing. Typically, second-degree murder sentencing entails a term of 15-years to life.
Original story posted Sept. 25:
– Thomas Yanaga has been convicted of second degree murder, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney. His sentencing is set for Sept 29. Yanaga faces a mandatory term of 15 years to life in state prison for the murder conviction plus an additional 25 years to life in state prison for the discharge of a firearm during the commission of the crime.
The trial concludes about six months after 32-year-old Marshall Savor of Atascadero was found dead on Yanaga's Paso Robles property with multiple gun shot wounds. Yanaga plead not guilty at an arraignment in May. Yanaga's attorney, Ilan Funke-Bilu, argued that he acted in self defense.
Savoy had arrived at Yanaga's house on the evening of March 14 to visit girlfriend Ashley Moss, 26, who was living in a trailer on Yanaga's property, according to reports. At the preliminary hearing, Moss had said she and Savoy were in the trailer she rented on Yanaga's property in Paso Robles. She had only lived there a few days at that point. While they were in the trailer, they heard Yanaga and his wife, Joyce, arguing. At that time, she said, Savoy went to the house. She said she saw Savoy enter the front door of the house, a detail that Funke-Bilu said is false because from her vantage point looking out the door of the trailer, one could not see someone going through the front door. She said she heard Savoy yell, "You don't touch women like that. Don't touch women like that. I have a daughter."
Deputy Ian McFarland said during testimony that he responded to a call from Yanaga's wife, who said a man had gone into their home and her husband shot him. Deputy Michael DeRose said on the stand that Yanaga told him, "he didn't mean to do it."
Two friends of Yanaga testified that he said the night before the incident in conversation, "I always wanted to know what it feels like to kill someone."


text:
Regular readers of the blog may remember my passion for our Rifle activity, which I wrote about in a post called Sure Shot. As I said then,
Rifle is actually my favorite activity at camp and the one I felt most accomplished and successful in as a camper. So it's very close to my heart. I took an early interest in it and stayed with it all the way up to what's called the Distinguished Expert level…
I don't know if I fit the image of a markswoman — if any one such "image" even exists. But I will say that the challenge of combining strict safety protocols with the goal to reach ever increasing target difficulties with precision was a combination that my innate (but good-natured) competitiveness couldn't resist! I was determined to master as much as I could. But what ended up happening was that Rifle mastered me.
By that I mean that Rifle taught me the value of focusing very acutely on the task at hand, a skill that has served me well beyond the shooting range.
Focus, focus, focus
The seriousness that was impressed upon me by Rifle lessons, because of how serious it is to be in command of a firearm — or be next to someone else using a firearm — taught me to consider deeply my actions in every moment, awakened and deepened my sense of responsibility to myself and others, and, adding perseverance, to use that focus to achieve goals — any goals, whether target practice, other sports, academics, hobbies, and career.
That's why it's so frustrating this summer that there's a shortage of ammunition out there in the world!
With gun control issues being discussed anew, there's been a kind of run on ammunition-stocking by private gun owners. The problem is we didn't anticipate this shortage and now we're finding ammunition hard to get. As a life-long shooter, and a huge fan of the superior way we offer Rifle at Alleghany (National Rifle Association certified instructors and methods), I can't bear to think of how this shortage could affect how much shooting each girl who wishes to take Rifle can do this summer.
We do want our girls to shoot, and want to continue our rifle program, which has been around since 1922! We will do our very best to keep this program running and teach the girls the value of patience, determination, and gun safety. We will also continue to educate the campers who take rifle on the parts of the gun, how to properly clean a gun, etc. (You can see more about our rifle program in this camp video, or watch beginning at the Rifle portion of our story by clicking on the video below)
In this final stretch before camp starts we're working all the channels to get our stock of ammunition ready for rifle this season. But we feel like we're in a race against the clock. So now we're reaching out to you to ask whether any of our former NRA-member alumni have any insights or suggestions? Have you faced the same problem? And if so, what did you do to access ammunition? Any ideas or suggestions are more than welcome. Please e-mail me, give us a call*, or add comments to the field below.
–Elizabeth Dawson Shreckhise, Assistant Director, Camp Alleghany for Girls


