Thursday, September 30, 2010

Think of It As A Door: The Temple of Autism



Think of It As A Door: Temple Grandin and Autism

"My name is Temple Grandin. I'm not like other people. I think in pictures, and I connect them." Top rated award winning movie about life of women growing up with autism gives insightful, entertaining, stellar performances. A must rent!

Congratulations to Claire Dane for winning a 2011 Golden Globe award.

I rented Temple Grandin by chance at Sid's Vids, a local hometown video DVD rental store in Wilson Creek, BC. A little hand written note below the DVD boxes said it was a must see with a brilliant performance by Claire Danes as pioneering autistic leader Temple Grandin.

IMDB, the Internet Movie Data Base describes the HBO movie as "A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry." It won 7 Prime Time Emmys and was nominated for another 8 awards.

Please let me assure you. This is a must see rental. You should go directly to the video store and rent it tonight.

Over 2,300 people voted on IMDB and gave the movie a rating of 8.4 out of 10.

The movie is based on the book Emergence by the real Temple Grandin herself.

My dear long time friend Kathy, is a courageous inspiring single Mom raising autistic twins and a teenage son. She is a hero in my books. Despite a debilitating terminal illness she still goes on despite her chronic pain to raise these boys. One with severe autism and another with functioning autism.

Many of my friends also have autistic children and two of my friends Charlie and Leonara have created a ground breaking school out of their home called ANCA or Naturally Autistic that empowers autistic children to grow up and be self sustaining proud members of society. They employ the kids who grow up to empower the younger kids, and Leonora aka Leo does all this and is autistic herself. Her and her husband also raise a totally dependent young adult son who's every single need must be cared for.

Leo, as she likes to be called has written a book, has a radio show, and launched the first ever International Autistic Awards!

From being around so many autistic friends I have often recognized a bit of myself in them. So not sure what to expect from the movie Temple Grandin I sat down with an open mind.

While its not a tearjerker type movie, that is exactly what happened with me. I sobbed through the entire show as scene after scene triggered a deep recognition of my own seemingly autistic ways which I have never been able to understand or put my finger on most of my life.

Some of the behaviors I noticed in Grandin that triggered a kinship was she is highly creative, sensitive, intuitive, love for animals, pets and nature were just a start. Putting everything into pictures, a visual thinker, the pain of noise, sensitivity to touch, dislike for abrupt change, avoidance of new things, overwhelmed by large gatherings of small talk. It just kept going on.

These and a lot more hit home with me. A scene where a four year old Grandin just stares at the wall paper putting the intricate patterns in order flashed me back into my own childhood memory.

Her difficulty with how schools teach kids language and algebra also triggered a home run, both fails in my grades. Yet I could see the Universe as One. Mind you, I also had undiagnosed severe sleep apnea, which is why a school reward system based on memory failed me, even though I had a commanding insight into the grand scheme of what I was being taught and what it meant in the larger picture. Come test time, I couldn't remember the finer details of dates, names, and labels.

In one movie scene Temple's genius at creating a self opening and closing farm gate reminded me of the time as a kid I rigged the front door of our house to the record player using ropes and pulley's, so that as my parents open the door, it pulled the on switch and started the record playing music. My parents were fighting a lot pre-divorce and I wanted to set the mood with some romantic music and stop them from arguing all the time.

Now I don't know for sure that I am autistic, but I have talked to my autistic friends that say it sounds like high functioning autism or asperger syndrome.

Nonetheless, its not about me, autism is on the rise and more and more prevalent. In the old days, these wonderful people would be locked up and institutionalized for life. They wanted to do this to my friend Kathy's kid. She refused, hell no! Just like Temple's mom did.

As autistic children are integrated more and more into society and the school system, it creates a lot of misunderstanding and bullying.

I think this movie is worth seeing as it is a brilliant entertaining story telling that it ingeniously slips into the mind of an autistic person so you experience it along with them.

Go rent Temple Grandin, autism gave her vision, and she gave it a voice. You will be so inspired!!!

And please show compassion, tolerance, love and support for autism and autistic people in your community today.

Thanks for reading my blog, I welcome all comments and feedback.

All the best, Duane Burnett

PS
UPDATE January 16, 2011.
Congrats Claire Dane on your Golden Globe!




COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK

Phillip Wu
Duane, I enjoyed reading your review of this movie, and it sounds like it was a cathartic experience for you when you were watching it. Thanks for sharing your own personal struggles...it was very enlightening to read.


Delanne Reid Young
great review Duane. I watched Temple Grandin twice a few wks ago & loved it. Claire Danes's portrayal of Ms Grandin: amazing. She deserved to win the Emmy Award for this film. Parents & guardians of children on the Autism Spectrum are heroes for their continuous strength, courage, dedication & strong will never to give up.


Delanne Reid Young
Loved the line "think of it as a door" she uses throughout -- we can all use that analogy in life!

Libby Herman
Very moving article, Duane. Haven't seen the movie, but have had Temple Grandin on one of the talk radio shows I produced. Her ability to explain her "condition" is amazing. Sounds like the film conveys that.


Duane Burnett
Libby the movie is good story telling, I was expecting something clinical but it was a heartwarming look at her life that was entertaining and insightful with out being all preachy or documentary like.


Libby Herman
I'll check it out on your recommendation! I'm sure I'll see a bit of myself as well. Thanks for sharing.


Leonard Howell
I teach guitar lessons to an Autistic Lady in her 40's and she is one of my best students!


Delanne Reid Young
Read this great review by Duane Burnett of Temple Grandin the movie. Claire Danes's portrayal of TG: amazing. She deserved to win the Emmy Award for this film -- 7 Emmys for this TV movie now on video. Parents & guardians of children on the Autism Spectrum are heroes for their continuous strength, courage, dedication &... strong will never to give up.


Jolene Campbel
l Haven't yet seen this... I pvred it but only the 1st 15 min recorded. I have had the honor of seeing Temple Grandin speak and I have read her books and she is one amazing woman! What an amazing advocate for women, children and adults with special needs, Autism, and for the humane treatment of animals!


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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Sechelt WalMart: Secrets Rumours Disagreements



Sechelt Walmart Rumours

Sechelt WalMart rumours. Secret council meetings. Community split on whether a Sechelt WalMart is good or bad?

Here's what you had to say about the giant retail outlet rumoured to be coming to the Sunshine Coast, BC.

A huge response, 73 comments so far, from local residents when I asked about the rumoured retail outlet coming to the Tsain-Ko Mall or trailer park on Shishalh First Nation Band lands.

My interest in this issue re-started when a facebook friends sent me a message asking me what I knew about these rumours. Same as all of you.

The rumours have swirled for a few years after the Gibsons Walmart attempt caused a huge public uproar and backlash from protesters who fear this type of business is unsustainable to the community and planet.

Adding fuel to the fire is that none of the leases at the trailer park in Sechelt have been renewed and their time has come up and they are being removed.

Then I hear from several sources who confirmed the Band Council has had a "secret" meeting about the Sechelt Walmart store.

To be fair I contacted the Sechelt Band for a quick comment or statement by phone or email twice on August 12, 2010, at 11:45am and 3pm. I wrote it into my note book. The Administration Office told me that I should call Barbara at the Planning and Development office, for the Sechelt Nation.

I wanted to give the band an opportunity to be included. I explained on the answering machine that I would be writing an article for my blog, and I wanted to include them in the discussion, and only needed a very brief short comment by phone or email. Those calls and messages have never been returned.

I am a huge fan of our Sechelt Nation. A cheerleader in fact! I am so proud of them and I do whatever, whenever, I can to support them in anything they do.

Its now September 29th, and I have been told by numerous band members that they experience the very same thing and that I should not take the un-returned phone calls from the band administration and council personally in any way.

I am going ahead with the blog, as many of you did respond and reply, as it is an important issue with the community, and as you can see by the excellent feedback I received below..... I don't think its fair to you who have been part of the dialogue to hold the article back any longer.

Any further comments you might add are all welcome!



2 WALMART
or NOT 2 Walmart?
That is the Question.
Would you support a Walmart in Sechelt? Why/why not?
Rumours its being built at trailer park or Tsain-ko mall.


The High Cost of Low Price, Wal-Mart The Movie
http://www.walmartmovie.com/



Amber Lee Foss
i say yes. it would change the lives of hundreds :P i shop there all the time. has every thing. but as it has everything there may be no need for smaller places.


Teresa Eckford
no WAY would I support a Wal-Mart on the Sunshine Coast...I'd hate it. Read Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich to learn about just how poorly Wal-Mart treats its employees...


Amber Lee Foss
i no tons of ppl that work in the one here. there treated the same as ppl at extra foods, claytons, canadian tire. good quality for a good price.


