Beetle Kill

The red areas represent trees that are dying as a result of an infestation by the mountain pine beetle. The beetle is not new to BC, but warmer weather conditions have enabled the beetle population to flourish. According to a 2006 report by Natural Resources Canada, “50 per cent of the mature pine will be dead by 2008 and 80 per cent by 2013.” It is a almost unbelievable that this could happen in such a short period.

The devastation isn’t limited to BC, much of the forest in the western United States has also been affected. The only thing that might end the outbreak is a winter low of -40°C or a sudden cold snap in early fall or late spring of -25°C . Here’s one vote for a new ice age.

More information about the mountain pine beetle can be found at the BC Government website.

iLike

The new Safari interface is friendly to look at and make it easy to access my frequently visited websites. I had been using Firefox more often before this because it worked with more websites. Hopefully Apple has made it more compatible and did not only put on a new face. I’ll keep using Safari for now.

I was starting to lose faith in some Apple products after my iPhone was underperforming. I realized that it was today after it shut down in the midst of a phone conversation. Some say I talk too much, but I noticed that this has been going on since October of last year according to my photo below. After an unusually quick call to Rogers, they offered to replace my dysfunctional iPhone with a new one – hopefully that makes it all right again.

Hipster

I wasn’t exactly sure what a hipster was until recently when I visited New York City. I found out through a free newspaper that they live in Williamsburg, an area of Brooklyn just over the river from Manhattan. Apparently they aren’t well liked by some because they over-pay for Goodwill fashion, drive out good-value restaurants, hang at dive bars and  drive up housing prices, especially lofts!

Elise Thompson, an editor for the LA blog LAist defines hipsters as people wearing “expensive ‘alternative’ fashion[s]“, going to the “latest, coolest, hippest bar…[and] listen[ing] to the latest, coolest, hippest band.”

People are starting to emulate them in other cities – including Toronto as seen here in gbalogh’s (a flickr contact) photo stream.

Hopefully we won’t need to reinforce our doors to keep them out in Toronto – and hopefully they won’t invade Sneaky Dee’s!

Here’s a funny video of hipsters in action in Brooklyn.

Boycott

After getting psyched to try a vegan faux chicken sandwich after the Peta announcement in June, the nutrition information that I requested from KFC arrived today. It turns out that even after omitting the mayonnaise, the faux chicken sandwich is not vegan nor is it even vegetarian because it is cooked in the same oil that is used to cook the chicken. Even without chicken flesh, the sandwich is still a dirty bird sandwich. I’ll skip this meal.

Here are the nutrition facts and ingredients information that I obtained from the KFC holding company, Priszm.

Faux

I can’t recall the last time I ate at KFC – it was definitely before I became vegetarian. However, I’m contemplating going back for a visit to test out their new faux chicken sandwich that was announced after talks with PETA as part of a deal to use chickens from facilities that use controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK).

Six of us, three veg – three non-veg, are planning to go test it out because I want to know various opinions. I can’t remember what chicken tastes like so it would be good to have the opinion of someone that has eaten real chicken lately. The piece that I wrote earlier stated vegan faux chicken but the information on the link provided did not state vegan. I sent an inquiry to KFC to find out the ingredients of the sandwich. Hopefully, I get a response before I go to the restaurant. The image of the coupon appears with some white stuff which is probably mayonnaise, but that is easily omitted. Hopefully the rest is without animal products. It will be an interesting test.

Click on the image below and it will take you to the PETA page with a link to a printable coupon. I’ll post again next week after we have tried it. Perhaps you can try it and come back and let me (and curious readers) know what you thought of it.

[Update 8.7.08] This sandwich is not vegan or even vegetarian because it is cooked in the same oil that is used to cook the chickens. I wrote about it here.

Sagarmatha

Sagarmatha, the Nepali name for Mount Everest, the ‘goddess of the sky’ has its peak at 8,848 metres (29,029 feet) – some airplanes normally fly at this altitude. If you stacked Blackcomb mountain (1609 m vertical) on top of Mont Blanc , you would get the approximate height of Everest.

I’ve always enjoyed the sight of and being on mountains, however, I’ve never really had a desire to climb them. I’m more apt to take gondolas to the top and ski down them. The first documented attempt to climb Everest was made in 1924 by British mountaineers George Mallory and Andrew Irving, however, they never returned. It was only recently in 1999 that Mallory’s body was discovered; however, they never found his camera and therefore no proof that they had made it to the peak. Irving’s body has yet to be found.

The two books pictured above are from two different angles. Touching My Father’s Soul by Jamling Tenzing Norgay (whose father Tenzing Norgay was one of the first to reach the peak with Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953), is a personal account of his lifelong desire to climb the mountain. Into Thin Air is the account by Jon Krakauer, a mountaineer and writer who was on assignment for Outside magazine. Both climbed Eveverst in 1996 and returned to write their books about it.

The events that unfolded on the mountain in 1996 were particularly notable because 12 people perished on the mountain – both inexperienced and seasoned climbers. Their deaths were likely the result of poor judgment or just plain bad luck. Both books tell the same story, but from different angles and both are enjoyable to read in their own way.