text:
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Tag Archives: Hispanic
PRESS / Dick J. Reavis : Texas Tribune Lacks Regional Vision
Texas Tribune. Image from UrbanGrounds.The Texas Tribune:Bells and whistles but little vision The Tribune mistakes numbers for people and information for insight. It is in no way culturally or regionally idiosyncratic. By Dick J. Reavis / The Rag Blog / … finish reading PRESS / Dick J. Reavis : Texas Tribune Lacks Regional Vision
Posted in RagBlog Tagged Criticism, Dick J. Reavis, Digital Media, Hispanic, Internet, Media, Mexico, Texas, Texas Politics, The Press 2 Comments
Judge Wiliam Wayne Justice : Hispanics and The Right to Vote
Top, Austin polling place. Photo by T hom / Flickr. Below, Judge William Wayne Justice. Photo from Dallas Morning News.Judge Justice and single member districts:Bringing voting power to all TexansBy George Korbel / The Rag Blog / October 27, 2009 … finish reading Judge Wiliam Wayne Justice : Hispanics and The Right to Vote
Posted in Rag Bloggers Tagged Criminal Justice, Hispanic, Judiciary, Texas, Voting Rights, William Wayne Justice 2 Comments
Texas Tall Tale? Turning West Texas Blue
Image from Jackalope Postcards.West Texas: Can gray and brown equal blue? At some point in the future, the Panhandle and the Lower Plains will look and vote much like El Paso and South Texas… The only question is when. By … finish reading Texas Tall Tale? Turning West Texas Blue
Posted in Rag Bloggers Tagged Hispanic, Texas, Texas Democrats, West Texas 1 Comment
POETRY / Gregg Barrios : 'El hijo de Frida y Diego'
Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Photo from Yoreme's Weblog See Video of Gregg Barrios reading 'Chale Guerra,' Below. El hijo de Frida y Diego I am the promised root born through artful inseminationI am the manchild borne through prehysteric supplicationI … finish reading POETRY / Gregg Barrios : 'El hijo de Frida y Diego'
Posted in Rag Bloggers Tagged Hispanic, Peace Movement, Poetry 2 Comments
Lisa Sánchez González on the Sotomayor Nomination : Fighting my Inner Cynic
Barack Obama introduces his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a Boricua from the South Bronx. Photo by Saul Loeb / AFP.Obama nominates a Boricua from the South Bronx:A tease or a real slice of hope? By Lisa Sánchez González … finish reading Lisa Sánchez González on the Sotomayor Nomination : Fighting my Inner Cynic
Posted in Rag Bloggers Tagged Hispanic, Obama Administration, Supreme Court Leave a comment
What's in a Name? 'César Chávez Blvd' and Dallas' Own Border Fence
Supporters of renaming a Dallas street for César Chávez crowd a City Planning Commission meeting at Dallas City Hall.Dallas: Latino Heroes Need Not Apply right-wing, anti-immigrant forces… dig in their heels and draw their own border fence to block Latino … finish reading What's in a Name? 'César Chávez Blvd' and Dallas' Own Border Fence
Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez : The Real Problem of the 21st Century
30 Rock's Kenneth the page (Jack McBrayer): "What about white men?" I would go as far as to say that the defining problem of the 21st-century United States is not, as W.E.B. DuBois claimed of the 20th, the "color line." … finish reading Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez : The Real Problem of the 21st Century
Posted in RagBlog Tagged American Society, Education, Hispanic, Racism, Sexism Leave a comment
Ruling : Texas is Failing Limited-English Schoolchildren
Judge William Wayne Justice issued landmark ruling. Photo by Kelly West / Austin American-Statesman.State in no hurry to fix big problemBy Lisa Falkenberg / August 7, 2008 The 95-page landmark ruling issued recently by Judge William Wayne Justice on how … finish reading Ruling : Texas is Failing Limited-English Schoolchildren
Posted in RagBlog Tagged Criminal Justice, Education, Hispanic, Public Schools, Spanish-speaking, Texas, Youth Leave a comment
Bigots (Mambo #1)
Graffiti from Barcelona, Spain. "Los cerdos?" "The Pigs." Photo by Duncan Cumming.'I think he saw a dark woman, a human darkness, and that's all he needed to see'By Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez A few days ago I went with a friend … finish reading Bigots (Mambo #1)
Obama's Mariachi Ad : What Were They Thinking?
Manny Ramirez: The great guapón as Obama spokesman?Obamarama, Latin StyleBy Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez / July 26, 2008 Have you seen the Barack Obama mariachi ad? It's on YouTube if you want to check it out. [See it below.] In a … finish reading Obama's Mariachi Ad : What Were They Thinking?
Posted in RagBlog Tagged Advertising, Hispanic, Latinos, Marketing, Obama, Presidential Campaign, Television 4 Comments


