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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/5/2014 (1190 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The future king fed a polar bear, crafted the perfect paper airplane and nearly lost his voice during an understated but jam-packed visit to Winnipeg Wednesday.
Though it lacked the huge and hyped-up crowds that greeted Queen Elizabeth several years ago, Charles and Camilla's visit was arguably more cerebral and relevant. The royal couple's tour subtly highlighted the stigma of mental illness, the need for business innovation, the power of the arts to heal and even the abandonment of inner-city neighbourhoods by Canada's big banks.
It was the Prince of Wales' fifth visit to Manitoba, one that was scripted to the minute, tightly controlled and saw everyone on their stiffest behaviour. Door-openers were designated at each location. Media were hustled behind rope lines, and police officers kept the modest number of well-wishers in check.
And, while the royals hopscotched around the city, from the airport to Assiniboine Park to the Exchange District and beyond, a minor scandal brewed at home. Charles allegedly compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Hitler during a private conversation in Halifax, according to a media report, prompting a Labour MP to call for Charles to abdicate and run for office if he wants to make statements on geopolitics.
Under slightly gloomy skies, Charles and Camilla packed in visits to nearly a dozen spots. Here are some highlights:
RRC's Stevenson Hangar
Amid flashbulbs, cellphone cameras and a sea of hooting students, the Prince of Wales said much has changed in Winnipeg since his last visit in 1996.
"But what has not most assuredly changed is the vitality of the province," he said in his first of two speeches Wednesday.
The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall kicked off their whirlwind day at Red River College's Stevenson Hangar, where future aerospace workers train on real planes and helicopters. In his speech, Charles harked back to his days flying fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, joking he had a great deal of respect for the engineers who often fix the stuff pilots break.
Charles also spoke briefly about the need to fill the skills gap and said the issue is one he's been working on, but that it's like "pushing water up a hill." Technical-training programs such as Red River College's fit the bill.
He also praised the "wonderful, patient, energetic teachers" on hand to corral the elementary-schoolkids, many of whom waved paper flags. Those same kids let out a big "awww" when dignitaries handed the royal couple a gift for Prince George, the son of William and Catherine, a baby-size flight jacket.
Charles and Camilla ventured into the depths of the hangar, spoke with some of the college's students and learned how to fold the perfect paper airplane, which they launched playfully at the media.
"The day we all threw paper airplanes with their royal highnesses is one we won't soon forget," said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who also praised the monarchy's role in Canada's parliamentary democracy.
Manitoba Jobs and the Economy Minister Theresa Oswald had a brief chat with the prince as he made his way through the handshake line.
"Jobs and the economy? You must also care a lot about all these children and what they're going to do in the future," Charles said to Oswald.
"They are splendid, every one, and so excited to see you," she replied.
Oswald said she met the Queen years ago and wasn't expecting to be star-struck, but said the Queen was like a rock star. This time, Oswald said she knew what to expect.
"My heart was pounding," she said.
Journey to Churchill
Prince Charles can add zoo animal trainer to his many titles after participating in some "positive-reinforcement training" with Hudson, the polar bear at Assiniboine Park Zoo.
Unlike the dozens of royalty fans gathered outside the zoo gates waiting for a glimpse of His Royal Highness on Wednesday, Hudson was decidedly nonchalant. He lay down with his chin on the ground and tucked his feet underneath him, ignoring the gaggle of camera operators and reporters. Given a bath just before his audience with the future king, Hudson rolled around in his enclosure just to dress down a bit.
The Prince of Wales was led directly to a bear enclosure upon arriving at the zoo's near-completed Journey to Churchill exhibit, where he aided zookeeper Sean Ellis in a bear-training exercise. All that separated the prince and Winnipeg's zoo royalty was a chain-link fence.
Part of Hudson's training is to voluntarily put a paw on the fence so zookeepers can check his feet and, one day, draw a blood sample.
So on Wednesday, when Hudson dutifully placed a front paw on the fence, Prince Charles, tongs in hand, rewarded him by feeding him a morsel of capelin, a type of fish, through the fence.
Ellis said later the exercise went off without a hitch.
Margaret Redmond, president and chief executive officer of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said the group was thrilled to welcome its "first official visitor" to Journey to Churchill, a $93-million project that opens to the public July 3.
"It was wonderful. It was a real honour to have him come here, no question," she said.
While touring Journey to Churchill, Prince Charles met 22 Grade 4 students from Angus McKay School, who were at the Aurora Borealis Theatre learning about polar bears.
His Royal Highness was also introduced to aboriginal painter and sculptor Allan Chapman, who helped create some of the interpretive components of the exhibit. Chapman presented the prince with an original painting of a snowy owl.
Park pavilion and the Pooh
Before the zoo, the Royal Couple stopped in at the Assiniboine Park Pavilion to loud cheers from about 150 well-wishers, then toured a small gallery of artwork, books and other materials connected to Winnie the Pooh.
The bear is named after Winnipeg, which inspired the Winnie the Pooh stories, including drawings by illustrator Ernest Shepard.
"They're so familiar," Charles said to Camilla.
Outside, sisters Meagan and Jillian Gillis presented the Duchess of Cornwall with a bouquet of sweet peas, carnations and roses.
"She said 'thank you for the flowers,' " Jillian, 8, said.
"We'll remember this the rest of our lives," added Meagan, 12.
The sisters are the daughters of Assiniboine Park CEO Margaret Redmond and husband, Greg Gillis.
Despite their brief moment with royalty, they said they had to head back to school.
Prince Charles also chatted briefly with veteran Peter Corcoran, who served in the Parachute Regiment of which he said Prince Charles is the supreme commander.
"He said, 'I see you're keeping yourself pretty fit,' " said Corcoran, 73, who came dressed with his maroon beret of the regiment he belonged to for 20 years.
Place Bernadette Poirier
Prince Charles and Premier Greg Selinger opened the Sara Riel Foundation Inc.'s Place Bernadette Poirier in St. Boniface Tuesday, which will provide supportive housing for people with mental-health issues and new immigrants.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate the enormous amount of effort that so many people have put into this project," the prince said at a reception of about 120 people after a brief tour of the facility on Kenny Street.
"It's a wonderful example of so many people working together for such an imaginative and valuable project. I do hope it makes an enormous difference to people's lives in this part of Winnipeg."
The 28-unit Place Bernadette Poirier is operated by the non-profit Sara Riel organization established by the Grey Nuns. It cost $8.9 million to build.
Sister Jean Ell said it was a pleasure to have the prince mark its opening.
Prince Charles spoke to as many people as possible during the reception, carefully balancing a cup of tea as he moved from person to person.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Chris Swan, confined to a wheelchair after a car crash four years ago, allowed quietly that his favourite royal was always the Queen Mother.
But he said he was quite taken by the Duchess of Cornwall, who visited the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and took in a special dance performance of the ExplorAbility program for disabled adults.
Swan, along with a dozen other adults in wheelchairs or behind walkers, clapped and shimmied, then later gathered around the duchess for a visit.
"How long have you been coming?" Camilla asked Swan. "Do you find it helps you?"
"I was wowed," said Swan later.
During an impromptu speech to unveil a commemorative RWB coin, Camilla said she hoped to one day see the dancers at London's famous Covent Garden.
"I've heard so much about the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and it lived up to my expectations," said Camilla, who also took in a traditional pas de deux.
Credit union
Highlighting the exodus of mainstream banks from Winnipeg's North End, Camilla paid a visit to the Assiniboine Credit Union's new branch on McGregor Street in the city's North End, meeting with some local kids who are saving for a "furry pet" and who presented her with a drawing.
About 75 people waited across the street and by the entrance of the credit union to catch a glimpse of the duchess. She shook hands with a small group of those gathered before going inside to meet with representatives from the credit union. She listened intently as they told her about the history of the credit union.
She then went into a private meeting with clients of the credit union before chatting with Manitoba Finance Minister Jennifer Howard.
Innovation Alley
After touring a hub for new entrepreneurs in the Exchange District Wednesday, Prince Charles turned to his guide and asked if he had done well. The answer was an overwhelming yes.
His Royal Highness visited AssentWorks on Adelaide Street, meeting more than 75 young entrepreneurs, business leaders and educators on the third floor of an old warehouse building. The business incubator near Red River College's downtown campus has been coined Innovation Alley.
Charles chatted briefly with students and looked at a "mirage mirror" that projects advertisements. It was developed by two young entrepreneurs who say it can measure how long each message is viewed.