Caron Schleibinger
I thought it was odd there was a Wal Mart flyer in my mail? Not a huge fan, but I suppose there is a place for a budget store for young families...not really sure, I do think they kill small business. Just drive through small town USA and take a look at the massive Wal-Mart stores on the outskirts of the towns....


Teresa Eckford
I won't comment further


Kori Hudrick
I would support it. I am a mom of two young kids and there are items that I need that I can't get here. I think it is going to make the other "big box" stores rethink their pricing. As for the smaller stores, they sell a lot of items you can't get at walmart. They will survive.


Duane Burnett
sounds like i am hearing from you a 50/50 split. budget store convenience at the cost of a small town... http://www.storyofstuff.com/


Guy Soulliere
interesting marketing campaign they have going, flyers in the mail before the store is even built, to drive interest and demand for them. it shows you how cunning they are. cheap prices.. yes. community player... I'm not sold on that.


Taj-Mercury Willson ‎
"walmarts" should NOT be encouraged.
it is cheaper. yes. it has more things, yes....
but, then we will see more and more "crap" out there. when we already have a lot of that.... and, look where that has got us?


Astra Panteluk
hell no


Kim Tournat
The first Wal-mart flyer - is that a tell tale sign it is a done deal?


Aaron John Harrison I would rather pay more for a few things of good quality and be able to be happy with self. I don't support Walmart. I don't welcome Walmart.


Mardi Ahmed
No.


Kate Wheeler
I used to hate walmart. But it's good for single moms like me. If this town would get a few more shops with better prices then I would shop there instead of walmart. Just saying...


Nicole Alleyne
NO!
I'm very disappointed...Walmart belongs in the city, NOT on the Sunshine Coast.


Jillian Launder
I agree with you Kate, I am single with a 16, 14 and 12 yr old girls . . . living with the cost of groceries here is bad enough!! Im getting tired of being ripped off :(


Jillian Launder
Also, its funny that everyone that was dead set against london drugs coming here, and I mean right dead set against it are the stores biggest shoppers today . . . funny how when they can save money themselves it is different. Money today does not go very far and if we can save a few dollars great, also, think of all the jobs it creates . . I cannot get work and find it very, very difficult as my girls get a little older each and every year. I would much rather stay and shop here then go to Vancouver and shop, especially for back to school and christmas.


Cyril Perpet
We need a Walmart. There are no choices for shopping if you have children, and if you are male there is nowhere to buy clothes at a reasonable price. A little competition for our local shops is a good thing. If you have choices on the coast then people are more apt to stay here and not go to Vancouver.


Allen Snowdon
If enough voices are heard perhaps sanity will prevail. This is a democracy after all (isn't it?)...


Jillian Launder
No, it is a done deal, I heard about it back in June allen


Lee Mason
watch it become ghostshelt, when there is no choice but to shop at walmart as they have forced every other store out of business .. the tourists will love that its just like every other town ..no diversity ...just 1 box store after another ...all the same .blandland on bandland.....i rarely go to sechelt and soon there def wont be a reason to... economics wins for most families whilst we condone other impoverished workers to a life of poverty. think before you buy do you really need it or is it just more cheap crap ? really ?? do you really need it????
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/wal-mart-the-high-cost-of-low-price/


Pat Waller
As one human that pays compound interest on money created out of no-thing by banks. Why add to it? Nope....It's just more slavery, in a different location.


Kristina Civitarese
i would support a walmart if they carried items made in CANADA NOT CHINA


Kim Mceachren
I support it the businesses here do not know much about customer service maybe they can lose that well if ya dont want to pay for it here go catch the ferry attitude I have lived in a town that had a walmart come in and the small shops just got smarter and friendlier Walmart paid the city council money and the city made main street; which was where all the shops were nicer


Erin Whalen
I am totally against it and will never, ever shop there. I would cheerfully spend an extra $20 on every grocery/clothing order to avoid handing money over to that corporation.

Walmart kills small businesses, replaces a wide number of local... employers with ONE employer that treats its employees horribly, purposely drives down the quality of the goods that are available to consumers, and encourages a wasteful lifestyle based on buying a lot of cheap crap that breaks or wears out and needs to be replaced.

No, thank you.

If you find it frustrating to buy things on the Coast, I suggest you start exploring online marketplaces such as eBay or Etsy. I have gotten amazing deals on incredibly well-made clothing for myself and my children, handbags, and items of jewelry -- all at a fraction of the price you would normally find at a store. Think Walmart prices for Saks Fifth Ave items... Now THAT's what I call a deal.


Phill Murray
We support family small business which builds our community. Chains, franchise or big box stores are not about us. I offer the Wild Bistro and the community they built versus Tim Horton's exploitation of imported workers as an example. You may get junk at cheap prices with Walmart or Canadian Tire but at what cost? I encourage people to consider the many meanings of "you get what you pay for".


Manuen Edwards
I like Walmart and I would be happy to see one replace a trailer park any day ! like it or lump it ! - thats how I feel !


Darlene Kells
I like walmart to & if its in our community they will give back. WalMart is known for that. Plus alot of us are suffering paying too much for alot of things and wall mart will help the ones that need to streach their dollars.


Manuen Edwards
I think streach is a new word I like it ... its a combination of stretch and reach- well done Darlene !


Darlene Kells
Im sorry but I dont thinks its going to be a huge store, nor is it going to make the small businesses close, for example I would still buy my jeans at Work Wear world cause they have the jeans I like, & I would till shop IGA & Super Valu those to lest we not forget are big box stores! Home Hardware as well, Starbucks, Subway, Rona, come on people we have alot of corporations here. Just cause they are franchised dosent mean they are not under a corporate umbrella. Told what they can sell, how much they can charge, etc etc. Some of you may disagree, But if the store is in our community we are then not going to another community to spend our money like North Van or Powell River. Saving on fuel getting & driving on the ferry. And familes are stuggling, competition is good.


Kristy-lee Wallace
I'm 100% for a walmart, like previously said we already have so many "big box corps" and people get used to it and you all shop there. If prices were better on the coast I would shop here but I can't stand spending $100 or more on a pair of... jeans or shoes when I can get them in town for $20 or $30.... The selection and variety isn't good enough on the coast, by no means will this town ever resemble Vancouver but some of us need a break on prices so sorry to the small businesses but hopefully we can all live and work together on these issues :)


Katie Janyk
I don't support them at all! yuck! & so hard on local small businesses!


Christine Moore
Ever wonder what will happen when all the small stores are closed because Wal Mart came to town ? The only place to shop will be Wal Mart !Then they will raise all thier prices !and then what?????


Kelly Backs
Duane already knows how I feel, the big picture is that this type of retail outlet reenforces a dangerous mindset that has brought us to the brink of disaster. We used to depend on quality to get us through life, our disposable culture cann...ot be sustained. We are being penny wise and pound (dollar) foolish! Being the father of a 4 year old I am guilty of buying crap but found a lot more satisfaction (and Max did too) in doing thing like building our own toys. Even if it breaks after one day, like most products these days, at least we had the time together in it's creation.
Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8
And their history of employee abuse is legendary!
The Walton family seem to be the worst example of western greed.


Kelly Backs
Max and I love this one!
http://vodpod.com/watch/2343191-too-many-toys-david-shannon


Gord Bell
no thanks , bad idea...


Carol Cairns
we were able to keep it out of gibsons with the strength of the community but unfortunately we will have no say in Sechelt with it being slotted for bandland.....saddens me greatly...


Caron Schleibinger
As I said above, I am not a huge fan. Reality is if Wal-Mart is in Sechelt people will shop there and it spells closure for many small businesses. London Drugs was a very good example (above) you couldn't get near that place for weeks and that was after so many people were damned if they would shop at a "Big box store" in Gibson's.....it is really too bad....


Raylene Gilkes
I enjoy having a choice, Extra food didn't close down Claytons... I still go to Claytons for some shopping, I heard recently that Extra foods is suffering.


Kristina Civitarese
yes, kelly i agree. walmart can ruin a small town and why not a zellers, a canadian company (or is it not anymore!!??)


Connie Nordli
Being Frugal and on a budget, think this is about time. Yeah Walmart! Change is good, but people always seem to fight/resent it. Finally affordable clothing for kids etc.


Caron Schleibinger
Christine to correct you ,Pharmasave was actually put out of business first, they used to be in the mall where Reitman's is now and I loved that store and its employees. I am not judging anyone regarding where they shop; it was just an observation as I remember the dialogue and anger (which I was not a part of) surrounding LD and how many people were not going to shop there.....so if all of the people who stated they would never set foot in the door had stuck to that statement, what would have happened? I don't know....I think people have a right to shop where they choose and just because I am not a huge fan of Wal-Mart doesn't mean I am going to judge anyone that uses their services or that I never will. So, my point was that people shop where it is convenient to do so and I suppose this puts us in agreement :) Take care have a great day. Also does anyone know for sure if Wal-Mart is actually coming to the Coast? I have heard this rumor for years and years now....the picketing in Gibson's etc...