text:
A working definition of intelligence defeats us for the same reasons as a working definition of beauty defeats us. Once abstractions become instantiated, they are laden with particulars. That does NOT mean that the idea is without meaning.
Tag: Intelligence
Why it's hard to come up with a test for AI intelligence
Holloway: Intelligence, like randomness, is mathematically undefinable.
Neuroscientist: "Ultra social ability" makes humans smarter than apes
Maybe greater social intelligence is the outcome of a much higher order of underlying intelligence in humans?
Attempting to define stupidity
Krakauer notes that many people study intelligence but no one studies stupidity. That may have to do with the social awkwardness of explaining the research project to prospective subjects… 😉
Plants can both "smell" and "hear"
The team did a great piece of work on plant hearing. But so much language around "evolution" is just clutter, creating the impression that we know things we really don't. And sometimes that gets in the way of understanding what we see now in real time.
Software pioneer: The nature of intelligence forbids general artificial intelligence
This post went viral yesterday at Mind Matters: The 2014 science fiction film Transcendence featured a scientist who uploaded his consciousness into an AI program. Many people talk as though things like that are just around the corner. But industry pros say it isn't really possible. Why not? François Chollet, author of Keras, a framework Read More…
Plants as "revolutionary geniuses"?
We've been talking about intelligence in termite mounds. Not "of" termite mounds but "in" them. From a review of The Revolutionary Genius of Plants: A New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior, by plant biologist Stefan Mancuso, To overcome the human bias toward brain-centered intelligence, Mancuso writes, one must consider that, unlike animals, plants can't move. Read More…
Design Disquisitions: Design & the Problem of Intelligibility
Many critics of intelligent design argue that not only is ID false (or at least unscientific), but that it is basically meaningless. Such lines of criticism come from philosophers such as Sahotra Sarkar and Elliott Sober. They argue that the general concepts that are assumed in ID discussions like 'design' and 'intelligence' are too primitive and Read More…
Mutations Degrade Inherited Intelligence
The remarkable "powers" of evolution are now shown to degrade (aka "mutate") the human genes essential to intelligence. Remarkably, they found that some of the same genes that influence human intelligence in healthy people were also the same genes that cause impaired cognitive ability and epilepsy when mutated, networks which they called M1 and M3.
Why birds mimic well: Contradicts earlier claims
Further to how cats get the rodents they will eat to lose their fear of them, we are now beginning to understand how parrots become excellent voice imitators. From Duke University, An international team of scientists led by Duke University researchers has uncovered key structural differences in the brains of parrots that may explain the Read More…


text:
Uphold, a global digital money platform that has powered more than $3.5 billion in transactions across 184 countries, has revealed that that JP Thieriot, the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of the company, has been appointed CEO by the firm's Board of Directors.
Former CEO of Uphold, Adrian Steckel, has accepted the role of CEO of OneWeb, one of the world's largest, satellite-based broadband initiatives. Mr. Steckel remains Chairman of Uphold. OneWeb will provide affordable internet access to people everywhere through a proprietary network of satellites and has secured $1.2 billion in funding led by Softbank. Other investors include Qualcomm, Airbus, Bharti, Intelsat, MDA, Virgin, and Coca-Cola.
The leadership succession comes after two years of rapid growth at Uphold. The blockchain-powered platform has become recognized for offering the widest range of cryptocurrencies and the best connectivity with legacy financial systems in its peer group. These attributes have made Uphold a popular choice for retail users worldwide seeking to move funds seamlessly between conventional currencies and cryptocurrencies.
In 2018, a record year commercially for the company, Uphold has posted a string of major achievements as the first major platform to offer XRP and one of the first cryptocurrency companies to reach an agreement to acquire a U.S. broker-dealer and file an application for approval of the change of control and business expansion with FINRA.
Executive Comment
Mr. Thieriot said that there are remarkable similarities between Uphold's mission of opening up access to next-generation financial services to everyone with a networked device and OneWeb's mission of bringing broadband connectivity to everyone, in every corner of the planet. The key to Uphold's success is bringing transparency and trust to the cryptocurrency space and acting as a 'bridge' between decentralized blockchain networks and traditional financial systems. Thieriot added that Adrian has done a remarkable job since joining Uphold two years ago and has overseen a period of transformational growth and the company is very proud of his achievements and the strategic vision he brought to the company.


text:
Parents will have a bigger selection of quality kindergartens at affordable rates to pick from, with eight more Ministry of Education (MOE) kindergartens opening across the island in 2022.
Located inside primary schools and offering both kindergarten and full daycare services, the eight will bring the total number of MOE kindergartens here to 43, providing some 5,800 places.
The eight new kindergartens are: MOE Kindergarten @Sembawang, MOE Kindergarten @North View, MOE Kindergarten @Jurong West, MOE Kindergarten @New Primary School along Tampines North Drive (more details to be provided), MOE Kindergarten @Gongshang, MOE Kindergarten @Junyuan, MOE Kindergarten @Jing Shan and MOE Kindergarten @Ang Mo Kio.
MOE kindergartens were first set up in 2014 to provide affordable pre-school education and raise the quality of early childhood practices in the diverse pre-school scene here.
The monthly fee for a four-hour MOE kindergarten programme in 2019 and 2020 is $160 for Singaporean children and $320 for permanent residents.
Financial assistance in the form of a monthly fee subsidy is provided to all Singaporean children who meet the income criteria. For example, a child from a family with a gross monthly income of $2,500 and below will only have to pay a monthly fee of $1.60, after the subsidy.
Top priority for admissions goes to Singaporean children from lower-income households living within a kilometre of the MOE kindergarten.
One of the eight announced on Thursday (May 30) – MOE Kindergarten @Gongshang – will replace the current MOE Kindergarten @Tampines, which is located at a void deck.
The new MOE kindergartens will also collaborate with the Early Years Centres, operated by PCF Sparkletots for children aged between two months and four years.
Under the scheme, Nursery 2 children in these centres who are Singaporeans or permanent residents will be guaranteed a place in a nearby MOE kindergarten in the year that the child turns five.
There will still be places for children who do not come from Early Years Centres, the ministry said.
Registration for admission to K1 in 2022 for the eight new kindergartens will take place in 2021. The registration exercise will be open to Singaporean and permanent resident children born between Jan 2, 2017, and Jan 1, 2018.
More details of the exercise will be released in 2021.
A version of this article first appeared in The Straits Times.
(Photos: ST file)
These are the 4 popular MOE Kindergartens where you have to ballot
5 questions to ask when looking for enrichment playgroup classes for babies and toddlers
Look inside PCF Sparkletots' amazing Early Years Centre preschool in Punggol North
NTUC First Campus to add another 4,000 places across its preschool brands, including My First Skool
Singapore preschools: What you get for $2000 a month vs less than $600 a month