The prince smiled, then tried out new software called VisualSpection by a local entrepreneur. It's voice-activated and allows inspectors in the energy sector to record video, take notes and track global positioning systems in cases where, for example, hydro lines are downed.
One of the hopes of organizers Wednesday was the royal visit would provide the entrepreneur initiative a boost by encouraging more seasoned business people to become mentors.
Joelle Foster, local director of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, accompanied the prince on his AssentWorks tour. On the way down the three flights of stairs and back onto the street, Charles asked her: "Did I find you more mentors for your program?"
Foster responded: "Yes, you did!"
Charles next popped across the street to Red River College, stopping to shake the hands of well-wishers, including Gibril Koroma and his son, Gibril Jr. The two were on their way to the passport office and detoured to Red River just in case they could catch a glimpse.
The Order of Manitoba
In a speech following the investiture of 14 Manitobans into the Order of Manitoba, Prince Charles praised the inductees and said they each in their own way have made an enormous difference to the lives of Manitobans.
He also said Manitobans are known for the ability to conquer adversity.
"I know very well of the reputation for extraordinary resilience acquired by the citizens of Manitoba, a province so often tested by adversity," he said. "By way of a reminder, on our way to Winnipeg yesterday evening we flew over Duff's Ditch, defending this community against the might of the Red River."
Following the ceremony, Prince Charles and his wife walked through and greeted many in a crowd of about 1,000 people, one of the larger gatherings during their trip to Canada.
Legislature and the end
After a day of grey skies, the sun finally shone on Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall as the couple arrived at the legislature Wednesday evening.
A crowd of 1,000 were waiting as the royal motorcade drove up to the front steps, led by the Royal Canadian Air Force Band and a composite guard of Canadian Forces.
Among the crowd was Major Harry Tucker, 88, a Second World War navy vet and meritorious service medal winner. He stood outside for two hours.
But in the end, he didn't get his chance to meet royalty. Running about half an hour late, the Royal Couple, accompanied by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other dignitaries strode by.
-- with files from The Canadian Press
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Should Prince Charles be criticized for what he says in a private conversation? Join the conversation in the comments below.


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- Tags: Image Gallery, Ninja, Ninja Gaiden, Nintendo, Oppai, Tecmo, Video Gallery, Wii U
Comment on Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge Sexy as Ever by Barbarian of Gor:
Any luscious erotic swallowing by vore monster?
Recent comments by Barbarian of Gor:
- Doujin Mark "Could Ban Doujinshi":
Here's a bit of "Western Wisdom" for you; Labelling comic books does NOT work. First the USA had a "Comics Code Authority" on comics. Not the law but a label decided only by a singular non-government ratings body that charged tons and had effective market denial power. It crippled US comic books once a thriving medium, now still "Kids stuff or nothing unless you are a wierdo." Later, when the "Underground" comics movement (people did get arrested for them, btw) in the 60s held on, then …
- Vanquished Queens Tentacle Bukkake OAD:
Hrrrggg!!! Me like!
- Dragon's Crown "Grossly Sexualized Adolescent Fantasy":
Hrrrggg!!! Dragon's Crown one of best games released in years! Me get soon, me would even get console to get game! (Prefer PC, but will get PS3 at last, collect game systems, just wait till out a few years) As for the rest I say "Death, Death, DEATH to P.C.!!!" Death to POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, you want a "lie from the pit of HELL" look no further than PC. It's a nation and family destroyer as much as an industry destroyer. And I mean it. Let's first seperate it from actual anti-racist, socially …
- DOA 5 Ultimate "Ultimate Ero-Cosplay Fighter":
Hrrrggghhh!!! Me like blonde "Ninja" yeah right woman… My fav was when she was eaten by a vore monster in a Ninja Gaiden a while back. After he killed it, she was pulled out covered in slimy goo that didn't seem to be digesting her. Only fault was that Ninja Gaiden didn't go "Shut up woman!!!" and smack her face lightly at her beyond stupid dialogue "Woman! You now will must reward me save stupid blonde boob life!" then use her jellied breasts for a quick Tit-F*ck!!! But that fascist "Ratings …
- Top 10 Hobbies Even A Hot Guy Won't Be Forgiven:
Hrrrggg!!! As the great one warned; "Modern women who seek to destroy MEN!" I can understand gambling. That's one thing I agree with. But then again, I'm sure a "Yakuza" is some bad boy they'd let F*ck them casually when younger, just not take home to mammasan (she'd steal him!) But dazed slaves that feed machines, yeah. Some casino will take his wealth versus you. The rest of it… Granted the extremes are bad… "Hey flat chest san!" pulls smuggled Hustler, like perhaps the classic 90s one …

subset: commoncrawl


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Parent-teacher conferences at West Fargo high school
The second parent-teacher conferences for this school year will be held at West Fargo High School, from 4:15 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 10.
Individual conferences are not scheduled at specific times for parents of high school students. Parents are asked to attend at their convenience during the time block, pick up student schedules in the hallway next to the administrative office, and then visit classroom teachers in the gymnasium.
Parent-teacher conferences encourage positive communication between home and school. It is important that everyone works together to contribute to the success of the students. Therefore, parents are asked to take time from their busy schedules to attend the conferences.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - St. Patrick's Day is near and Linda Weeks is getting in the spirit early with a traditional Irish dish. Linda says its easy to be intimidated by baking bread but this is easy recipe.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup golden raisins (called sultanas in Ireland and Britain)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
3. Use your clean fingers or two knives or a pastry cutter and work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
4. Add in the raisins.
5. Make a well in the center of the four mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too still to stir.
6. Dust hands with a little flour then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a round ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with add in a little more flour. Do not over knead.
7. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. note that the dough will be a little sticky and quite shaggy (a little like shortcake biscuit dough). You want to work it just enough so that the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-knead, the bread will end up tough.
8. Tranfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillit or a baking sheet (it will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet).
9. Using a serrated knife, core top of dough about an inch and a half deep in a "X' SHAPE. The purpose of scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks. Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. If you use a cast iron pan, it may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up than a baking sheet.
10. Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.
11. Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly.
12. Serve bread warm at room temperature or sliced and toasted. It's best eaten warm and just baked.
Linda Weeks says if the top of the cake is getting too dark while it bakes, tent the bread with some aluminum foil.ttttttc
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center will host one of the largest events in its history on Tuesday night as more than 900 people dine under the project's iconic shade structure as part of ASU's Education Innovation Summit.
The dinner at SkySong will feature two prominent speakers:
• "Above the Crowd with Bill Gurley," a venture capital investor who was responsible for the launch of companies such as Amazon, OpenTable and Uber
• "Play It Smart, A Conversation About Making a Difference" with Former 49er & Super Bowl champ Ronnie Lott
More than 6,000 people visit SkySong every month for special events and to experience the project's vibrancy and focus on innovation and technology. However, this dinner will be one of the largest events ever hosted at SkySong and the first time a large dinner has been hosted under the shade structure.
The dinner starts at 6 p.m., and is preceded by a reception and several other activities at SkySong related to the conference.
Sharon Harper, President & CEO of Plaza Companies, said the event is truly a showcase of how SkySong is having an extraordinary influence in the Valley's business environment.
"This is an example of how SkySong can showcase the synergy of technology and innovation it provides through a major event celebrating those principles," Harper said. "SkySong is a true destination for entrepreneurship and advanced thinking when it comes to business, and we are proud to be able to host this exceptional event for the ASU Education Innovation Summit attendees."
Plaza Companies is the master developer of the project in partnership with the Arizona State University Foundation and the City of Scottsdale.
Along with the vibrant activity by the more than 1,000 employees and 50 companies on the SkySong property, work continues on pre-leasing SkySong III and SkySong IV, the next two office towers to be built at the project. The two buildings would include approximately 300,000 square feet of new development, and combined with SkySong I and II and the apartments, would bring the total square footage of development at SkySong to more than 900,000 square feet.
SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center is a home to a global business community that links technology, entrepreneurship, innovation, and education to position ASU and Greater Phoenix as global leaders of the knowledge economy.
SkySong is a 42-acre mixed use development designed to:
• Create an ecology of collaboration and innovation among high-profile technology enterprises and related researchers;
• Advance global business objectives of on-site enterprises;
• Raise Arizona's profile as a global center of innovation through co-location of ASU's strategic global partners; and
• Create a unique regional economic and social asset.