Allegra Mills
nope


Christine Moore
Was just going thru recycling !Yes I got a Wal Mart flyer and didn`t even know it !and yes I guess I did forget about Pharmasave getting pushed out of the mall !all the more reason to think about the small business that will be affected if and when Wal Mart comes to the coast !Sad!


Deandra Z
i agree with kori, pro!!!!


Kori Hudrick
just something else to put out there......have we thought about the jobs it will provide for people on the coast? I know we have all heard of the way they are treated,put this is hear say and doesn't mean it is all walmart store.


Bruce Hughes
Wow.. way more people saying they would like one than I would have thought... perhaps we need to put out some info to the local stores on how they can work this market information and stave off a Wall Mart. Im sure they dont want one here.. Perhaps if the consumer educated the store.. Funny how the local retailers dont really bond together here and show the consumer they can be as effective a walmart..


Linda Reimer
Id support it, why not. I've been here 20 years, and many of the local shops have been taking advantage of the 'shop local' strategy and over-pricing for years. Not to mention, keeping wages low, scattered schedules, cutting hours when they feel, no benefits, ect...

People like to complain, I was here when both McDonalds and Canadian Tire were protested, my guess is the same people that are against their opening, are the same people that eat there and shop there and continue to complain!!


Deandra Z
i agree lets get a store that is affordable for our town, all the business's will still be know and loved for there product and clientele they have built over the years...


Darlene Kells
Competition is healthy, And for who ever said there's only 1 drugstore in Gibsons there are actually 2, Howe Sound Pharmacy, is right next door to the Medical Clinic.
Regardless I know alot of families living on or below the poverty line trying to stretch what little money they have will be glad to have a store that the prices are afordable


Jeffrey Paleczny
I have heard it referred to as "Mall Wart"


Darlene Kells
and?? this means u are against it??


Bonar Harris
it is time for us, as a community and as a civilization, for us to move away from poison and move toward sustainable, healthy living. That means moving away from economic poison, social poison, chemical poison, the poison of avarice, the poison of sociopathy, poison of the land and water, poison of each other. just sayin'.


Linda Reimer
A&W didnt put the Old Boot out of business!


Lori Pepper
WOW this makes me so SAD!! First I would like to wake up the people that think any LOCAL retailer can compete with Walmart. When I had my store, I could not purchase WHOLESALE what Walmart sold for retail. They own most of the plants in ...China. If you think Canadian corporations can compete when our manufacturers pay $28/hr, keep buying from China, and we can all work here for $2/day/ Pay your mortgage with that. Go to Quesnel where everyone wanted Walmart, and now they all complain that there is nowhere else to shop. Look at the 10 richest people in the world-6 of them own Walmart. Please ask yourself why?


Cyril Perpet
Something that seems to be forgotten by people that say they don't mind paying more-there are many that do not have the luxury to say that. If they are unable to find suitable things in the local thrift stores they do without as they cannot afford some of the local boutique style stores and the ferry fares to have choice in town. I am a huge supporter of the local businesses and thank them immensely for the support they give back to our organizations, but there is the possibility of an increase to our local economy by having those that routinely shop in Vancouver stay and spend their dollars here (gas, eating out, etc.). We are living in a community that does not offer enought to support the variety of families and lifestyles that reside here. If it is true that it is a done deal maybe our community can rally together to keep Walmart accountable to our communities' varied lifestyles instead of trying to prevent some choice for these families.


Phil Co
Since Wal-Mart came to Canada, places like Woolco, Woodwards, Woolworths, Eatons, Kresge and K-Mart have all disappeared. Each one of those retailers had great quality products made here or in USA. Yes, Wal-Mart sells for less but the quality is less and products are made in a foreign country. I miss days of old when we had way more choice and fun sales like $1.49 day.


Keith Thirkell
A small Walmart like the one in Powell River would be OK but not the big box version; too hard on smaller businesses.


Howard Paull
Hmmmmm .......... I remember the uproar caused B4 McDonald's even broke ground here, in Sechelt.

Lots of people were against it coming here. The local paper ran comments of everyone being against this coming here for weeks.

Yet, on the very 1st day, when it opened, you couldn't even get in there, it was so packed. (I wonder if it was from all those people who were against it in the 1st place ?)

Then they built a new addition onto it, bcos the space was too small for all of the customers. Just a note of comparison.


Ayla Heeds
Well I did get their flyer in the mail... so... and yes, I've heard those rumours too. The thing with it is that's usually the beginning of the end for small business. I once wrote a poem to protest the Mallwart coming into Courtenay (my first BC hometown) "big box stores go hand in fist with economic dis- reality where coke ships in and water sucks out ..." uh, can't remember the rest right now... the end of the story was the big w eventually bought into the community and now the place is over run with every franchise imaginable, almost as bad as nanaimo.


Kim Brown Drescher
Finally, somewhere to get kid's socks! I remember when everyone thought London Drugs was going to ruin Gibsons ... funny how I always see people shopping there tho...


Julia Frittaion
No, I would not mainly because the grasping behemoth has already managed to kill an impressive number of small towns in its consumerist wake. R.I.P. Sechelt.


Susan Davidson
not particularly interested in shopping at Wally's world...pretty much figure it is like CT where everything you buy breaks and needs returned. I do agree that some local small business' could smarten up with hours/prices and public relations. As for the struggling single Mom's out there..sorry..I managed without WM...God Bless the thrift stores.


Linda Reimer
the thrift stores are valuable for what they are, but certainly theres a happy medium, Im not rich nor poor, jobs will be created, and not every business will close. but certainly nothing will change if the sunshine cost doesnt do something, its not sustaining the population. the small local business is never going to hire more than the few family and friends that work there now.and as for the talk about cheap imports and labor laws, has anyone ever protested the dollar stores etc?


Howard Paull
I protest the Dollar Stores and their cheap Imported Junk ! ! ! :o)


Phill Murray
So what happens when a junkbox like Wallmart comes to town? ...and a thousand people park their cars in the lot and have a block party and don't shop? ....or do shop and fill up three carts and leave them in the aisle? ....or put 300 items ...on the card on Tuesday and then return them Tuesday afternoon? ...or go on mass and sit in the store and not leave at closing time? ....or put a DVD showing WM unethical practices on the video wall in the store? Theater and humor are powerful tools and I may have a new hobby. Come and join Phill and the Merry Pranksters


Grant Olsen
No to Walmart. A cancer on local business.


Kathy McDougall Elson
bring it on. The town is growing and we need to get some more big stores. Where can you find kids stuff on the coast reasonably priced that isn't garbage? As long as they don't sell a bunch of Made in China stuff though


Grant Olsen
Of course it'll be a bunch of made-in-China crap. We're talking Walmart, right? As smaller businesses close around town even the more affluent will be forced to buy cheap, third-world-labour exploited Walmart garbage for lack of any other stores. It would kill the thrift stores and consignment shops as well as higher end stores. This is a well-known phenomenon that occurs wherever Walmart goes.


Shara Cody
Before London Drugs, there was also a photo shop in the mall, I believe it had been there some time. There was one in Sechelt too, before Shoppers Drug Mart and Extra Foods. Sunnycrest had an independent coffee shop before Starbucks squeezed it out and the owner had to leave the Coast for the flatlands. And I'm barely putting any effort into thinking about this right now, so I'm sure there's more.

I never realized what poison Walmart is until the uproar in Gibsons. Someone handed me a sheet one day outlining the problems with Walmart, and I read it in horror...realizing it was exactly what had happened to my hometown of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. In the 1980's we had a thriving downtown core and malls at either side of town. The small old Aberdeen mall had among other things, a Sobeys, Zellers, Reitmans and Woolco, with a K-mart next door (which my Mom worked at from before it opened til it closed....23 years). The new Highland Square mall had a lot of the trendier stores and was thriving, eventually bringing in Sears and Canadian Tire. I was a kid, so forgive me if I get any facts wrong as to what was where and when. When I Wikipedia Woolco, it says they were acquired by Walmart in 1994, which sounds about right for the time things started hitting the fan...it was the year I turned 16 and started working at Zellers. So Woolco was the first casualty, we watched it's doors close as Walmart opened at the "New Mall". Attempting to stay competitive, Zellers acquired Kmart Canada in 1998, shutting it's doors...these were the blatantly obvious things we all knew. THEN I read that paper that someone handed me at my business in Gibsons and realized Walmart had destroyed my hometown. The downtown is now a shadow of what it once was, with several 'mysterious' fires shutting down the businesses that held out the longest. The old mall now has Zellers and Sobeys, with most of it's mass occupied by a call centre - you know how those things pop up in struggling communities. The 'New' mall - as the locals still call it all these years later - has it's highs and lows, but is nothing compared to what it once was and you can see evidence of things that have closed due to the 'competition'...the others have only survived because Walmart doesn't carry the same product. Funny how all those 'little' box stores and small businesses were thriving together until the Walmart virus infected town. It has even outgrown the new mall in recent years and had to build itself a bigger box nearby. I've felt guilt walking anywhere near a Walmart since I realized all this...not to mention the China factor.