text: 1.14 ANNOUNCEMENT We are happy to announce that we will update to 1.14.4 tomorrow, on Monday! In order to update we will undergo maintenance starting at 9:30 AM UTC that will last up to 3 hours. UPDATE STEPS Monday: Update all servers and make sure things are working properly Tuesday: Expand the world borders of the servers. One thing to note is that mcMMO credits will not work after the update so if you have un-redeemed credits make sure to redeem them before the update!


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HAI has won Bronze at the recent APMC (Association of Promotional Marketing Consultants) annual Promotional Marketing Awards for its successful social media campaign to extend the Home Renovation Incentive schemebeyond end of December 2015. The campaign, targeted at influencers and Government, ran exclusively on social media in the run up to Budget 2016 last September.
The annual APMC Promotional Marketing Awards have, over the last 23 years, helped to raise standards in sales promotion and promotional marketing. Just as importantly, they publicise the contribution which promotional marketing makes in helping a broad spectrum of companies achieve their marketing objectives. The APMC Star Awards provide the opportunity for promotions to be compared and judged by a panel of expert judges. HAI won Bronze in the Business to Business & Trade and Salesforce category.


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┌── John Hinshaw │ 1777-1836 ┌── Trustrem Hinshaw ──┤ │ 1801-1869 │ │ └── Lydia Macy │ 1776-1858 Rebeca Hinshaw ───┤ B: 1835 │ ┌── Thomas Hinshaw D: <1868 │ │ └── Martha Hinshaw ────┤ 1799-1870 │ └── Rebecca Holliday M: Newton Davis M: T.J. Lamb
|Rebeca Hinshaw [ID 00385]
|Click here to switch to Ahnentafel view:
Rebeca Hinshaw1 [Rebecca Hinshaw2, Rebecca Henshaw3].
Born 12-2-1835, Marlborough MM, North Carolina.1,2
She married Newton Davis, Mar 9 1856, Randolph County, North Carolina.3
A marriage bond was recorded for Rebecca Henshaw & Newton Davis on March 8, 1856, Randolph County, North Carolina. They were married the next day by J. White, J.P.4
She then married T.J. Lamb, Dec 25 1864, Randolph County, North Carolina.3
At Marlborough MM on 7-6-1866, Rebecca Davis (formerly Hinshaw) was disowned for her "marriage out of unity".1
Rebeca Hinshaw died before 1868. Rebecca's parents, in their will of May 23 1868, referred to "the heirs of our Daughter Rebecca".6
Rebecca's son, Milton Davis, was shown in the 1870 census (Aug 4 1870) living in the household of brother Nathan;7 her son Robert Davis was shown in the 1870 census living in the household of brother Jesse.8
On Jan 18 1875 in Randolph County, North Carolina, Nathan T. Hinshaw took an oath as executor of the estate of Rebecca Lamb. He was also named guardian for Milton H. Davis, Robert L. Davis, and Oscar Lamb, children of Rebecca Lamb.5
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B2C Europe is an independent full service provider of fulfilment, distribution and return solutions in Europe, with offices across Europe, China and the USA.
B2C Europe provides the B2C e-commerce industry with access to delivery and returns networks for mail and parcels.
B2C Europe offer a wide range of cross-border solutions including e-fulfilment, customs clearance, home delivery, pickup locations, and returns.
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Oncam provides market-leading 360-degree and wide-angle technology and products through authorised global strategic partner channels.
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1.- Copy the files EmuNAND9.dat y Launcher.dat (REPLACE if there exists because the launcher is not Gateway, it's other homebrew) into SD
2.- Turn on your 3DS on sysnand (8.1 for this tutorial, also testet with 4.xx, 7,xx y 6.xx) with SD in there and go to the browser and write: go.gateway-3ds.com and the DevMenu show up: Here go to SysNAND Options
3.- Choose "Health&Safety Dump" and hs.app is dumped into your SD
4.- Turn off your 3DS and go to SD on your PC, copy hs.app file and move it to the folder PASO 2 and move it agat to the folder INPUT ( "TUTORIAL 8.1-9.2\PASO 2\PC_Apps\UniversalInjectGenerator\input".)
5.- After that go back to "UniversalInjectorGenerator" folder and launch the file go.bat . Wait until create two files: "BigBlueMenu_inject_no_banner.app" and "BigBlueMenu_inject_with_banner.app".
6.- For this tutorial is better choose "BigBlueMenu_inject_with_banner.app" and rename to "hs.app". After tha copy that file to your SD.
7.- Turn on your 3ds with your SD and repeat Step 2. ( go.gateway-3ds.com ). In there go again to SysNAND Options.
8.- Now choose Health&Safety Inject and follow the instructions(press UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, A ).Don't worry, this not brick your 3DS.
9.- Now, turn off our 3DS and copy CIAS FOLDER on our SD.
10.- Turn on our 3DS and launch our RXTOOLS( with "launch.rxtools.net" or other way you know). We need to use recovery menu for this: ( You can use recovery menu pressing R in rxtools).
11.- We CHOOSE Launch rxMode in SysNAND and wait to go 3DS MENU.
12.- HERE'S THE TRICK. The app Healt&Safety now is "BigBlueMenu" ( The logo on up screen says all). Now, launch the app.
13.- Choose the option "SDMC" and go to "CIAS" folder.
14.- Install ONLY DevMenu_2x.cia.
15.Exit to home menu and launch the new app DevMenu_2x
16. Go to "Import" and go to "CIAS" folder, install "old3DS.AGB_FIRM.Patch.cia" and "SysUpdater.cia"
17. Now turn off our 3ds and do this:
18.- NOW in our SD go to RENAME or BACKUP IN A FOLDER some files:rxTools folder, rxTools.dat file and firmware.bin. After that we can move our TEMPORAL rxTools.dat y firmware.bin, BECAUSE THIS FILES WORKS WITH RXTOOLS 2.5 ( YOU CAN COPY "PASO4" update folder to your SD too (is the 9.2 update for OLD 3DS).)
19. NOW put the SD in our 3DS and launche "rxTools" with "launch.rxTools.net" and press R for recovery. Here CHOOSE "DevMode".
20. Choose "sysUpdater" app and launch it.
NOW PRESS A for start to UPDATE. Now wait and after that, you have 9.2 firmware for coldboot and menuhax.