Companies located at SkySong enjoy a special relationship with Arizona State University, which has more than 70,000 students at four metropolitan Phoenix campuses. Its campus in Tempe is the single largest campus in the U.S., and is located less than three miles from SkySong. More than 16,000 students are pursuing degrees in engineering, science and mathematics fields, and ASU made $343 million in research expenditures in FY10, placing it among the top 20 research universities that do not have a medical school.
In addition to locating its own innovative research units at the center, ASU provides tenants with direct access to relevant research, educational opportunities and cultural events on its campuses. Through ASU's on-site operations, tenant companies have a single point of contract for introductions to researchers, faculty and programs to address their specific needs.
For more information on SkySong, visit www.skysongcenter.com or www.facebook.com/skysongcenter.


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Print Exclusive coming Sunday on county executive's security detail
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino says he will not be employing the security detail used by his predecessor Andy Spano. That detail included three bodyguards who shadowed Spano, even for travel, and racked up hotel and meal expenses beyond the thousands in payroll and benefits. Find out how much he… Read More →


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God has hidden all a human being's features in his DNA. All the information about a person, the colour of his eyes, his complexion, his bone structure and everything else that could possibly come to mind all exist in his DNA before he is even aware of his own existence. God has created DNA so as to constantly multiply itself and has thus ensured its survival. Cells mutliply independent of the will of their owner, and continuity of information takes place. Millions of details regarding the human body are perfectly copied and pass on to DNA. If a human being were to try to perform this function carried out, by God's will, by the cell it would be very difficult to avoid mistakes in this extraordinarily complex system. Any mistake would, of course, mean the death of the cell. It is obvious that the existence and copying of DNA is one of the many facts proving the infinite might of God. The immaculate creation of God is described in the following verse:
It is He Who gives life and causes to die. When He decides on something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is. (Surah Ghafir, 68)


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Maxpedition NeatFreak Organizer
The NeatFreak is the ultimate drop-in gear organizer. The spacious main compartment has thirteen (13) built-in pockets, with a Velcro divider that has three (3) additional pockets. Velcro divider can accommodate hook & loop modular accessories. The front of the NeatFreak is a web pocket, with a fold-over lid that has an additional zippered pocket plus two rows of PALS webbing for attachment of pouches or accessories. In the back, there is an additional slip pocket with modular Velcro flaps to secure the NeatFreak onto a backpack, leg rig, or tactical vest. A tri-directional carry handle allows user to hold on to this pack from multiple directions or simply throw over one's shoulder using the shoulder strap. High quality padded 1.5" shoulder strap included.
- Main: 7.5" (L) x 3" (W) x 9.5" (H)
- Shoulder : 1.5" strap with 1.5" non-slip shoulder pad
- Pockets: Eighteen (18) individual pockets!!!


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So we open 2011 with a choice. Rangers (7:30) or Winter Classic (re-scheduled for 8)? Well, the Sid vs. Ovie game is still questionable because of the weather in Pitt.
Since we don't have pre-game notes for the Caps-Pens, here are the pre-game notes for Rangers-Lightnings, courtesy of the NYR:
NEW YORK RANGERS at TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Saturday, Jan. 1, 7:30 p.m.
St. Pete Times Forum • Tampa Bay, FL
Rangers: 22-14-2 (46 pts)
Lightning: 22-11-5 (49 pts)
* All information through NHL games on Dec. 30
The Rangers will continue their three-game road trip when they face-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Pete Times Forum (7:30 p.m.), in the first game of a back-to-back set. The Blueshirts currently rank third in the Atlantic Division standings, and sixth in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 22-14-2 (46 pts). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the New Jersey Devils, 3-1, on Wednesday at Prudential Center to improve to 15-7-1 in their last 23 games. The Lightning enter the contest with a 22-11-5 (49 pts) record to rank second in the Eastern Conference, and have registered a point in nine of their last 10 games (7-1-2). Following the contest, the Rangers will conclude their three-game road trip when they face-off against the Florida Panthers on Sunday, Jan. 2, at BankAtlantic Center (5:00 p.m.), in the second game of a back-to-back set.
* TV: MSG Network
7:00 p.m. – Rangers Pre-Game Show with Bill Pidto and Ron Duguay
7:30 p.m. – Rangers at Lightning
Broadcasters: Sam Rosen (Play-By-Play), Joe Micheletti (Analyst), John Giannone (In-Game Reporter)
* Radio: 1050 ESPN Radio and newyorkrangers.com
7:00 p.m. – Rangers Pre-Game Show
7:30 p.m. – Rangers at Lightning
Broadcasters: Joe Tolleson (Play-By-Play), Dave Maloney (Analyst)
RANGERS vs. LIGHTNING:
* All-Time: 37-28-5-4 overall (21-12-2-3 at home, 16-16-3-1 on the road)
* 2010-11: Tonight is the third of four meetings this season, and the second at St. Pete Times Forum. New York is 0-1-1 thus far following a 4-3 shootout loss on Dec. 23, and have posted a 0-1-0 mark at Tampa Bay.
* Last Season: New York was 3-1-0 overall and 1-1-0 on the road. The Rangers out-scored the Lightning, 19-9, in the season series, including a season-high, eight goals, in an 8-2 win on Jan. 19 at MSG.
* The 11-round shootout between New York and Tampa Bay in their last meeting on Dec. 23 at MSG is tied for the sixth longest in the NHL all-time, and is the third longest in Rangers' history.
* The Rangers rank first with a 13-6-0 (26 pts) record on the road; the Lightning rank 12th with a 11-3-2 (24 pts) mark at home
* The Rangers are 2-4-1 vs. the Southeast Division; the Lightning are 6-1-2 against the Atlantic Division
* Henrik Lundqvist is 13-6-3 with a 2.11 goals against average and two shutouts in 22 career games vs. Tampa Bay; Martin Biron is 10-7-2-0 with a 2.66 goals against average in 19 career contests vs. the Lightning
* Chris Drury has recorded a team-high 12 goals and 21 points in 31 career games vs. Tampa Bay; Michal Rozsival leads the Rangers with 13 assists in 32 career contests vs. the Lightning
New York lists three former Lightning on their roster: Steve Eminger (2008-09); Ruslan Fedotenko (2002-03 – 2006-07); Vinny Prospal (2001-02 – 2002-03, 2005-06 – 2007-08, 2008-09)
* Tampa Bay lists two former Rangers on their roster: Adam Hall (2006-07); Dominic Moore (2003-04 – 2005-06)
The Blueshirts have posted a plus-seven rating on special teams (PPG+SHG minus PPGA+SHGA) this season, which ranks eighth in the league.
* Power Play: The Rangers did not tally a goal in four power play opportunities (8:00) on Wednesday at New Jersey, and have now registered a goal in eight of the last 12 games (9-44, 20.5% over the span). New York ranks 18th overall (24-139, 17.3%) and 15th on the road (12-66, 18.2%). The Rangers are 1-5 (5:01) in five-on-three situations (last – 11/24 at TBL), and 0-2 (2:23) when four-on-three (last – 12/3 vs. NYI). Shorthanded goals allowed (2): 11/20 at MIN (Cullen); 12/5 vs. OTT (Kelly).
* Penalty Killing: The Blueshirts held the Devils scoreless in four shorthanded situations (8:00) on Wednesday at New Jersey, and are now 68-78 (87.2%) over the last 26 games. New York ranks 11th overall (108-131, 82.4%) and 10th on the road (61-74, 82.4%). The Rangers are 4-6 (5:08) in three-on-five situations (last – 10/30 at TOR), and 4-6 (2:41) when three-on-four (last – 11/15 at PIT). Shorthanded goals for (8): 10/9 at BUF (Dubinsky); 11/5 at NJD (Dubinsky); 11/15 at PIT (Staal); 11/24 at TBL (Boyle); 11/26 at FLA (Prust); 12/5 vs. OTT (Prust); 12/12 vs. WSH (Staal); 12/16 vs. PHX (Prust).
* Four-on-Four: New York did not skate in a four-on-four situation on Wednesday at New Jersey, and are now plus-three in 28, four-on-four situations (51:15). Four-on-four goals for (4): 10/18 vs. COL (Frolov); 11/11 vs. BUF (Anisimov); 11/15 at PIT (Callahan); 12/12 vs. WSH (Callahan). Four-on-four goals allowed (1): 10/15 vs. TOR (Kessel).