The only mountain that I’ve ever climbed is Mont Blanc in France in the fall of 2005 – and I only climbed to mid-station in summer attire. I took a gondola to the peak, the Aguille du Midi, which listed the altitude at 3842 m (12,602 ft). This is the highest elevation that I have been at while standing on land. Basecamp of Everest is listed at 5380 m – I’ve been considering trekking to here as some of my friends have done – they’ve all returned with amazing stories and beautiful images. A friend recently suggested that I put myself in more danger by skiing down mountains than by climbing up them. I’ll think about this further.

At mid station (approximate altitude: 2000 m) on Mont Blanc in 2005.

Altered

Most of my photos are altered for colour, contrast and other similar lighting elements. I sometimes even retouch them to take out distracting elements such as lights and smoke as in the above example. I don’t do this often as it takes more time than it is worth. The retouching of the above photo took about 30 minutes before I published it. If I do retouch photos, it can’t require more than a few seconds worth of retouching, otherwise it is published as is or is discarded.

I am by no means a photojournalist where truthfully representing an image is of the utmost importance. One photographer set off a controversy in 2006 by submitting the following doctored photographs to Reuters.

The smoke on the buildings wasn’t that big of a deal, to me, as smoke can move and change rapidly with the wind. However, adding extra flares to the photo with the jet is not accurate or acceptable as it changes the reality significantly. I’m surprised that Reuters would publish the first photo as the photoshop work on the smoke was done very poorly. It should not have been accepted or published in the first place. It was and the accuracy of the photographer’s images were subsequently contested by a blogger, Charles Johnson, who coined the term fauxtography. Never underestimate the power of a blog.

Had the photographer added Godzilla, like Charles Johnson, he could have secured a job with a Japanese film studio.

Source: Wiki, Little Green Footballs

Footprint

The distance that these apple traveled to a local store for me to buy them was about 13882 km (8626 miles). I generally try to buy local produce, but it is not always possible because of the northern climate of Canada. Although there is no excuse for buying foreign apples because we have some of the best tasting varieties in Canada.

Thinking about this, I figured out my ecological footprint from myfootprint.org still exceeds the capacity of the planet by 1.65 earths; better than when I did this with a different calculator earlier this year; but still excessive. My biggest areas come from travel and consumption both of which I do more than I know I should.

Oh, the apples were not that good so I will only purchase local apples from now on.

Details of my ecological footprint.

Monopoly

Rogers seems to have gotten on the wrong side of many people by posting higher rates (than the rest of the world) for the soon to be released iPhone. On Macrumors.com, more than 96% have rated the news negatively. One person created a website to collect names for a petition about the rates – but it seems to be have taken down – probably after high traffic after making it onto major news sources, including CNN, CBC and the Globe and Mail. It did gather about 16,000 names before going down.

Nobody needs an iPhone, however, the Rogers rates and conditions are a bit oppressive. They include, monthly rates starting at $60 – which is really about $120 after overages, ancillary fees, taxes; a three year contact; and the kicker, an absurd $7700 cancellation fee. I really could not believe it myself. It’s confusing, but if one cancels one month after signing up for a plan, one would be charged, “the greater of $1100 or $200-$400 per month left in the contract. [Edit: the cancellation fee could be a typo - but humourous that they would allow it to be published.]

This is not surprising as they are a corporation and their main goal is to make money. It’s not totally their fault as the government is partly to blame as they allowed them to buy the only other GSM network in Canada, Fido thereby creating a monopoly in GSM cell phone service. There is already an oligopoly among cell phone service providers in Canada. Hopefully the recent wireless spectrum auction will yield some foreign competition into Canada and will kick Rogers’ ass.

I won’t buy the iPhone from them (unless the rates change and are reasonable); I’m even reconsidering my cell phone service – which I’ve had with them since 1992. One website that I found, ihaterogers.ca several years ago provided me with an alternative for home internet service that was much cheaper than Rogers and Bell. I pay less than $30 per month (including tax) for an equivalent service that would cost $50 at Rogers or Bell. There are cheaper and better alternatives, you just have to look and take action.

Regardless, one way to show Rogers that this is unfavourable is to talk with your wallet. It’s time for a change.

Edit: at some point in the evening of 7.1.08, it was changed and now reads,

“The ECF is the greater of (ii) $100 or (iii) $20 per month remaining in the service agreement, to a maximum of $400. “

Publicity

I don’t know too many people that enjoy eating at KFC – let alone vegetarians that would eat there. However, today they announced that they would offer a vegan faux chicken* item on the menu. I laughed pretty hard when I read that – then I thought WTF, who’s going to want to eat that?!

This was pulled off with some help from PETA who most (not only vegetarians) have a love/hate relationship with because of their campaigns, however, they do work despite how invidious some of them are. They did get KFC to agree to more ethical treatment of animals – before they kill them. Although, I’m not sure what the deal is with the vegan faux chicken. Who wants to go to lunch?

*sorry to our American neighbours, this will only be available in Canada.