That said, I did buy hand sanitizer there about 14 months ago at the store in Vernon, but it's not on my regular path when I hit the city, and I hope it does not arrive here on the Coast.

I wish you pro-Walmarters could see the before and after of New Glasgow. I honestly didn't realize it myself, and probably would have been for the store if I was still living under that same rock.


Liana L
In the event that Walmart comes to Sechelt, small independent businesses need only use their imaginations and creativity to ensure their continued prosperity and sell items that one cannot purchase at Walmart: Mail-order brides, sanity, books on how to shoplift and not get caught, hot air balloons, marijuana, love, time machines, porn, electric cars, trips down memory lane, puppies, the smell of the ocean on a warm summer morning, red red wine, liposuction, tigers, sailboats, lottery tickets, fake boobs, step stools, sex toys, fresh meat, a pentacle on a chain, caskets, people, the answers to life’s most important questions, and of course… Canadian made products


Anonymous
Its interesting that much of the anti Walmart opinion is misinformed about the quality of goods and services. Walmart sells only name brands and any shopper who has been in their stores knows this. Those that state otherwise are operating from a position of ignorance. I am more likely to buy "crap" cheaply made from dollar stores and some local merchants here than at Walmart. Many of the Walmart suppliers were clients of mine and they included Nike, Rubbermaid, Sony, Black and Decker, makita, Levi and others among other high end brands.

In addition the community poison pill aspect is again a myth. The most recent investigations indicate that contrary to the myth, Walmart anchors a renewal of retailing. Ask any retailer in any location who has competed for adjacent space near a Walmart.

Some of our local merchants serve up a menu of very limited merchandise lines, high costs (ah yes - the ferry costs for sure) and limited store hours. We have a very poor retail environment on the Sunshine Coast and that is why so many coasters shop on the Lower Mainland. I want a Walmart here so I can purchase my retail needs at a price I can afford to pay. Many people here live on marginal incomes and they are being held hostage to an uncompetitive market place.

Kim Kerr Fenton
just read all the comments.... as a shop owner I have mixed feelings about walmart. not for the health of my own store but for the community at large... we need more choices on the coast, and we lose sales as a family will go to walmart in the city to buy kids shoes, for example, and while there they will get groceries, buy gas, go to a movie, buy some yarn or even go to London Drugs or Canadian Tire. If they could buy shoes here, all the rest of the purchases would be made here. I would like to see Zellers rather than walmart, tho.

Shea O'Hara
As far as carrying name brand merchandise, Walmart does carry some bigger names, but I've generally found it's the lower quality items of their lines...just like many stores now manufacture lower quality items just to sell at Factory Outlet Stores where they can easily prey on suckers who are only buying for the name: http://putthison.com/post/505850747/outletmallshopping


Jill Bennett
‎"the more we grow the more people want things to stay the same!" We live in a tourist community, yet people complain when the tourist come ... too busy, ferry's crowded, blah, blah, blah. Communities are growing so why shouldn't the business growth. I'm all for Walmart coming, healthy competition is good (as well as good customer service which is more than lacking in some business's). Being a single parent I have no problem/regret/shame to say I shop there and that being said it will also not stop me from shopping at the "smaller" local stores either whether they be a boutique, drugstore or hardware store!! If the service is good I will always shop there regardless. If I need something in particular that I can't get on the coast I will save my duckets I do exactly what Kim Fenton said .... go to town and buy "everything" I need at that time in a single trip ... then ALL the stores on the coast miss out ...hummm .... go figure!!



++++


As you can see some great comments, discussion and links submitted.

Any further comments are welcome. I would love to hear from the Sechelt Nation too!

Thanks for reading my blog and especially all your feedback!!!

What I think is of out most importance is open dialogue to bring us together and foster a healthy sustainable community and planet for generations to come.

Duane Burnett



LINKS
Walmart Lobbies to Keep Factory Wages Under Two Cents
http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/walmart_lobbies_to_keep_factory_wages_under_two_cents



It's Always A Good Day on the Sunshine Coast!

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++

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

WIN an @EcoStrip Power Bar for your Computer!



Win an EcoStrip Power Bar!


If you have a computer at home or in your office, why not make it a green one and save energy and money?

Etner to WIN a USB EcoStrip 2.0 surge protection computer power bar from Duane Burnett and EcoStrip!

CONTEST END Oct 17th.

RULES
1) Click "Attending" to Enter Facebook Contest
LINK http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156154591072067

Suggested
2) Add Duane Burnett as a friend on facebook
http://facebook.com/duanesworld
3) Share contest on your facebook or twitter
4) Check out http://ecostrip.com/
5) Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/EcoStrip



ABOUT ECOSTRIP
The USB EcoStrip 2.0 helps you to conserve electricity by turning power-drawing devices off when you aren’t at your computer. EcoStrip 2.0 is an energy saving smart power strip with surge protection. EcoStrip 2.0 acts as a normal power strip/surge protector for your computer and peripheral devices -- with one important difference: when the computer is turned off, power is shut down to peripherals eliminating the vampire drain of electricity. According to the International Energy Agency, the U.S. spends almost $11 billion annually on electricity lost to “Vampire Power”. A computer left on continuously uses 70 to 250 watts - nearly as much power as an energy efficient refrigerator.


Features

* Save Up To $100 A Year*
* Award Winning
* Patented Technology
* USB Controlled
* No Programming
* Illuminated On/Off Switch
* LED USB Power Indicator Light

http://twitter.com/EcoStrip
http://www.facebook.com/EcoStrip
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ecostrip
http://www.youtube.com/user/EcoStrip


WIN 1 of 5 Oceans Are Talking CD's
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149715435068866
New children's album "Oceans Are Talking" from Sam Lardner. Every song on this album is one part fun, one part ocean education.


CONTESTS COMING SOON on Duane's World!

Got the most cutest mittens ever for a prize from Hoopla's "VS. Mittens". One mitt is a frog and the other is a fly... the funniest animal mittens ever!
Here is a sneak peak > http://www.hoorayhoopla.com/products/vsmittens.html

Topricin has generously donated some of their terrific homeopathic healing cream and pain relief for children, a foot therapy cream, and an adult pain relief for arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrom, lower back pain, repetitive motion and trauma sports injuries. Check it out > http://www.topricin.com/

Sounds like Lavish & Lime is putting together a fabulous eco friendly gift basket for a Christmas prize! WOOT!!! Check it out! http://www.lavishandlime.com/

Good luck and thanks for checking out my blog.

Huge thanks to EcoStrip for donating this great prize for a contest on my social media network.

Most Awesome! Yours for the Planet, Duane Burnett

LIKE this if you Love the Earth!



+++++


It's Always A Good Day on the Sunshine Coast!

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++

Monday, September 27, 2010

Mixed Martial Arts Fight Club a Knock Out



UPDATED! VIDEOS & PHOTOS OF FIGHT... Local Fighter's Prepare for Cage Match!


Update Jan 10, 2011
Since our last update, the Sechelt gym location was shut down and moved to a brand new private gym. The group has left Team Denarious and started their own team now.
Dustin Dickeson says "Jordan Manning fights jan 15th at the river rock. Brit Sluis is set to fight feb 18th .if she wins this fight she fights for the woman's belt in april".



Updated Nov 12, 2010
Club Owner Dustin "Dusty" Dickerson is hoping to bring the MMA circuit to Gibsons, BC on the Sunshine Coast and wants the communities feedback and support.


Updated Oct 16, 2010.
Congrats to Jordan and Rick who both won their cage fights! Video, photos of fights below followed by the original story.

Jordan Manning "won my fights crucified him and knocked him out"

Rick Peers "thanks everyone it was a blast cant wait for the next one."



17 year old Chatelech Secondary Grade 12 High School Student Jordan Manning and 29 year old Rick Peers of Sechelt will be part of the 12 card BFL3: BattleField At The River Rock 2 — Zubor Vs. Brooks cage match on October 15th in Richmond, BC.