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Investing.com – The dollar was little changed against a basket of major currencies in subdued trade on Tuesday, as expectations that the recovery in the U.S. will outstrip other major economies lent support to the greenback.
The US dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was up 0.02% to 87.90, not far from Friday's four-and-a-half year peaks of 88.31.
The dollar slid in the previous two sessions after Friday's softer than expected U.S. jobs report prompted a bout of profit taking to lock in gains after the greenbacks recent run higher.
The dollar has rallied over the past two months as broadly stronger economic data fuelled expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates sometime in 2015.
In contrast, central banks in Japan and the euro zone are likely to stick to a looser monetary policy stance in a bid to spur growth and inflation.
USD/JPY remained near seven year highs of 116.10, and was last up 0.77% to 115.72.
The yen fell as speculation that Japan's government may postpone a planned sales tax increase boosted risk appetite and fuelled strong gains in Asian equities overnight, curbing safe haven demand for the currency.
Data on Tuesday showing that Japan posted an unexpectedly large current account surplus of ¥963 billion in September, boosted by the weaker yen, also supported risk appetite.
EUR/USD edged up 0.13% to 1.2433, still close to last Friday's 26-month lows of 1.2356.
Elsewhere, the dollar was lower against the pound and the Swiss franc, with GBP/USD adding 0.14% to 1.5863 and with USD/CHF down 0.11% at 0.9671.
The Australian and New Zealand dollars were higher, with AUD/USD rising 0.36% to 0.8651 and NZD/USD gaining 0.48% to 0.7783. USD/CAD slipped 0.09% to 1.1370.
Also Tuesday, the Russian rouble fell against the dollar, reversing a rally one day after the country's central bank said it had abandoned the rouble's trading corridor and would allow the currency to float freely.
The rouble has fallen sharply this year, pressured lower by a combination of sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over the crisis in eastern Ukraine and steep declines in global oil prices.
Source By Breaking News Website | BreakingNews.WS


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So when I left you last I had spent a couple hours making and decorating cupcakes for a couple people at work. I even decided to make a couple dozen extra to bring in for the other staff in my area. Friday Morning I got up bright and early . I always make Shane's smoothie in the morning so while I was doing that I
told him to politely asked him to put all the cupcakes in my car.
So he nicely got up and did just that. It seamed as though he was taking quite a long time to do this simple tasks and I was starting to get a bad feeling. And when I opened the front door to leave I saw Shane standing on the front porch looking like
Covered in icing……..What did you do!!!
Apparently there had been an accident! One dozen of the cupcakes had went from this……..
To this……..
I wasn't very happy at 530! Let's just saw he's lucky we were in the driveway and the neighbors could hear…..
My day did get better when I opened my email and found this!!!
Yep that's right! Guess who was picked from the draw for the Toronto Nike Woman's 15 K on Toronto Island, June 14!
Wonder what will be in the swag bag!?
I'm more excited then Jesse Spano on pills!
Well this girl is working all weekend. Have a great holiday! I'll be dreaming of someplace warm!