Tonight's contest will begin the Rangers' 10th of 18 back-to-back sets this season. New York is currently 5-4-0 (1-0-0 at home, 4-4-0 on the road) in the first game of back-to-backs, following a 4-1 win at Pittsburgh on Dec. 15. The Blueshirts are 9-0-0 (4-0-0 at home, 5-0-0 on the road) in the second game of back-to-backs this season, having out-scored their opponent, 31-9, in those games. Over the last two seasons, New York is 18-2-2 in the back-end of back-to-back sets, including a 8-1-1 mark at MSG and 10-1-1 on the road over the span.
The Blueshirts were credited with a season-high, 52 shots in their 7-2 win vs. the Islanders on Monday, their most since they registered 57 shots vs. the Islanders on Mar. 5, 2007 (2-1 win). The Rangers tied their season-high for most shots in a period with 18 in each of the first two periods, and their 36 shots through two periods is the most since recording 37 shots through two vs. Washington on Oct. 12, 2007 (20 in the first, 17 in the second in a 3-1 win). The Blueshirts' 32-shot advantage over the Islanders on Monday (52-20) is tied for the second largest in the NHL this season, behind St. Louis' 39-shot advantage over Anaheim on Oct. 11 (53-14).
Compared to last season, the Blueshirts have shown a four wins, six points improvement, having tallied 13 more goals (including a four-goal improvement while shorthanded) while allowing eight fewer goals against through 38 games.
The Rangers registered their 20th win of the season with a 4-3 shootout win vs. Phoenix on Dec. 16, reaching the mark in just 34 games which is tied for 12th fastest in franchise history.
The Rangers have had 14 different players credited with at least one game winning goal this season, which is the most in the NHL.
The Rangers currently lead the NHL with 1,099 hits and rank third with 607 blocked shots. Ryan Callahan ranked second in the league with 128 hits and led all NHL forwards with 40 blocked shots prior to his injury on Dec. 15, while Dan Girardi currently leads the league with 107 blocked shots and Brian Boyle is tied for 10th in the NHL with 111 hits.
* The last time the Rangers were at least eight games over .500 in the standings was on Apr. 12, 2009 (43-30-9)
* The Rangers lead the league in shorthanded goals (eight), are tied for fourth in wins (22), eighth in points (46), and rank ninth in goals (118), and seventh with a plus-20 goal differential
* Henrik Lundqvist is 9-4-1 with a 1.83 goals against average, a .932 save percentage and three shutouts in his last 14 games
* Derek Stepan enters the game with a five-game scoring streak (four goals, two assists), and has registered 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in the last 22 contests
* Brian Boyle has recorded 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in the last 11 games, including points in each of the last three (two goals, three assists over the span)
* Chris Drury has tallied four assists in the last five games
* Brandon Dubinsky has registered points in each of the last three games (two goals, three assists during the stretch), and 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in the last 12 contests
* Alex Frolov has tallied five points (two goals, three assists) in the last seven games
* Marc Staal has tallied 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in the last 16 games, including six points (two goals, four assists) in the last eight
* Dan Girardi has recorded five points (one goal, four assists) in the last seven games
* Artem Anisimov enters the contest with a three-game assist streak (three assists), and has recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in the last seven games
* Michal Rozsival has registered six points (one goal, five assists) in the last nine games
* Ruslan Fedotenko has tallied a point in each of the last three games (two goals, one assist), and four of the last five (two goals, two assists)
* Brandon Prust has registered eight points (four goals, four assists) in the last 12 games, including an assist in each of the last two contests
* Dan Girardi: 1 point from 100 NHL career
* Alex Frolov: 3 points from 400 NHL career
* Mats Zuccarello: 1st career NHL assist/point (12/27 vs. NYI)
* Vinny Prospal (IR on Sept. 24/knee surgery on Oct. 18, 6-8 weeks) – 38
* Derek Boogaard (injured shoulder on Dec. 9) – 8
* Ryan Callahan (broken hand on Dec. 15) – 5
* Erik Christensen (sprained knee on Dec. 29)
Total Man-Games Lost: 115
* Dec. 26 – Recalled forward Mats Zuccarello from Connecticut
* Dec. 29 – Assigned forward Todd White to Connecticut
* Dec. 29 – Recalled forward Dale Weise from Connecticut


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Oh, Canada's Become a Home for Record Fracking
While furious debate over fracking rages in the U.S., the controversial practice has been embraced across the border. British Columbia and Alberta have offered incentives and loosened regulations to attract drilling. The result: record fracking operations and rising concerns about the environmental cost.
Early last year, deep in the forests of northern British Columbia, workers for Apache Corp. performed what the company proclaimed was the biggest hydraulic fracturing operation ever.
The project used 259 million gallons of water and 50,000 tons of sand to frack 16 gas wells side by side. It was "nearly four times larger than any project of its nature in North America," Apache boasted.
The record didn't stand for long. By the end of the year, Apache and its partner, Encana, topped it by half at a neighboring site.
As furious debate over fracking continues in the United States, it is instructive to look at how a similar gas boom is unfolding for our neighbor to the north.
To a large extent, the same themes have emerged as Canada struggles to balance the economic benefits drilling has brought with the reports of water contamination and air pollution that have accompanied them.
The Canadian boom has differed in one regard: The western provinces' exuberant embrace of large-scale fracking offers a vision of what could happen elsewhere if governments clear away at least some of the regulatory hurdles to growth.
Even as some officials have questioned the wisdom of doing so, Alberta and British Columbia have dueled to draw investment by offering financial incentives and loosening rules. The result has been some of the most intensive drilling anywhere.
"There definitely is concern on the part of people living in northeast B.C. on the scale of developments, which are quite significant already and are only in their infancy,"said Ben Parfitt, an analyst with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a research institute that promotes environmental sustainability. "We are seeing some of the largest fracking operations anywhere on earth."
Canada's eastern regions have proceeded more cautiously. In March, Quebec placed a moratorium on shale development pending further study. Protesters have taken to the streets in New Brunswick demanding the same.
Public opposition, coupled with low gas prices, has slowed drilling over the past year. Still, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers expects production from shale and other unconventional sources to more than triple in the next decade.
The industry's aggressive plan for growth has drawn an ambivalent response from the nation's top environmental officials.
In March, Canada's deputy minister of the environment sent an internal memo warning that more work was needed to assess the risks from shale gas drilling. The memo, obtained by an Ottawa-based newspaper and addressed to Environment Minister Peter Kent, said water use and contamination top a list of environmental concerns including air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and the use of unknown toxic chemicals. Kent subsequently ordered two studies looking at the safety and environmental impacts of shale drilling.
Yet, in a written response to questions from ProPublica, the environment ministry affirmed its commitment to continued development.
"Our Government believes shale gas is an important strategic resource that could provide numerous economic benefits to Canada," the ministry's statement said. Gas is an important part of a clean energy future, the ministry added, saying that "a healthy environment and a strong economy go hand in hand."
B.C., Alberta Lure Drillers
Canada's current drilling boom dates to the late 1990s, when Encana began using fracking to extract gas from dense rock in northern British Columbia.
The second-largest gas driller in North America, Encana also started fracking shallow coal seams, or coalbed methane, in Alberta in the early 2000s, using nitrogen rather than water to free the gas. Coalbed methane drilling generally requires less fluid than fracking shale but occurs much closer to drinking water. In some cases, Encana and other companies have drilled wells directly into aquifers, injecting fracking fluids into groundwater suitable for drinking.
In the middle of the last decade, Encana and other operators started exploring northern British Columbia's shale gas reserves. The formations were promising, holding at least 200 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to industry estimates.
But drillers faced formidable hurdles to get to it. Unlike the Barnett and Marcellus shales in the U.S., Canada's best shale basins are far from most markets and existing infrastructure. Soggy ground slows drilling in the spring and summer, and the average high temperature hovers around zero degrees Fahrenheit in January.
To encourage development, British Columbia enacted a series of incentives, including reduced royalties for deep drilling and credits for building roads and pipelines in the remote regions.
These changes, combined with the area's severe conditions, spurred companies to concentrate and scale up their operations in British Columbia in an effort to cut costs, industry experts say. The result: a string of record-breaking fracks.
In a written response to questions from ProPublica, Apache said this approach reduces surface disturbance. It also can heighten the risk of air and water pollution, said Bruce Kramer, an expert in oil and gas law with McGinnis, Lochridge and Kilgore, a Texas-based law firm.
In both western provinces, the regional authorities responsible for regulating drilling have passed rules to allow more intensive drilling.