WATCH FIGHT VIDEO:

jordan mannings fight [HQ]
by Dustin Dickeson (videos) 8:35
"my boy jordan manning in his first fight ever against a guy that trains with the top team in canada and has had 3 fights already.so proud of my guys" Dustin Dickeson
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=450869546660&ref=mf

ricks fight.tko [HQ]
by Dustin Dickeson (videos) 3:24
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=450449846660&ref=mf


ARTICLE
BFL 3: "BattleField At The River Rock" - Quick Results
the results from the fights
http://mmacanada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1570&Itemid=49


PHOTOS
Battlefield at the River Rock 2 brings MMA to Richmond
http://www.straight.com/article-353319/vancouver/photos-battlefield-river-rock-2-brings-mma-richmond


PHOTO: Fighters in the Air
flying through the air: Jordan Manning and Morgan Littlechild caught in mid takedown during their 145lb mma bout at Battlefield Fight League Tonight at River Rock Casino in Richmond BC.
http://martialartsnomad.com/2010/10/15/fighters-in-the-air/


PHOTOS: D's pic's mma fight pics
By Dustin Dickeson
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9496&id=768501660&ref=mf


RESULTS
http://topmmanews.com/2010/10/17/battlefield-fight-league-3-results/

REVIEW
Battlefield Fight League October 15 Review
http://martialartsnomad.com/2010/10/18/battlefield-fight-league-october-15-review/


++


ORIGINAL STORY

Congratulations to Dustin Dickeson. He set his sights on establishing a mixed martial arts (MMA) club for local youth a few years back and his efforts have paid off with a knock out brand new training facility in Sechelt, BC and two local youths he trains heading for a cage match in Richmond.

Dustin tells me the 2 guys have trained real hard for the match on October 15, 2010 at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, BC for the Battle Field Fight League.

"It's a huge step to get in the cage in front of thousands of people."



Battlefield Fight League calls the event card "some of the most interesting and stylistically sound match ups."

Jordan and Rick will be representing Team Phoenix Rising, the local Sunshine Coast club in Sechelt, which is part of the larger Team Denarius Club.

Team Denarius members take part in events all over and welcome sponsors looking to get their brand out there and at the same time help some fighters achieve their goals.

One such sponsorship of our local Sunshine Club comes from Darkhorse Athletics in Molly's Lane in Gibsons, British Columbia, who sells their fighter brand sports wear out of the new training facility in Sechelt. A good match!

Dustin got the MMA started on the coast to give youth an outlet and training facility where strict rules, codes of conduct and fair play are adhered to. If you are interested in getting involved, want to sponsor, or want more information you can contact him at 604-741-5700.

Dustin Dickeson had his first pro fight 4 years ago and has had over 8 fights in the cage/ring weather Pro MMA to kick boxing. He has a Pro Fighters License from the Edmonton boxing and wrestling commission.

The Sechelt club also has the North West Canadian Heavy Weight champ Marcus Hicks and many other pro fighters teaching.

Martial arts has been Dustin's life for almost 5 years, he says "we eat, sleep and breath the sport we love."

The Phoenix Rising training facility teach a combination of all martial arts, and alot of body control, submissions, wrestling, boxing, kick boxing, basic weight training, and cardio. They try to offer a bit of everything and put it all together at whatever level people are at adds Dustin.

Mixed Martial Arts or MMA are also known as No Holds Barred (NHB), Cage Fighting, Ultimate Fighting and rivals boxing and professional wrestling according to wikipedia.

The Battlefield Cage Match with Jordan and Rick will be aired a few weeks after the event on MMACanada.net the market leader in mixed martial arts news and information from a Canadian perspective.

MMACanada provides event coverage and fighter profiles of Canadian and International topics and personalities. It is part of the nations most connected Mixed Martial Arts network which allows them to bring, to their audience, the most exclusive content and behind the scenes VIP access.



Battle Field Match, River Rock Casino, Oct 15, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QaH3oInBIU

++

Thanks to Dustin for all his efforts in bringing together a successful club that gives youth and adults who have an interest in fighting and mixed martial arts a safer, healthier outlet to focus their energies in a sportsmanlike manner.

Best of luck to Jordan and Rick! Thanks for reading my blog.

Go Team Phoenix Rising!!!


It's Always A Good Day on the Sunshine Coast!

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++

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Netflix Canada Gets Cold Shoulder


Netflix's arrival in Canada gets a cold shoulder and freezing reception from readers who still prefer going to the movies. Read what some people had to say....

netflixcanadalogo
Netflix loves Canada,
but does Canada love Netflix?




People are often complaining about getting ripped off by cell phone, cable and satellite companies so its a big deal to get a service like Netflix Canada with their offer of one month free trial... or so I thought.

When I asked friends on facebook what they thought of the new service of unlimited television and movies online they pointed out the internet speed sucks in Canada, it freezes online all the time becoming very annoying, and that nothing replaces a movie cinema theatre experience.

Deb Proby, the Manager of the Ravens Cry Theatre told me they have noticed a shift in demographics in movie goers. This has had an impact on the movies that theatres are choosing to show. It use to be that kids were the biggest market, but more and more computer savvy youth turn to downloading movies off the internet and staying home, while their parents and grandparents love the nostalgia of the cinema experience.


Well, here why don't I let them speak for themselves. Please share any comments and feedback you might have too.


$7.99/month for movies!?
Are you happy about this? Netflix Comes to Canada. Will you stop going to the Theatre or Video Store? R U concerned about big cable loosing profits? Will you watch unlimited TV and Movies online? >>>>> What do you think?


Diane Paull
We have a personal relationship with our video store...


Linda Shearsmith
no = I like going to the movies with friends and family = it is something to do outside the four walls.....


Marc Buzzell
The coast doesnt have a very reliable internet option to take full advantage of applications like netflix


Allen Snowdon
There's already many Internet sources for FREE movie, etc downloads. Netflix will probably just be another dot-com flash-in-the-pan


Howard Paull
I'm in with Linda Shearsmith, I too enjoy going to the movies with friends. Perhaps this Netflix will make the powers that be, bring in more of the bigger more popular movies like they show in the city. (Vancouver)

The Theatre (here in Sechelt) is told what movies they can show. So, the owners have no control over that. How can they stay afloat and expect to make a living if they're dictated to, in what they can & cannot show in their own Theatre ?


Mary McAllister
I still like a night out at the movies with the big screen...and of course the popcorn.


Linda Shearsmith
nope - I have seen it in action though and we plugged in to the big screen tv and watched a movie that froze a couple of times throughout
and it took about a half hour to download... oh well - still like the theater


Ron Berdahl ‎
...unfortunately, internet providers are now REDUCING allowed GB downloads at the current $ rate...CTV news: "Internet service providers announced lower bandwidth caps on their existing level of services." (approx. one hour of video equals 1 gigabyte bandwidth)


Duane Burnett
I have been told that attendance at movie theatres has undergone a huge shift in demographics as more kids download movies online.


Sandra Cunningham
Blockbuster has filed for bankruptcy protection - another one bites the dust.


Howard Paull
I believe this is from mismanagement. The one here in Sechelt charged me late fee's (3 x's) for movie rentals on my acct. I paid the 1st time, thinking one of my sons used my acct. Needless to say, after the 3rd time, I closed my acct. with them (I never paid them for the 2nd & 3rd " So Called " late fee's either)


Laurie McConnell
I once stood in line behind a woman who said a kid popped the movie in the machine for their 4 year old's birthday party and porn started. (Although to adults there is some merit to the argument that porn would be an improvement over a Barn...ey movie :) All the guy said was, 'you should have looked first'. She was unable to get a refund or another movie in exchange.

Another counter gal told me I had to wait once I got to the counter, and she proceeded to talk with someone on the phone about how she had just faxed her resume over.

I love the people at Seaside and Sid's. They're knowledgeable, get to know their customers and suggest great movies, know how many gumballs we've bought without getting a black one (106 if you must know) and Seaside has a GREAT lates fine, only $.99, so sometimes we watch great movies twice. Pete, Jordan, Sid - you rock.


Phil Co
I would have taken that issue to local paper, Laurie. That's despicable.


Chris Koopmans
I thought NETFLIX was streaming video into your home computer or TV. Not sending you actual DVDs


Ayla Heeds
no, the Sids has nothing to worry about, netflix can't share much in canada due to our damn laws.

Allen Snowdon
I'll take the big screen, DolbyFX, hot buttered popcorn, and a sticky floor and someone to cuddle when it gets scary... glad to hear us Canadians still enjoy the cinema :)

Sharon Charboneau
oh c'mon....sounds like exaggeration to me. We're Canadians - we may like to go to theatres; however reality sets in when the weather changes for worst and even getting to video store is a challenge.

++

I can't help but think that online television and movies will grow in popularity as the internet speed improves. Soon computers and TV will be hooked up together, and in a lot of homes they already are.