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What Do Women Appreciate in Men?
Men's slender body is even more enticing to women than an alpha-male face, according to a study published in the Royal Society B journal and co-authored by Indrikis Krams, a visiting professor at the University of Tartu. Continue reading
Posted in Natural and exact sciences, Research Tagged attractiveness, body weight, immune system, macho, masculine, men, sex hormone, testosterone, women Comments Off on What Do Women Appreciate in Men?


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You should not buy the same lounge chair as your friends'. If you're looking for lounge chair for your college apartment, you don't have to find one that last forever. But if you're looking for furniture for mature people, lounge chair that lasts forever is what you need very you don't have to buy the other furniture when you're getting older.
When looking for a lounge chair for your interior, you must grant the space available in your room. You must scale your furniture to available space unusually you won't make your room feels so narrow because lounge chair can be so huge that it can make your room feels so tight. Also, consider the space available for you to move around the furniture. If you don't think about it you may find furniture that really fits your room but you won't feel comfortable to move around that chair.
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Breakaway Seat Box Conversion Back Rest & Pack Frame
The Breakaway seatbox conversion kit allows you to carry a seatbox rucksack style and has a height adjustable backrest.
Easy to fit using template provided.As the aluminium varies the bend may vary,if your backrest doesn't fit the template exactly take of the top curved alloy and drill using the template. As instructions. then replace the top section dont drill the holes without using the template


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© 2019 RSM US LLP. All rights reserved.
Business Process Improvement for
Credit Unions
Competition in the financial services market is fiercer than it's ever been. Margins are shrinking and consumer expectations are escalating.
In order to succeed, you need to be sure that your organization is continuously improving. But where are you going to find the innovative, breakthrough ideas that will enhance performance and give your credit union the competitive edge? The experienced professionals at RSM can help.
How we can help
As your credit union evolves and grows, so should your business processes. But, if you're like most credit unions (and other businesses for that matter), it's difficult to find the time and the objectivity to really examine how you conduct day-to-day business. Member service, productivity, and employee morale can suffer as a result.
At RSM, we have the experience, expertise, and objective perspective required to assist you in thoroughly evaluating your business processes. We can identify opportunities to reduce expenses, increase productivity and improve member service. We help you define and plan the steps required to successfully implement improvements.
Our business process improvement service can target one or more specific key business processes, such as consumer loan origination, new member enrollment and/or member service. We can also conduct an enterprise-wide evaluation to identify the most valuable opportunities. Whatever the approach, the result will be practical advice that enables you to meet your strategic goals.
Why RSM
RSM has been providing advisory services to credit unions for over 30 years. We are the nation's largest and fastest-growing credit union practice serving more than 750 credit unions nationwide.
We understand your business environment and technology needs and are dedicated to helping credit unions succeed. You can be assured of a customized, flexible approach that's based on your unique requirements.
Unlike many other providers, RSM offers a full range of business consulting services to our credit union clients. We provide risk management, regulatory compliance, information technology security, business performance enhancement, and internal audit services as part of a full-service strategy. This strategy allows us to provide our clients with a powerful resource of seasoned professionals who have expertise serving the nation's most successful and sophisticated credit unions.
Speakers Bureau
Financial Institution Insights
delivers news and information critical to community banking professionals. The bi-monthly newsletter tackles issues ranging from IT security to regulatory compliance to operational improvement.
Compliance News
Compliance news for the banking and investment industry. Gain insights about the latest compliance news and how it will affect your business.