In Alberta, drillers can now pack wells closer together and pump more water out of shallow coal seams to free gas more efficiently. British Columbia issued detailed regulations last year that limit where and when companies can drill and set rigorous environmental standards but also gave its Oil and Gas Commission the authority to exempt drillers from virtually all of these provisions.
The commission referred an inquiry from ProPublica to its parent organization, the Ministry of Energy and Mines. In written responses to questions, the Ministry said the new regulations adequately address environmental concerns over drilling activity in the province. Pointing to an upcoming health study and new rules that compel companies to disclose chemicals used in fracking, officials said they would continue to review and revise standards as necessary.
Still, the regulatory shifts have prompted environmental advocates in Alberta and British Columbia to question whether officials are prepared to cope with rising concerns about water use, contamination and unchecked development.
"We just don't have a clue how big this issue is from a public policy perspective,"said Bob Simpson, a member of British Columbia's legislative assembly and an outspoken critic. "We really don't know what we're doing."
Jessica Ernst's Water Problems
Over the last five years, there have been several prominent cases in which Alberta residents have said gas drilling contaminated their water.
There are no hard numbers. The government does not track such complaints. But in some instances, residents' frustration has been exacerbated by their sense that regulators have not properly investigated their claims.
In 2005, Jessica Ernst noticed strange things happening to her water. The toilet fizzed. The faucets whistled. Black particles clogged her filter. Then she began getting rashes.
Ernst, a longtime environmental consultant for oil and gas companies, wondered whether the changes could be connected to drilling nearby. Encana had been drilling shallow coalbed methane wells near her home outside of Rosebud, about 50 miles northeast of Calgary.
She asked Alberta Environment and Water, the agency that oversees groundwater, to test her well. When the well was drilled in 1986, tests showed it had no methane. The new tests, however, showed high levels of the gas, as well as a hydrocarbon called F2 and two other chemicals.
But in 2007, a government research agency concluded it was unlikely that drilling had affected her water. The final report said the chemicals found were not typically used in coalbed methane drilling, and that one had probably come from a plastic tube used to test the water.
Ernst wasn't satisfied with the province's response, however. The government's report concluded that the methane in her well might be occurring naturally because tests showed similar levels of gas in nearby wells. But the tests were conducted after Ernst noticed the changes in her water -- she saw the results as an indication that the contamination might be more widespread.
The government's report also ignored evidence provided by one of its own analysts, a professor of geochemistry at the University of Alberta. When Karlis Muehlenbachs analyzed the gas in Ernst's well for Alberta Environment and Water, he found ethane, a gas often found with methane, with a chemical signature indicating that it had come from deep underground, below the depth of the well. Muehlenbachs told ProPublica that the ethane's signature meant that it could not have been there naturally. He said he is convinced that it resulted from drilling.
As Ernst searched for answers to what happened to her water, she unearthed evidence of other problems related to drilling. She found an Alberta Environment and Water report that listed cases in which the fracking of shallow wells resulted in gas or fluid leaking into nearby gas wells or spraying into the air. She also found government gas well records that said Encana had fracked into the aquifer that supplies her water well.
"The community was used as a test tube,"she said. "I was used as a test tube."
Earlier this year, Ernst sued Encana, Alberta Environment and Water and the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board, which regulates drilling, alleging that Encana's drilling was negligent and that the government agencies had covered up the company's contamination and failed to enforce regulations.
Ernst, who is asking for about $33 million Canadian in damages and return of wrongful profits, has vowed she will not accept a settlement that includes a confidentiality agreement, as others have done.
"Somebody has to do this,"she said.
Alan Boras, a spokesman for Encana, said the company would not comment on the case.
The Energy Resources Conservation Board denied a request for an interview. In written responses to questions, spokesman Bob Curran said he could not comment on the specifics of Ernst's case, but the agency is confident it has conducted itself appropriately.
Carrie Sancartier, a spokeswoman for Alberta Environment and Water, would not comment on Ernst's allegations because of the lawsuit but said there have been no confirmed cases of gas drilling contaminating water wells in the province.
Muehlenbachs, whose work has been used in several government investigations, said that is "simply false." He said he's analyzed thousands of cases of gas leaking up well bores and knows of at least a dozen cases of water contamination.
Alberta has introduced several measures to safeguard water from shallow drilling. In 2006, it established a buffer zone between shallow gas wells and water wells and required drillers to test nearby water wells before drilling into an aquifer.
Nevertheless, last January, as part of a review of drilling regulations, the Energy Resources Conservation Board said shallow fracking poses a risk to groundwater.
Is 'Communication' a Risk?
There have been no reports of groundwater contamination related to new drilling in British Columbia.
Increasingly, however, there are reports of something called "communication" -- events in which a fracture travels through the ground and connects two gas wells.
Ken Paulson, chief engineer at the province's Oil and Gas Commission, said these events do not pose a contamination risk. Other experts say their principal impact is to undermine production.
But opponents of expanded shale drilling say instances of communication show that drillers lack a full understanding of what happens when wells are fracked closer together, increasing the risk of contamination. Anthony Ingraffea, an engineering professor at Cornell University, said that if a fracture hit a natural fault, it could allow contaminants to enter aquifers.
Communication has occurred in the U.S. as well: Regulators in Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Pennsylvania reported such events to Canadian officials as part of the Energy Resources Conservation Board's regulatory review.
Documents provided to ProPublica show that energy companies have reported 25 cases of communication in British Columbia since 2009. Companies are not required to report such events, so the list isn't comprehensive, Paulson said.
In May 2010, the province's Oil and Gas Commission issued a warning when a drilling company inadvertently shot sand from one fracking job into another well being drilled more than 2,000 feet away.
The advisory said the operator contained the resulting jump in pressure within the well but warned of a "potential safety hazard." When communication occurs, Paulson said, the biggest concern is that an operator could lose control of a well and cause a blowout.
Concerns Over Water Consumption
As the debate over communication continues, Parfitt and other Canadian environmentalists have raised more immediate concerns about water use. Fracking requires lots of water -- on their biggest reported fracking job, Apache and Encana used an average of 28 million gallons of water per well.
While the oil and gas industry says it is responsible for 1 percent or less of British Columbia's overall water use, environmental advocates say that may not reflect the full extent of the industry's consumption or long-term needs.
Drillers use both surface and groundwater. Access to surface water is regulated by two agencies that issue long-term licenses or year-long permits. Overwhelmingly, energy companies have chosen to obtain permits, which require less regulatory review.
Most groundwater withdrawals aren't regulated at all. Drillers need permits to sink water wells, but there are no limits on the amount of water that can be taken from them. They can also purchase water from other well owners, so there's no way to track overall use.
"How much water is actually being used and, more importantly, how much water is projected to be used over next the 10 to 15 years? Because of the scattershot approach of regulation, this isn't something we can actually answer right now,"said Matt Horne, acting director of the climate change program at the Pembina Institute, an environmental think tank that published a report on the gas industry's water use.
Last year, in a report focusing on province-wide groundwater oversight, British Columbia's auditor general said the province was not adequately protecting aquifers from overuse and potential contamination. Agencies lacked the basic data necessary to assess the risks, such as the number and extent of the province's aquifers, the report said.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines, in a written response to questions, said the province is taking several steps to improve oversight of water use, including a research project studying aquifers. The agency said it can review large groundwater withdrawal projects and that pending changes to the province's water law would regulate withdrawals.
Drillers themselves are also moving to address water concerns. Encana and Apache have started using saline water not suitable for drinking or irrigation in some of their projects. Alan Boras, the Encana spokesman, said the company uses non-potable water almost exclusively in its main operating area in the Horn River Basin, where the largest frack jobs were reported.
Environmentalists say they welcome the effort, but caution that these projects are tiny compared to the industry's overall water use.
Governments, Industry Get Cozy
Public backlash to fracking has become such a concern for drillers and provincial governments in western Canada that last year they launched a joint effort to counter it.
In December 2010, the governments of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan signed a memorandum of understanding laying out a plan to share information and develop standards for hydraulic fracturing and water use. The provinces invited only one non-governmental entity to participate in the project: the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
The memo, which was leaked in August and published by the Alberta Federation of Labour, a union group, said the provinces and petroleum producers would work together to develop "key messages" on shale drilling to persuade the public not to fear fracking.
"The project will help to demonstrate that shale gas extraction is viable, safe and environmentally sustainable," the memo said.
The memo blamed environmental groups for spreading misleading information and stirring opposition to drilling.
"Environmental Non-Government organizations (ENGOs) are supporting a ill-informed [sic] campaign on hydraulic fracturing and water related issues in British Columbia and in other jurisdictions," it said. "This is expected to grow as shale gas development expands into Alberta and Saskatchewan."