Do you think this will spell the end of DVD Video rental stores and theatres?

Will the Drive In ever make a comeback?

Duane Burnett




It's Always A Good Day on the Sunshine Coast!

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++

Friday, September 24, 2010

It Get's Better


Bullied to death.

Give 'Em Hope It Gets Better youtube campaign tells Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgender ( GLBT ) youth not to choose suicide.

Suicide rates for GLBT youth is four times greater and they are also 190 percent more likely to use drugs and alcohol then straight kids. Could the cause be the kids are bullied, tortured, murdered, and ostracized around the world, in schools, in religions, the workplace and at home?

Share this page and give hope. Even if you prevent just one suicide or raise awareness for tolerance and kindness you have done a great thing!

Tell them it get's better!


dan savage love it get's better
Dan Savage, popular syndicated advice columnist of "Savage Love" from Seattle, Washington starts a youtube channel to help prevent teen suicide.

Dan gets the inspiration for the idea after yet another gay teen commits suicide after being bullied to death in school.

The project calls on people to upload their own video messages of hope!

http://www.youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject

If you're gay or lesbian or bi or trans, and you've ever read about a kid like Billy Lucas and thought, "Fuck, I wish I could've told him that it gets better," this is your chance. We can't help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there—other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don't think they have a future—and we can help them....



It Get's Better Canada
http://www.youtube.com/user/ItGetsBetterCanada

LGBT Canadians share their stories for the It Gets Better Project, including Rick Mercer, Rex Harrington, Diane Flacks, Tommy Smythe, Enza Anderson, the cast of MTV's 1g5g, Joeffer Caoc, David Dixon, Deb Pearce, Peter Fallico and many more.




Videos Posted by The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Ellen speaks out about the bullying crisis on her facebook fan page
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=592846987806
"Over 50,000 people have shared my video about bullying. How can I thank you? This is important to me and I hope you will continue to share it."



Rapper 50 Cent encourages gay men to commit suicide
http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-headlines-in-houston/rapper-50-cent-encourages-gay-men-to-commit-suicide


Dan announced his youtube channel campaign in his popular syndicated advice column called Savage Love. Here is the excerpt from the Georgia Straight Magazine in Vancouver, B.C. who publish Dan's column.

It Gets Better
http://www.itgetsbetterproject.com/

SAVAGE LOVE: Give 'Em Hope
Georgia Straight Magazine, September 22, 2010


Dear all LGBT teenagers: It really does get better

I just read about a gay teenager in Indiana—Billy Lucas—who killed himself after being taunted by his classmates. Now his Facebook memorial page is being defaced by people posting homophobic comments. It’s just heartbreaking and sickening. What the hell can we do?

> Gay Bullying Victim Who Survived

Another gay teenager in another small town has killed himself—hope you’re pleased with yourselves, Tony Perkins and all the other “Christians” out there who oppose antibullying programs (and give actual Christians a bad name).

Billy Lucas was just 15 when he hanged himself in a barn on his grandmother’s property. He reportedly endured intense bullying at the hands of his classmates—classmates who called him a fag and told him to kill himself. His mother found his body.

Nine out of 10 gay teenagers experience bullying and harassment at school, and gay teens are four times likelier to attempt suicide. Many LGBT kids who do kill themselves live in rural areas, exurbs, and suburban areas, places with no gay organizations or services for queer kids.

“My heart breaks for the pain and torment you went through, Billy Lucas,” a reader wrote after I posted about Billy Lucas on my blog. “I wish I could have told you that things get better.”

I had the same reaction: I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes. I wish I could have told Billy that it gets better. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things were, however isolated and alone he was, it gets better.

But gay adults aren’t allowed to talk to these kids. Schools and churches don’t bring us in to talk to teenagers who are being bullied. Many of these kids have homophobic parents who believe that they can prevent their gay children from growing up to be gay—or from ever coming out—by depriving them of information, resources, and positive role models.

Why are we waiting for permission to talk to these kids? We have the ability to talk directly to them right now. We don’t have to wait for permission to let them know that it gets better. We can reach these kids.

So here’s what you can do, GBVWS: make a video. Tell them it gets better.

I’ve launched a channel on YouTube to host these videos. My normally camera-shy husband and I already posted one. We both went to Christian schools and we were both bullied—he had it a lot worse than I did—and we are living proof that it gets better. We don’t dwell too much on the past. Instead, we talk mostly about all the meaningful things in our lives now—our families, our friends (gay and straight), the places we’ve gone and things we’ve experienced—that we would’ve missed out on if we’d killed ourselves then.


“You gotta give ’em hope,” Harvey Milk said.

Today we have the power to give these kids hope. We have the tools to reach out to them and tell our stories and let them know that it does get better. On-line support groups are great, GLSEN does amazing work, the Trevor Project is invaluable. But many LGBT youth can’t picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can’t imagine a future for themselves. So let’s show them what our lives are like, let’s show them what the future may hold for them.

The video my husband and I made is up now—all by itself. I’d like to add submissions from other gay and lesbian adults—singles and couples, with kids or without, established in careers or just starting out, urban and rural, of all races and religious backgrounds. (Go to www.youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject to find instructions for submitting your video.) If you’re gay or lesbian or bi or trans and you’ve ever read about a kid like Billy Lucas and thought, “Fuck, I wish I could’ve told him that it gets better,” this is your chance. We can’t help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there—other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don’t think they have a future—and we can help them.

They need to know that it gets better. Submit a video. Give them hope.

Download the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) at http://www.straight.com
E-mail: mail@savagelove.net



++++

Thanks for reading this far. I created a Pink Shirt Anti-Bullying Day page on facebook for the Sunshine Coast, BC. Pink Shirt Day is an annual Canadian day where people where pink to stand up against bullying and more importantly for tolerance, acceptance and kindness. http://www.pinkshirtday.ca/

I recently wrote an article called Straight With Gay Pride about heterosexual people who are proud of Gay people and like to attend Pride events with their gay, bi, lesbian and transgendered friends.
Check it out http://duaneburnett.blogspot.com/2010/08/straight-with-gay-pride.html

Much appreciate you visiting my blog, sharing the articles and for all your feedback, comments and story ideas. Much appreciated. Duane Burnett



It's Always A Good Day on the Sunshine Coast!

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++

Thursday, September 23, 2010

BC Drinking Driving Laws A Mixed Cocktail?


You sounded off on British Columbia's toughest new drinking driving laws in Canada. Will it spell the end of pubs, restaurants & licensed community events?

Update Nov 8, 2010.
Added Reaction To This Below Comments...
BC Solicitor General to Reconsiders Changes to New Tough Drinking Driving Laws
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/solicitor+general+review+tougher+drinking+driving+laws/3796679/story.html


Original Story:
A bit ironic, or perhaps the impetus behind it all, as many still remember Premiere Gordon Campbell himself busted for drinking and driving in Hawaii.



28april2008duaneburnett (4)
A drinking & driving reenactment by the Chatelech
High School acting class and emergency services in
Sechelt, BC is a popularly viewed photo album on flickr.





I asked you on facebook what you thought of the new laws implemented on September 20, 2010, and here is what you said....


One Drink Too Many
New drinking and driving laws in BC are the toughest in the country. Penalties include a 90-day driving ban, car impounded for 30 days, up to $4,060 in penalties. Anyone who has a drink at a restaurant, pub or event is now breaking the law.


Shannon Kewley
Thank you for posting this!!!!!!!!

Sharon Charboneau
We could always refuse to blow & then they have to prove we were impaired. Come to think of it, we would have to have had more than 1 drink or why would they be pulling us over?

Christine Moore
Why don`t we just .. Not Drink and drive !

Desiree Lockhart
How would they be able to tell if you are drinking or not unless they do a road block and pull everyone over. ;-) More drunk drivers are caught when they open their window, rather than running down toddlers...And good for them for getting those assholes off the road, thank you very much. We should all wish for these losers to stay off the roads and away from our children, instead of being "anti-authority" for no valid reason.

Desiree Lockhart ‎
"Refusing to give a breathalyzer sample at the roadside is no longer a way out, he said. Officers can now impose roadside bans of more than 24 hours on drivers, without having to take them back to the station."

Sharon Charboneau
Desiree - 1 drink does not an asshole make....let's keep perspective here. My posting was tongue in cheek.
Yes, Christine, I agree, no drinking & driving.

Michael DeWolfe
I wonder how long it will take the arrest a drunk Gordon Campbell?