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Every time it rains, are you taking an unexpected but risky chance with a wet basement or crawlspace in your house?
In your home, basements can be a great place to store items, finish for a needed man-cave, or even create extra bedrooms if you have access to the outdoors. While basements extend your living space, crawlspaces are often used to store vital heating, plumbing and electrical components to make life above ground peaceful. Both of areas home have a common issue – water control.
The ground water and surface runoff want to follow the path of least resistance; i.e. water flows downhill, and the basement and crawlspace are "downhill". There is also the possibility of a high/fluctuation ground water table.
So, what can you do?
There are several factors to consider from original construction to repair techniques to take into consideration to make your home resistant to invading flash floods, fluctuations in ground water tables and hurricane/tropical storms.
Is your home a new construction? If it is, GREAT news because now is the opportune time to solve a future problem that may cost you time and money.
We would suggest you have a conversation with your building contractor to make sure that proper wall waterproofing is installed and be the correct match to the foundation type. Also, a perforated footing drain pipe at the base of the foundation, wrapped in a geotextile fabric, and surrounded by stone is a must. Ideally, it would lead to a surface discharge down grade.
Is your new abode on a flat lot? No problem! Your drain just needs to be redirected into a sump pit either in the exterior (yes, exterior, why invite the water in?) or interior of your home. We would recommend that in this call of action you plan for a battery or generator backup in case of extreme flooding in the area. Your contractor should also be able to check and make sure that the roof gutters and downspouts are properly sized and piped at least 10' away from the home.
As for your new landscaping, the grading should slope away from the foundation of your home with a drop of 6" in 10' minimum to direct rainwater away from entering your basement or crawlspace.
Existing homes present a more difficult challenge since they are already established. However, that does not mean that they are unfixable!
The first step is simple and involves some man power and a ladder. The first thing to verify is that the gutters are clear, and the downspouts are not overflowing. Gutters and downspouts can get clogged with tree debris and should be cleaned out often, but the key is how far does water flow out of those downspouts? To be confident that water from the gutters and downspouts is not seeping down to the foundation and making your basement wet, discharge should be at least 10 feet or more from the foundation.
The picture above shows an incorrect downspout that can led a home's foundation with lingering problems.
The next item to check is your sump pump, if you have one. There are three main question to ask about the functionality of the sump pump.
- Has it been tested lately?
- Does it discharge properly?
- Can it keep up with any incoming water to the pit?
Sometimes problems arise that require the expert diagnosis and evaluation of an engineer. That's where Yingst Engineers & Associates, Inc. comes in. We can diagnose specific problems and give you answers to questions like "why is this happening?" and "what should I do to correct it?" Working with Yingst Engineers & Associates, Inc. can help you avoid paying for unnecessary repairs or overlooking a growing problem that will cost you much more later.
And if you are witnessing weird water stains on your foundation's walls as shown above, we can help diagnose water problems by seeing what patterns are left behind on the walls. For instance, if water comes in a corner of the wall immediate concerns are a potential downspout outside and grading issues.
A good choice in some cases is the installation of interior drain systems. The key word in that sentence is some. While they may work in certain cases, don't rest assured that it works in every case or is the proper solution. Interior drain systems are not fixing the root of the real problem; they are just fixing a symptom. These systems typically rely on inviting ground water in and pumping it out, so backup power is almost always needed. With that said, these systems do have their place, but every home is different as to the best choice.
One of the best options, albeit expensive, is to excavate around the perimeter of the home and install the water control outside. But it is not the only solution.
The best approach to fix any moisture or wetness in a basement/crawlspace is to develop a plan and evaluate options. Our experience over almost 30 years allows us to recommend the best option and design for your home. Our licensed Professional Engineers will design a comprehensive and cost-effective solution to suit your needs, so a competent contractor can be engaged. Additionally, such design, signed and sealed by a Professional Engineer, are usually required by the municipality and are in your best interest before repairs can begin. You can rely upon Yingst Engineers & Associates, Inc. for peace of mind.
We wish everyone a dry basement and happy summer!
*Co-written by Steve Yingst and Andrew Dionne.


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The Watchmaker promises a dance spectacle amalgamating two very different forms of dance – contemporary street dance and classical ballet. For the most part this production delivers on this promise, producing a performance that keeps the audience captivated throughout.
The concept behind the performance is an interesting one, albeit one that unclear unless you buy the program. The Watchmaker (Ernest Putelis) observes the lives of the citizens within a pleasant town. He appreciates the little moments in life which, in today's frantic modern world, tend to go unnoticed.
However, when the focal point of the town, its majestic clock breaks evil spirits arrive and unleash a Pandora's box of evil upon the town. One by one the citizens fall prey to addiction, lust and self-loathing. With time running out can the Watchmaker restore the clock and preserve the purity he so treasures?
Veronika Sardino in her role as the lead ballerina is a revelation. Her dancing was emotive and her footwork flawless. The citizens provided the ballet element which juxtaposed well with the street dancing evil spirits. One scene in particular where a citizen grapples with her vanity and self-hatred, represented by a spirit mimicking her moves on the opposite side of a mirror stood out for its clever choreography and compelling movements.
The production did come across as, at times, amateur. I found myself being distracted from the performance as a whole when a shoe fell off one of the ballerinas and could not ignore the several wobbles that occurred throughout the production. The Watchmaker himself added another the contemporary element in the form of body popping, but it seemed to fall flat in comparison to the rest of the production. This was particularly prevalent in the scene where he danced with the lead ballerina, a scene which in theory should have been the pinnacle scene in the production but in reality, came across as awkward and lacklustre.
Overall, despite a few hiccups, I found the performance to be a highly enjoyable one and look forward to the next production by this young dance company. I feel they will go from strength to strength in times to come and continue to grow with each staging of this imaginative show.
Laura Carroll