In a separate memo, Alberta Environment and Water reported that the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers had approached the province to work on a joint public relations campaign.
Ultimately, no campaign materialized.
Janet Annesley, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said the group hadn't wanted to join forces on PR but was just informing the province of plans to publish voluntary standards for shale gas drilling.
Still, critics saw the memo as proof of an overly cozy relationship between the government and the industry.
Bart Johnson, a spokesman for Alberta's Energy Minister, said the petroleum producers had suggested a joint PR initiative but dropped the request. Such a collaboration, however, would not have been inappropriate, he said. The government works with industry groups all the time, he said, citing a campaign with education groups against bullying in schools.
"Oil and gas is huge in Alberta. It fuels our economy. Indeed it fuels the economy of Canada," Johnson said. "Any suggestion that we shouldn't meet with that industry is ridiculous."
23 comments
There are tremendous alternative energies and its a growing industry…. much more so than fossil fuels.
Shale gas (aka natural gas) is not clean - it burns a bit less carbon than oil and counting its raw methane releases and all procurement - it contributes more to the carbon levels than coal.
Time to get off fossil fuels now before climate change is irreversable.
There's an interesting story you haven't covered yet about opposition to fracking on canadian reservations. These people need support.
Implying that Canada is embracing fracking may leave a misleading impression of a substantial opposition within the electorate. Current governments are currently very pro big oil/big gas but a significant number of Canadians are opposed to the practice or are calling for more research. It may be more accurate to indicate that "current federal and provincial governments" are enthusiastic but large segments of Canadians are not. More stories on Canadian/US issues are most welcomed.
Fracking is destroying a way of life in Canada and it will do the same in the U.S. People will lose their homes and property. The oil company has already starting digging wells in the aquifer. So in addition to poisoning the clean water in the aquifer, they're taking millions of gallons of fresh water from the people.
Do we destroy the earth in our lust for OIL? It will make a bunch of people filthy rich, but it will also poison our land, air, and water and who knows for how long.
We are on the verge of a climate catastrophe, so the oil company's answer to that is to drill the filthiest oil on earth and in so doing, increase an already dangerous situation in our WORLD caused by fossil fuels.
How much research and development of alternative sources would the money they are spending on this filthy project have financed?
Here in Nova Scotia the NDP Provincial Government is plowing ahead with an industry that was invited in by the previous Conservative Government and it appears the Deputy Minister of Energy is the main person pushing this very dangerous industrial activity . The elected ministers are just followers - not the leaders they were elected to be . Neither government has ever asked us if we would like to suddenly live in an industrial zone of O & G wells with large compressors nearby . Neither have ever done a cost / benefit analysis that was made public . They say that an enviornmental assessment isn't required .
They do not have any published rules that say that government will protect our aquifers nor ensure the drillers that contaminate the aquifer will be responsible for the damage . I can go on and on but by now you get the drift of just how many questions from the residents are left unanswered .
For more on fracking in Canada, check out this story by Chris Wood in The Walrus magazine:
The energy resources are endless and there will be no shortage of it ever and about the Good reality almost no humans on Earth knows unless explained in the future. Don't Worry about the environmental pollutions because chemicals are always auto recycling to become and remain the same atoms @ 50% balancing rule. For billions of years to come, the Earth will still be too big to become an unhealthy place for Creations to live, let alone the universe, all we need is relocating the cities and there will be lots of healthy activities and new jobs for centuries and for actually happier future generations of mankind.
I will tell more in a to be opening soon website. It is the dumb minds that can't see healthy and better options but only want to live like addicts in Alberta, Dhaka, Beijing, Jerusalem, Rome, Mecca etc.
So, live worry free and happy wherever you happen to be in the forever changing World.
Drilling and fracing aren't the same thing, as much as Propubica would like to confuse the issue. Drilling through an aquifer at 500 feet and fracing at 10K feet doesn't mean that Apache fracced somebody's well. What dips work here
The only real question one needs to ask: Is it being done as an expression of good or an expression of greed.
That question was answered a long time ago. Regulations - Oil companies have spent millions working to defeat the EPA and other safety standards, both for the environment and for human beings. They would rather pay the fines than spend the money to make sure the work is done right and unfortunately, we have plenty of congressmen with their hands out who gladly spend their careers working for big oil instead of the people they are supposed to represent.
Here in Quebec, a growing movement similar to "Lock the Gate" in Australia is opposing shale gas extraction with fracking methods. "Vous n'entrerez pas chez Nous" pledge letter is being signed by property owners, farmers and landowners all over the St.Lawrence Lowlands, exactly where the gas companies want to frack the Utica.
If I can beleive the many citizens opposed to the gas invasion, there will NOT be any widespread fracking in Quebec. Can't say I didn't warn you.
Johanne Dion
Friends of the Richelieu
Here in Michigan we've formed Ban Michigan Fracking.
Encana is fracking here, too, and in our state forests, for the Utica and Collingwood shales.
We need to turn to renewable energy now, not later.
LuAnne Kozma
co-founder, Ban Michigan Fracking
Engineers have been dealing with communication issues for decades. It is too bad that ill-infomed individuals are trying to make it some kind of bell-weather environmental issue. That would be junk science.
Bubba's comment warrants further discussion to ensure the reporting is accurate about deep vs. shallow fracking. If he is correct that all fracking is deep, then this article is very mis-leading. It would be nice if a responsible party who knows these areas would educate us a little more about the depth to objectives and fracking depths. Better transparency on the issues.
The Very Dirty Little Secret: fracking injects toxic chemicals into aquifers and permanently destroys the water supply. Unless testing is done before fracking, it's impossible to prove that fracking is the source of the contamination. There are many examples of water supplies being destroyed when fracking comes to town. We need clean water to survive - why risk contaminating it?. One intended consequence of fracking is that, when the water supply is contaminated, people will have to start buying water, creating a captive market.
Please read this article also on fracking and the film "Gasland:"
Excellent article. There is one thing, regarding this article that should be put in perspective. There is no moratorium on schale gas in Quebec. The government had put in place a commission to evaluate the environmental effect of schale gas development. Companies can continue drilling if they want, and I don't believe that the result of their evaluation will be a moratorium on schale gaz development.
It is a fake commission that has to evaluate things like the use of chemicals during hydraulic fracturing but there are no chemist or biochemist as member of the commission. They have to evaluate the schale gas fracturing effect on health, but there are no physicians on the board. Also, they don't want to have on the board any members of environmental group because they said that they can't be neutral, but they agree to have a geologist working for a gas company on the board…
Another industry dirty secret! Minutes from Calgary, Canada's oil & gas capital, lies the Lochend, a densely populated farming, ranching and acreage community. Saturation of oil wells and immense brute force fracking operations over part of the Paskapoo Aquifer, one of the highest groundwater use areas in Canada, is taking place at an alarming rate. Reports of illnesses of residents and animals near fracking operations, ongoing reports of earthquakes since July in the heaviest fracked areas, communication incidents, etc. are mounting.
Water moves! Ironic that Calgary's water treatment plants cannot monitor for frack fluid poisoning in the event of a spill or leakage into our ground water or our surface water.
The shameless concentration of our Alberta govt. and its regulator on getting oil and gas reserves out from the ground as fast and as much as possible despite the world wide concern on the immediate and long term effects of fracking led several of us to form POWERS (http://www.powersalberta.ca)
Alberta and its regulating arm have actually decreased the regulation of the industry in the midst of this controversy. Unlike Quebec, where their govt. looked after its people's interests and imposed a moratorium on fracking, we need to protect ourselves from our govt.
Brian Pickup, President of POWERS
Although, there is no real shortage of fossil fuel or alternate energy-sources all these issues are temporary and has been created by human greed of wealth only.
A globally and desperately needed new commercial transportation of 21st century: "Giant gaseous (Natural and helium) balloons, fully covered with solar panels" and controlled by remote digital operators / GPS will end these unscrupulously profiteering activities of thousands of Millionaires and Billionaires in Oil Business.
We'll surely have few failures at the beginning but the new century's transportation industry with this alternate energy will be able to create countless jobs in North-America because we are able to honestly manage the today's greatest digital technologies like the Internet, GPS etc. (To be cont.)
What we need to realise is that govts are now bought and paid for by the big fossil mining and oil companies. We have allowed this to happen and now we only have ourselves to stop it. In Australia Coal Seam Gas mining is going to ruin our prime agricultural land and our water and both the left and right political parties are embracing it. We have all taken our eye off the ball too long.