Desiree Lockhart
Pretty sure that most people can handle one glass of wine with a sit down dinner without blowing over-however, if you can't, you'd soon learn!
The ascending penalty's imposed on following offenses targets those who stupidly repeat the same mistake over and over again, as it should! It finally allows for REAL consequences for repeat offenders.
Way too many walk around with multiple warnings and fines and are still out there every Friday night. Take away the right to drive, their vehicle, absolutely! The average, responsible adult will be glad the road is a little safer.
"Anyone blowing in the ‘warning range’ of between 0.05 and 0.08 faces a three-day driving ban and a $200 fine. A second offense carries a seven-day ban and $300 fine, and a third will lead to a 30-day driving ban and $400 fine."

Duane Burnett
will this stop you from going out to a pub, restaurant or event?

Michael DeWolfe
I was reluctant to drink at all (eg. 1 drink) before. Now I won't do it at all. While the new laws lower the bar, the police can suspend anyone on the suspicion of drunk driving even when the breathalyzer comes up zero. There are a number of cases of police suspending someone for impaired driving if the person was sober but lippy. It's a lot of effort to fight a suspension and usually your first court date would come after your suspension would have lapsed making vindication hollow to the point where a judge wouldn't hear the case-- not a lot of reason to consider a suspension that is no longer in play.

Christine Moore
No ! I know if we go out and I have a few drinks (or 3 )I will get a cab or a friend to drive me !Thats how it has always been for us !

Terri Bissett-Page
we impounded 16 last night..people are NOT getting it....it is not a joke..

Allen Snowdon
Bravo for our Gov't! (Did I actually just say that?)

Allen Snowdon
Also tailgaters and speeders are included in this most welcome legislation :)

Sharon Charboneau
ok, the law is one thing, however the courts need to seriously apply the laws.

Zoe Bo Bowie
nope..just makes people more responsible. I would rather have more people NOT die then have pubs any day!


David F Devo Faber
When the NDP originally brought in legislation for Neighborhood Pubs in the 70's it was to have a place where people could walk in their neighborhood for social drinking. Of course, booze became more of a debauchery than a social thing which led us through the freewheeling 80's and 90's. Now that most of us have sobered up the government is now sobering us up to the realities of drinking. Alcohol and a couple of tons of metal make a lethal cocktail.


David F Devo Faber
I feel bad for the hospitality industry but this only part of the evolution of our times.


Howard Paull
Thats why they have cab drivers, buses & Designated Drivers.

It's also called " Common Sense " peeps.

Some people (and I emphasize some) need to take more responsibility for their actions & behaviours when they go out and have a good time.
...
I'm not saying they can't, but " DO " plan ahead on how they'll get home safely later on in the evening.

Very simple really ...... if you think about it.


Duane Burnett
yeh I am wondering how restaurant, pubs, and events will be effected as more people stay home. Then we have on top of it a mechanized economic machine where people are no longer needed in a system based on people being employed. go figure?


Howard Paull
I'm sure these establishments will take a hit early in the beginning. Much like when they banned smoking entirely in these establishments as well. But, I believe people will adjust and business will (eventually) pick - up again.


Mike Warren
Let's remember that this new law punishes people who are NOT drunk. I support drunk driving laws, not busting people who are not drunk.


Grant Olsen
This is nothing but a government cash grab that will not deter drunk drivers, only scare responsible drivers who choose to go out to eat and have a glass of wine, beer, whatever the establishment sells. Now patrons and restrauteurs suffer and the government cashes in on the poor souls who at .05 get caught on a cop's bad day. Like Mike suggested, it punishes drivers who are not drunk, not to mention legitimate businesses like restaurants. The only reason the government is doing this is easy money and an easy sell to a gullible public, yet there is no more deterrent to the drunk driver in this legislation that isn't already existence as far as the law is concerned.


Zoe Bo Bowie
I have to agree that this is a case of bad apples ruining it for the rest of the bunch, however having been a server for over a decade I can honestly say that alot of people who may not have been over the legal limit where better off not behind the wheel. Not all people who get into drunk driving accidents are sloshed..being a little buzzed can definetly alter your judgment.

I also think alot of the times people may not realize how tipsy they are until they are 1/2 way home..you know when you quickly finish the last half of your wine before you pay and dash out to your car only to realize once you hit upper gibsons that it was a little more than you bargained for.

I rarely observed patrons drinking only1 drink and I think it the lack of judgment from the general public that has caused the governmnet to imposes such strict laws. The government may make a little money on tickets but I doubt it compares to the $$ that all the car accidents it may be preventing would cost. These new laws are inconvenient, for sure. But so are loved ones getting mowed down by cars...

I think the sacrifice is well worth it and if you can afford to go to a pub or bar and drink then you can afford a cab home.


Mark Vance
I have been an OR nurse 26 years..having worked in a major trauma center 10 of those years..it is an unfortunate thing that everyone has to pay the price for the few that chose to drink excessively and drive however the alternatives are still there..take a cab..designate a driver..bus..skytrain..when you see what I've seen this makes all the sense in the world..if you ask someone who has lost a loved one to a drunk driver..this makes all the sense in the world..when you consider how many pubs,clubs,bars there are and how many people drink excessively ..every weekend and then climb into their car and drive..this makes all the sense in the world..when you weigh the "death" of a pub against the "death" of an innocent person or entire family..this makes all the sense in the world..if it's ok to have laws preventing you from consuming alcohol while your driving..why is it not ok to have laws preventing you to consume it before you get into your car..?


Mike Warren
I agree that drunk drivers suck. I don't agree with punishing people for one beer. These people aren't drunk.


Mark Vance
Alcohol affects everyone differently..there is no way to establish who will be more intoxicated after 2 or 3 drinks..that leaves only the alternative..to assume everyone is under some sort of influence from the alcohol..again..go to any drinking establishment..on any given Saturday nite..and count how many people actually climb into their cars after drinking most of the nite..it's ridiculous..the effect these laws have on those who drink will be directly proportional to how much they like to drink ..conversely..those who don't drink when they go out to a bar will not be upset with the new laws..those who know they only ever have one..will most likely not be upset..those who know they can't stop at one will be more upset..


Gina Myhill-jones
‎.....prescribed drugs that "may cause drowsiness" ....are not considered..... and we allow over the counter meds of any kind..... and the elderly.. and, and, and...... getting alcohol off the road is a start... but there needs to still be personal and community responsibility.. c'mon people..!!!


Travis Green
I think it is also a deterrent to socialize. It's a law that says, STAY HOME! We don't want you talking to each other!


Teresa Eckford
Part of the problem too is that the size of a glass of wine in a lot of restaurants/pubs often equals TWO drinks, rather than one. i believe a serving of wine is 3 oz, yet glasses of wine at many establishments can be up to 9 oz...it's no wonder some people get behind the wheel thinking they've only had 1 glass when they've had closer to 3!


Melissa Lyons
clearly this is a sign that we need to become more European/Australian and have more pubs within walking distance...


Teresa Eckford
following up on my last comment, I also think people have to be more cognizant of what a serving of alcohol is!


Heather Doré
One thing we absolutely NEED up here on the Sunshine Coast is more frequent bus service, and/or for pubs etc. to have shuttles. I've heard the wait for a cab can be well over an hour - most people who've had a few won't wait for that. If alternate transportation is readily available ( mainly buses, in my opinion) I think we'd see a lot fewer impaired charges.


Mark Vance
‎..now there's some real rational..the laws are designed to stop people from socializing..oh my god..


Grant Olsen
All of this tweaking of the laws, it's a hangover from way back in prohibition days when temperance groups were trying to save the world and failed. They drummed into us the idea that we shouldn't consume any liquor, ever. 80 years later prohibition stills rears its ugly head. Sure, put the pubs out of business you say! After all, they mainly serve booze anyway. But put that same sentiment to a restaurant, pick one you like, and note it affects them too. Liquor sales make a restaurant more profit than food, take away the option of a glass of wine and the restaurant, from the owners to the servers suffer, because a lot of responsible people will simply stay home, it is a law that prevents us from getting together, and just like in the bad old prohibition days the government babysitters force people to stay home and drink, like Good Canadians.

You cannot prevent every car accident regardless of what laws get cooked up, and still these law-tightening measures will not prevent accidents so much as it will keep people inside their houses at night. Meanwhile there are a thousand other ways to die out there on the road - the government is the main benefactor in the huge tax and fine collection industry, that is unless the voters turf them first.


Mark Vance
Here's the thing..everyone predicted the pubs and bars would die a painful death with the new smoking laws..and did they...?...the issue here is ..if one can ask themselves ..just how much do I need to drink to be social or to be able to socialize..the answer is pretty much on a sliding scale..those who ask less..drink more..and the more they drink..the less they care or ask..this is like a lottery..each one of us can be in the right place..however at the wrong time..and there are still a large number of people who are driving intoxicated..here's a great exercise is visual awareness..do a google photo search for drunk driving accidents..they are self explanatory..even the simplest of minds can absorb the devastation that can be caused by a 3000 pound vehicle operated by someone who is not in complete control of all their mental facilities because of ETOH consumption..this is quite simple really..people have been given the right to chose how much they drink before they climbed into a car..and they couldn't make the right choice..now..they don't have that choice anymore..so that those who make the right choices will be safer..period.