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Episode Description
Mornings Are Better With Treats
The Grill Dads are on the hunt for over-the-top, incredible breakfast creations. The first stop is La Waffleria in Albuquerque, N.M., where the Dads take on a ranchero waffle made from scratch with blue corn, spiced up with local chilies and covered with smoky sauce. Next up, the Grill Dads bring the carnival to breakfast when they visit Straw in San Francisco, a funky hole in the wall with a circus theme serving up a sugary house-made Donut Breakfast sandwich and a Texas toast Croque Madame. Finally, the Grill Dads visit Denver, Colo., in search of a tender biscuit made from surprising ingredients and transformed into buttery French toast.


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11x17 Clash of Queens art print by Jamie Tyndall
$ 24.95
This product is currently sold out.
Zenescope's Wonderland: Clash of Queens #2 Calgary 2014 exclusive.
Pencils and Inks by Jamie Tyndall
Colors by Ula Mos
Signed copy
FREE shipping within the US
We can also ship internationally (additional fee for shipping)


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Introducing Quality Carpet Cleaning's new 32-Step Cleaning Process
Given the time of year and the current weather, I've been wondering just how bad a wet reindeer would smell. Now, like me, you're asking, "what does this have to do with carpet?" It's a reach, but hey, Al's never going to stop bugging me if I don't write an article. So turn away if you're a vege-fascist, but once upon a time carpets were furs and skins.
That's right, if you wanted a rug, you went out and hunted something that would look good on the floor of your cave. I can hear the "fur is murder!" screams from here. Face it, as far as animals go, food wrapped in clothes is a tough hint to ignore.
So a deer might be a few nice meals and a shirt, but if you're going to carpet the entire floor of your cave it's really hard to beat a mammoth. Covers a lot of space. This is how you end up with five guys with spears trying to bring down a fur covered elephant. On the face of it, pretty insane.
My guess, beer was involved somewhere in the decision making process. The next time you wonder how you could have done something so stupid last night, remember, whatever it was, it didn't involve attacking a two ton mammal with a sharp stick.
I digress. Back to wet reindeer.
As all of us who have ever owned a dog know wet fur smells horrific. Terrible. Only thing worse is burning hair — which is what you get when you try to dry a fur rug over an open fire. So fur rugs and rain, not a great mix for our friendly barbarian, especially if you add beer. Actually anytime you add beer to anything involving fire the results are going to be interesting.
So I'm guessing woven rugs were a pretty big improvement. And since you know the women were doing the weaving, men could just avoid that "crushed by a mammoth" scene and stick with drinking beer and hunting a deer for dinner.
Civilization: the direct result of beer and bad smells. What does that have to do with reindeer? Not a damn thing.
– Wayne
Why Choose Quality Carpet Cleaning?
Our organizational structure allows us to deliver the same or better quality of service as any of the major companies out there for a much lower cost. We invite you to compare.
There's no secret to doing what we do. There are industry and manufacturers' standards. There is certified training. There are apprenticeships. The best equipment and cleaning solutions are available to anyone. If you strip away all their attempts to distinguish themselves, you will find that all the top companies essentially clean how Quality Carpet Cleaning does because it's what works best. A rose by any other name is still a rose.
Quality Carpet Cleaning has thousands of independent reviews on sites like Yelp, Angie's List, Google, the BBB and various other review sites. These are not reviews we collect on our site where we can filter and control them. Thus, though we are rated highly everywhere, not all of our reviews are great. However, you will see that when a problem does pop up, we go out of our way to make things right with the customer.
If you are unhappy for any reason, we will gladly come out and re-clean any area you are not happy with.
We at Quality Carpet Cleaning appreciate how important your time is and give it the highest priority. We schedule ideally 3, but no more than 4, jobs per day for each technician where other companies schedule up to 6. In this way our technicians have plenty of time between jobs and don't have to rush through a job to get to the next.
All our products are safe for kids & pets. What most people don't know is that California regulations are so strict that many cleaning products sold in other states are not allowed to be sold here. Some standards even go beyond "green". That said, we also carry a line of green carpet cleaning products for hyper-sensitive people.
Treating Pet Odor and Pet Stains
Treating Pet Odor and Pet Stains If you have more pictures of your pets than your kids, then this article is for you. The President of Quality [...]
Is Your Carpeting Making You Sick?
Is Your Carpeting Making You Sick? Recently, carpet has been singled out as being unhealthy because it acts as a filter to trap dust, allergens and other pollutants; [...]


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Yes, that's affirmative. I've been running my working machine for the past month with the new sources.list without a problem. Of course, the new repository is still heavily developed. So, things might go wrong before we go stable.fleabus wrote:Then, After the freeze, that would then be our new stable system?
Check out the HE to Jessie upgrade topic: http://forums.solydxk.nl/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=5095