Oil and gas are commodities. You can regulate or ban the production, but you will not help your communities as much as you think. Canadians may not need the energy as much as those of us in the US. You can certainly take us to task on consumption and high demand. But if we don't get the energy from our neighbors we will certainly continue to import from cartels and dictators who love to try to embarrass us and blackmail us.
Regardless of your view, all of our economies survive with oil and gas. Even if the pipe dream of complete transfer to alternative energy could be realized in less than 50 to 75 years, we still need plastics, lubricants, IC chips for computers, and untold thousands of commodites that are derived or refined from oil and gas and used in the form of plastics and other materials. It doesn't go away as easy as some would like to imagine.
Back to the US—we also have a rapidly growing population, in part by influences beyond our domestic boundaries. If we all believe that people regardless of dividing line are deserving of basic infrastructure and access to such standards of living, then it is not a blight for US citizens to care for their expanding population. We hope that our neighbors will stand by us and not throw us to the whims of the cartels and dictators. But if that is the outcome, rest assured that human impact on climate will continue. Perhaps it won't be in your backyard or ours, but it will be in some region as a viable production commodity. Maybe those countries won't have the power of the people and government to regulate and control such as we have in our own country's? Maybe those populations will suffer even greater environmental harm because it is their backyard and not ours? If that should come to pass the climate concerns and problems will likely be greater. Until you stand on a street corner of Beijing or Shanghai, you cannot honestly imagine smog so thick that it hides buildings. The air quality conditions are very similar to the conditions of New York and London before the turn of the 20th century when everthing was run by coal. That is the comparison.
But what should we do? Investigate, educate, research and be honest. People and oil companies are not as horrible as some environmental groups suggest. And the green lobby is not one stereotype. There are the 1-10 per cent who always seem to muck up a good plan ( on both sides). But even though that fringe are a problem, the greater good of the green side and the oil and gas side can overcome the challenges. It only takes good science and good engineering applications to solve most problems.
With a wide reach—Hillary Clinton wrote the book "It Takes a Village." The title in spirit applies to the debate on oil and gas production, and alternative energy. They cannot operate in exclusion. They must be balanced. Over reliance on one leads to instability of the local and global system. The village is bigger than our backyard
Kindest regards,
I certainly don't have all the answers, but our garbage could produce the methane gas we need (biogas). And our labs can certainly find a way to realign the molecules of all the plastic we throw away everyday and fabricate the plastics we'll need in the future. The only reason we don't do all this already is because of the oil and gas industry's lobbying. Time to wake up and smell the roses, folks. Don't let the same old excuses hold us back from doing what will have to be done one day anyway! There is no excuse for not protecting what's left of our drinking water sources right now! Having to clean up afterwards will only cost more money and misery.
Hi J. Dion, you are right! Those are additional sources and there are endlessly more to be surprised when those will ever actually be needed..
You know, Ontarian (Canada) garbages could be used for the same purpose; instead, it's being carried to USA at a high transportation costs, only to benefit some strange businessmen. I have a valid claim of C$ 65 million as penalty or compensation against the personal damages caused by the richest Crown of Canada and I may, as partial settlement, agree to get a piece of useless, empty 'Crown Lands' in the North to show my fellow Canadians the way how to produce the highly needed local natural gas in the isolated Northern Ontario.
Alberta's oil and gas can help beyond border the whole North-American territory and It's possible but impossible for only the greed of some invisibly too rich business-guys (but with small minds -who wrongly think world may run out of energy one day; but actually that will happen never as long as a tiny Solar ray for earth is still there; and the more energy we burn out, the more it's gets naturally recycled to produce it back on this Earth because no chemical goes out of this planet and although mysterious in the Cosmioc level, continuously get recycled) that manipulate unseen everything in Canada starting from Canadian great Judicial system to National and 'International honest politics'.
The greatest of all leaders: Wise and truly Honorable Mr. Obama will make the smartest political decisions to impose some more sanctions against few (blind heads of) oil rich nations but will let them increase oil production to be limitless and also allow them to sell oil for cheaper prices, which will definitely bring the oil price down to normal in the International market place. Alternate clean energy sources are also around the corner. Just watch what kind of great things this blessed and luckiest world leader does in the coming months.
Therefore, please, no need to worry (to be Cont.)
>>Gas is an important part of a clean energy future, the ministry added, saying that "a healthy environment and a strong economy go hand in hand."<<
There it is—"clean energy future"—the most repeated gas industry lie, mouthed by the environment ministry itself. Can't buy better advertising with a mountain of gold. Yet evidence abounds that shale gas production with water ruination and air pollution plus methane releases in its full production lifecycle make shale gas one of the dirtiest fuels on earth. Ruth in the first comment alludes to Cornell's Howarth and Ingraffea whose peer-reviewed reports shows strong indicators that shale gas is a climate menace that will greatly worsen the greenhouse effect. See their peer-reviewed study here:
http://www.sustainablefuture.cornell.edu/news/attachments/Howarth-EtAl-2011.pdf. Multiply this fact by worldwide global shale gas development and you can see the greenhouse/climate change disaster ahead. Ingraffea also recently verified that methane in shallow deposits is not kept out of aquifers by multiple layers of cement and steel casings around the well bore (as repeatedly told to us in TV commercials) since the methane simply moves up the outside of the well bore into drinking water aquifers and bypasses the casings, causing the methane in drinking water wells to have to be vented into the atmosphere to avoid explosion (just one of many sources of methane leakage in shale production).
The very fact that the Canadian environment ministry so glibly mouths gas industry propaganda without rebuttal, even by ProPublica's reporter to get a counter quote, tells us what we're up against to educate the American public, to turn this ocean liner of carbon dependence around, not only to switch to alternative fuels to generate electricity and drive transportation but to replace plastics, ingredients of medications, cosmetics, etc. This will take some imaginative and skillful framing to conteract carbon industry lies. Let's get crackin to counter lies about frackin!
Commenting on this story is closed.
Fracking: Gas Drilling's Environmental Threat
The promise of abundant natural gas is colliding with fears about water contamination.
The Story So Far
The country's push to find clean domestic energy has zeroed in on natural gas, but cases of water contamination have raised serious questions about the primary drilling method being used. Vast deposits of natural gas, large enough to supply the country for decades, have brought a drilling boom stretching across 31 states. The drilling technique being used, called hydraulic fracturing, shoots water, sand and toxic chemicals into the ground to break up rock and release the gas.


text:
Feats of Strength: Book
"Feats of Strength" is the booklet you could buy, if you were in the right place at the right time. Now is your time. Don't miss out.
You've heard the stories about Vic Boff, the founder of the Association of Old Time Barbell & Strongmen, giving certain individuals a book that he was "selling"?
Well, those stories are true. Vic had this book, which he really "put together". It is a real How-To Book that has many of the various classic strongman feats of strength. If some of these look familiar, with some familiar art and stories, there is a good reason for that. Vic was a ghost writer for a number of publishers, so this will look like a strange publication.
With 33 pages of content, we have remained faithful with formatting, except that it is done on higher grade paper with a spiral binding, instead of the saddle stitching of the original. That allows it to lay flat if you are using it as the hands on manual it was written to be.
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The Future is NAO (Now). Kinect Controlled NAO Robot and Aldebaran's Prototype charging station
This weekend I had the chance and opportunity to attend Aldebaran's developer program meet-up in Tokyo and to check in the "Flesh" their awesome robot NAO. If you are a bit curious about Robotics I am sure that you have already heard a[...]


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Because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, we are subject to physical death, which is the separation of the spirit from the body. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected and saved from physical death (see 1 Corinthians 15:22). Resurrection is the reuniting of the spirit with the body in an immortal state, no longer subject to disease or death.
Additional Information
The Savior was the first person on this earth to be resurrected. The New Testament contains several accounts testifying that He rose from the tomb (see Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-14; Luke 24:1-48; John 20:1-29; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Peter 1:16-17).
When the resurrected Lord appeared to His Apostles, He helped them understand that He had a body of flesh and bones. He said, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" (Luke 24:39). He also appeared to the Nephites after His Resurrection (see 3 Nephi 11:10-17).
At the time of the resurrection, we will "be judged according to [our] works. … We shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt" (Alma 11:41, 43). The eternal glory we receive will depend on our faithfulness. Although all people will be resurrected, only those who have come unto Christ and partaken of the fulness of His gospel will inherit exaltation in the celestial kingdom.