Brian H Moore
If getting drunk or drinking drivers off the road is such a huge priority why are pubs and beer parlours required to have parking lots !!!! cambell taking the easy way out again no money in thinking that way !!!!


Mark Vance
No..you cannot prevent all car accidents and yes there are many ways to die on the road..the same rational can be used for smoking..there are many ways to acquire lung cancer and many things that cause cancer..not smoking is one less way to acquire lung cancer..not drinking and driving is one less way to die on the road..thats pretty simple..isn't it..?


Grant Olsen
We're talking one drink over a meal, that is what the laws in fact address. They do not address "drunks" on the road. The irresponsible drivers will continue to be irresponsible. The responsible ones will now stay at home with their money... and their wine.

Now, what happens to your favourite steak house when sales of liquor drop? You guessed it...the price of food goes up. Now your $20 steak becomes a $30 steak - the business has to recuperate their lost profit somehow. If the restaurant stays in business - good for them, you're still paying more for your food, it's an inevitable law of business. Pubs will be alright because booze is their main fare, and booze sells we know that, but restaurants are far more fragile economically than pubs, without a liquor license (incentive) how can a restaurant operate? You going to eat out at Tim Hortons or what?


Grant Olsen
Also, the secret to many a pub's success is the retail liquor outlet - beer and wine store- attached to it. That is take-home beer, for sit-down establishments without a takeaway outlet this is very bad news..


Mark Vance ‎
..you can still have.."one drink" with your meal..business will survive..there will be less people under the influence because there are still the smart ones who can make the right choice..and yes..there will still be those who.."ruin it for everyone"..that's life..that's human nature..how unfortunate that there are those who cannot see the benefit to less consumption..


Grant Olsen
It's actually the government that "ruins it for everyone", though it is your choice or not to support them....that's life alright.


Mark Vance
I agree..the government has a long history of making.."bad choices"..that leave really bad tastes in people's mouths for a very long time..they spend our money like kids in a candy store not caring about the consequences..why should they..it's not their money..


Grant Olsen
‎...which is why any government initiative makes me suspicious. Governments are manipulated to make money for money. This law, or any other, is really aimed at making some wealthy friend of the government's wealthier. Be it law enforcement or some other lobby group, this law-tightening initiative is a cash grab that will benefit only the very few. How can one even tell if such law-tinkering is going to work? It may be even harder to reverse this law than to determine its effectiveness. In real, practical terms it is an easy cash grab and to hell with who it affects.


Mark Vance
well..personally..I'm hoping for the alternative..that it makes my drive safer..along with everyone elses..


Grant Olsen
me too Mark, except that I don't see how this law will deter the drunks who already know the law and just don't care. There is no real deterrent here, except to keep already law-abiding drivers off the road. Fewer cars may indeed make for a safer ride, but what a lame culture we have where people stay in their own homes and watch TV. Bah! the government couldn't be happier.


Travis Green
The Government, takes OUR money, and spends is against US. They always have. They just don't seem to care about keeping that fact much of a secret any more!


Grant Olsen
That's because the Canadian public is a push-over. Our grandparents were shamed by prohibition and the consequence for many of us today is that we are too accepting of a nanny-state and refuse ourselves to be the responsible ones. We don'...t trust our own judgments, or our neighbours' judgments yet we trust the government to take care of us and make us safe from ourselves! Thus it is through our sense of guilt, shame and immaturity that we leave it up to governments to moralize for us - and this Campbell government is as corrupt as any Chicago police force at any time.


Travis Green ‎
"How do you get 30 Canadians out of a swimming pool?....
HEY!!! GET OUT OF THE FU..ING POOL!"-Devin Townsend.


Grant Olsen
Well at least with no one in the pool, nobody will drown! I'm sick of drowning deaths. Let's get rid of the pools.


Travis Green
Nice one (as usual) Grant!


Mark Vance ‎
..what is good is that people talk about this issue..that's how better understanding happens..it's when people don't say anything that you have to worry.. thanks Duane


Ray McNally
This will also effect our entertainment industry and our economy. Our culture is also at risk. Who wants to take the risk now of going to see a music act in a bar when you know you can`t get fucking home without calling for a cab or public transit? Is the private sector and government going to be able to increase the number of cabs and transit at night for those who want to go see a show now? Gee only 1 drink and I am unfit to drive now????? That is so fucking ridiculous!

Gordon Campbell should be rotting in a jail cell in Hawaii. They should only punish the drunks like him! Keep drunks off the road, don't punish society for your mistakes Campbell. Now the police have the increased power to charge and convict you and fine you, no judge is necessary and our civil liberties are now been trashed. That is too much power that our government has put in the hands of our Police who are suppose to be here to protect us, not persecute us for having 1 drink. Who is the judge now?


Susan Davidson
In Norway these strict rules have been in force for ever......the mentality is to take a cab both ways !!


Brian H Moore
Ever try to get a cab or rapid transit after one o'clock in gibsons ! If you were successful go buy a lottery ticket while you still have the luck!!!!!


Ray McNally
Here is a thought to help Restaurant be able to attract people to come to eat and drink in your establishments: How about each restaurant start incentive programs of their own, such as give 1 Free APPY & free soft drinks to a designated driver responsible for group of 3 or more and of that group. Only if the other members of this group drink alcohol. That in a way encourages a group of people to go out and be safe knowing they have a designated driver. The waitress would make sure not to serve alcohol to the designated driver and at the same time provide incentive for people to go out and party with their friends.




REACTION & MORE COMMENTS
to possible changes to new BC Drinking Driving Law by Solicitor General.



Paul Dwyer
Thank goodness. I'm sure it's politically incorrect to be in favour of this reversal, but the old levels were strict enough in my opinion. The bars and clubs are hurting because people are too scared to even have one drink.


Jill Devonshire
Don’t drink and drive,
you might hit a bump and spill your drink.


Martin Ca
I lost an uncle to a drunk driver.... and it was a horrible ....... I Think the rules should be apply to all.... society thinks its all about fun and games but until it hits you within your family as a family member, things change.... He was just getting out of work .... and this guy was drunk and hit him on the side at about 50 mph..... he hit the payment and that was it for him :(


Grant Olsen
Tragedy's like that shouldn't be used to hold society hostage to police over-enforcement. People shouldn't be afraid to go out and have a responsible good time any more than they should be afraid of police or drunk drivers. Life is never ...safe from death, we need to stop cowering behind the machinery of governance to protect ourselves.

My grandfather was killed in a tragic car accident where there was no alcohol involved. Who shall I blame and who shall I punish for that? No one, shit happens.


Grant Olsen
Collective punishment is the stuff that drives warfare. The law should punish individuals who were caught offending, normally that's how laws work. Punishing the collective is bad for community and does not solve the issue of whether a drunk drives or not.


Cyril Perpet
Why is it so difficult to make alternate arrangements to get home or have a designated driver along for your dinner out. We have many friends that do not drink or plan for it when they do. I am glad that this has been a wake-up call, but like any law-uncaring or irresponsible people will continue to break them no matter what. I like that people are finally paying attention-so sad it took the death of a 4 year old to make it happen.


Grant Olsen
Exactly, law-uncaring people will continue to break laws even if you toughen the law up. That's the personal choice THEY make. THEY do not represent the community, only themselves. The law was heavy-handed enough on those individuals. A... more efficient way to stop drinking and driving all together would be a new prohibition (gasp) or to ban cars altogether. Politically impossible? Yep, but so is this draconian measure.

Personally I think cancer probably kills more people than drunks, why don't we ban sodium nitrite or other carcinogens in food? The emphasis on drunk driving here was only meant to increase police powers, a trend that is SWEEPING our country, unfortunately.



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Wow surprised the government is now revisiting the law due to the public outcry. The new laws were mostly not too well received but the intent is.

A bit of a mixed review on the new drinking driving laws in BC, some welcome it wholeheartedly, others feel it is too tough and authoritarian. We didn't hear much from restaurants and pubs who make cater to drinkers. If one drink can result in fines, suspensions, and impounding your car, will people stop going out and just stay home? Will the new laws make a difference? Leave your comments.
Thanks Duane Burnett


NEWS ARTICLE
B.C. introduces tough new drunk-driving law,

Globe and Mail John Bermingham, Monday, Sept. 20, 2010

BC Solicitor General to Reconsiders Changes to New Tough Drinking Driving Laws
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/solicitor+general+review+tougher+drinking+driving+laws/3796679/story.html


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