An understanding and testimony of the resurrection can give us hope and perspective as we experience the challenges, trials, and triumphs of life. We can find comfort in the assurance that the Savior lives and that through His Atonement, "he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory" (Alma 22:14).
See also Atonement of Jesus Christ; Becoming Like God; Death, Physical; Easter; Eternal Life; Immortality; Jesus Christ; Kingdoms of Glory; Plan of Salvation; Salvation; Soul
Related videos: "Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus"; "Jesus is Laid in a Tomb"; "Jesus is Resurrected"
—See True to the Faith (2004), 139-40
Prophetic Teachings
The empty tomb that first Easter morning was the answer to Job's question, "If a man die, shall he live again?"
"I Know That My Redeemer Lives!"
Because our Savior died at Calvary, death has no hold upon any one of us.
Resurrection is much more than merely reuniting a spirit to a body. … The resurrection is a restoration that brings back "carnal for carnal" and "good for that which is good" (Alma 41:13).
""Because I Live, Ye Shall Live Also""
This article is taken from President Ezra Taft Benson's book Come unto Christ (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983), pp. 117–26.
Additional Study Materials
"Words of Hope and Consolation at the Time of Death"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 14
"Beyond the Veil: Life in the Eternities"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 18
"Understanding Death and Resurrection"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, Chapter 37
"Understanding Death and Resurrection"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, Chapter 14
"Jesus Christ Redeems All Mankind from Temporal Death"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, Chapter 10
"Jesus Christ Redeems the Repentant from Spiritual Death"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, Chapter 11
"Comfort in the Hour of Death"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, Chapter 5
"The Immortality of the Soul"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, Chapter 14
"The Significance of the Resurrection"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, Chapter 7
"The Resurrection, an Anchor to the Soul"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, Chapter 23
"Tragedy or Destiny?"
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, Chapter 14
"He Is Not Here, for He Is Risen"
New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual, Lesson 27
"'I Am the Resurrection and the Life'"
Alexander B. Morrison, "'I Am the Resurrection and the Life'", Liahona, Apr. 1995, 11
"'If a Man Die, Shall He Live Again?'"
Carlos E. Asay, "'If a Man Die, Shall He Live Again?'", Ensign, May 1994, 10
Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Guide to the Scriptures
Robert J. Matthews, "Resurrection", Ensign, Apr. 1991, 7
"The Reality of the Resurrection"
Richard D. Draper, "The Reality of the Resurrection", Ensign, Apr. 1994, 32
"The Redemption of the Dead"
Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual, Chapter 31
"The Resurrection"
Hartman Rector Jr., "The Resurrection", Ensign, Nov. 1990, 76
"The Resurrection and the Judgment"
Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual, Chapter 32
"Words of Jesus: Death and Resurrection"
Walter F. González, "Words of Jesus: Death and Resurrection", Liahona, Apr. 2003, 18
Resources for Teaching Children
"Opposition in All Things"
Paul V. Johnson, Apr. 2016 general conference


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/1/2013 (1685 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Winnipeg will not be abuzz with more hobby beekeepers.
A new city report, released this morning, recommends Winnipeg not expand hobby beekeeping.
Last year, council's protection and community services committee voted in favour of reviewing the city's exotic animal bylaw to see if Winnipeg should allow urban beekeeping. Beekeeping is restricted under the exotic animal bylaw, which does not allow residents to keep animals such as venomous snakes, monkeys, sheep, horses or other species that could be a nuisance in the city.
Apiaries are not allowed in commercial or residential neighbourhoods, and bees can only be housed on urban areas zoned for agriculture, such as the University of Manitoba agricultural research field.
An administrative report cited several concerns about urban beekeeping, saying the bees may pose a threat to those with allergies, a beehive may diminish neighbouring property values, and hobby beekeepers will likely register for mosquito fogging buffer zones, which could be another concern for surrounding homeowners.
Council's protection and community services committee will review the report's recommendations at a meeting on Monday.


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MLB.com Columnist
Bill Ladson
Nats prospect Taylor excited for big league callup
ATLANTA -- With Steven Souza Jr. on the 15-day disabled list because of a left shoulder contusion, the Nationals recalled outfielder Michael Taylor on Sunday.
Taylor, 23, is considered by MLB.com to be the third-best prospect in the Nationals' farm system. He is having the best season of his professional career, hitting a combined .315 with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs for Double A-Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse.
Taylor knew something was up when he was scratched from Saturday's game against Louisville. At first, Syracuse manager Billy Gardner Jr. told him that he wasn't playing because he didn't try hard enough to first base on a ground ball.
Later that day, however, Gardner told Taylor he was joking and Taylor was informed about his promotion. Taylor immediately called his parents. They weren't able to make the trip to Atlanta, but he hopes they can watch him play in person in the not-so-distant future.
During his first four years in professional baseball, Taylor had a hard time hitting with consistency, but turned things around this year. Taylor said it helped that he played winter ball in Puerto Rico. He started making adjustments with his approach at the plate, and long slumps are thus far a thing of the past.
"I just went out there and had a good approach," Taylor said. "I tried to be consistent with everything I did, and I had success this year. A lot of good things happened this year. I'm grateful for the opportunity of being in the Major Leagues and going to the Futures Game. ... This year has been very exciting for me."
Selected as a shortstop by Washington in the sixth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, Taylor shifted to the outfield in 2011, and in nearly four seasons patrolling primarily center field, he has earned a reputation as an elite defender.
Projections indicate Taylor could be the starting center fielder for the Nationals as early as 2015. With Jayson Werth dealing with shoulder problems, Taylor most likely will be a defensive replacement in the late innings. Taylor also will be get an occasional start if manager Matt Williams decides to give Denard Span a day off.
"Mike can play all three positions," Williams said. "That gives us an opportunity to move Bryce [Harper] around sometimes, too. That's how I envision it."
Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the time. He also could be found on Twitter @WashingNats. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Mom's Originals - Gourmet Pretzels, Treats, and More!
The delicious gourmet pretzels are wrapped in a soft layer of caramel, dipped in milk or dark chocolate, then either rolled in pecans, walnuts, or simply drizzled with white chocolate. They have three sizes and are great to have around the house, to give as gifts, or as easy deserts for your next party. There is a lot more to see online at http://www.momsoriginals.com.


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416.588.6444 | 1137 Dupont Street Toronto, Ontario M6H 2A3 Canada | MONDAY-FRIDAY, 10AM-6PM
Community and Youth Projects
LIFT provides a space for communities to produce representations on their own terms. Each community collaboration works with LIFT's professional equipment, facilities and member resources to assist social justice, education, arts and other non-profits in training their constituents to make media and produce the media content they need within often limited budgets.
LIFT accepts project and partnership inquiries from non-profit organizations and collectives on an ongoing basis. One-off projects are welcome as schedules and budgets permit, however LIFT is primarily interested in cultivating long-term partnerships with other organizations and collectives. These engagements can include capacity building consulting for emerging groups and project management along with LIFT equipment, facilities, instructors and mentors.
LIFT welcomes requests from all organizations sharing its values of social justice and freedom of expression, however only a small portion of projects can be accepted in any year.
Please allow 4 to 12 weeks for an evaluation of your proposal, depending on its complexity and current workload.
Note: If a project or partnership goes forward, the organization will be required to join as a LIFT Organizational Member for insurance purposes. Details about membership can be found here.
For more information about collaborating with LIFT or to arrange private and group workshops, please contact our outreach department.
Donate to LIFT Community and Youth Initiatives at: lift.ca/about/donate-support-contemporary-film


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ahloha peoples!!!!!!
its aliceandjasperforever here and u probably new that.
neway. I hav a blog ovr at the harry potter wikia, so u can chek out my blog over there.(same username)
so. who saw new moon? i think that chris did a sooo much better job than katherine did.my fav part had 2 b bella b-day party. especialy when emmett was like 'so, ur dating an older woman" cuz edwards 17 and bella turned 18 and i think tht u new tht.
ne way. i want u 2 shar ur fav scenes and quotes from twilight and new moon. just put the movie title at the top. u no im not alice her. its no lik im precognituos or something.
neway, on my last blog some people wer caling alice 'self-centerd' lets make 1 thing clear, shes NOT!!!!!!!
if ne of u hav READ new moon ull realiz tht alice wuld rather die (or whateva vampires do) herself than jasper die. if thts self-centered, thn wat isnt???!!!???
neway bye peoples
aliceandjasperforever is out!