Dorothy Hodgkin, Nobel prize winning biochemist, celebrated in Google Doodle | Technology | theguardian.com

Dorothy Hodgkin, Nobel prize winning biochemist, celebrated in Google Doodle | Technology | theguardian.com: "Hodgkin remains the only British woman to have ever won one of the Science Nobels, which she was awarded in 1964. Photograph: Google Google has honoured the Nobel prize winning biochemist Dorothy Hodgkin, with her very own Google Doodle on what would have been the scientist's 104th birthday."

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The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino | But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness

This is one of the better explanations I've read for what it means to live with chronic illness.

"I don’t have room for wasted time, or wasted “spoons” and I chose to spend this time with you.” 

The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino | But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness:

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Waiting for Spring

There's still a bit of snow in the yard, but I'm hopeful.  Surely we'll be seeing the lilacs soon enough.

Our lilac bush is at least 50 years old.

Here are some photos from last year's bloom.

check out the tight buds in the center

Enjoy!

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Bring some inside so the entire house smells lovely.

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Everyone loves lilacs.

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More flower pictures.

It's official: Winnipeg's winter the coldest since 1898 - Manitoba - CBC News

It's official: Winnipeg's winter the coldest since 1898 - Manitoba - CBC News: ""

"- and it's not over yet! ... don't get carried away, because 12 per cent of Manitoba's annual snowfall arrives in April."

"We do see a significant change of a season when you get into April," he said. "The bad news is, don't put away the snow shovel."

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Dear Ellen Come to Nunavut and educate yourself and your fans.

Ellen needs to visit this girl and get a Nunavut Education.  As well as education her followers and fans on the Inuit way of life.

A new Webcam to Watch

I went to Ustream to watch the press conference the TSB had for the release of their investigative report into the crash at Resolute Bay, August 2011.  After the report video ended, a "featured site" promotion came up with this hummer cam.

There is also a chat associated with this camera and I learned that everyone was on "hatch watch".  These are always exciting times for birding webcams as I've been on a few "hatch watches" with the Peregrine Falcon cams in Manitoba.

The camera is set up in someone's front yard in California and there is quite the community "on the branch".  I checked in tonight and sure enough, there was a pre-dawn hatch today, March 28, 2014.

Here are a couple of screenshots I captured.

Phoebe, a non-migratory Allen's Hummingbird

Here is a shot of her newborn:

less than one day old

Feeding time

Open wide!

Phoebe Allen's Hummingbird.

Phoebe Allens WebCam

Phoebe Allens WebCam

Watching new born humming bird!

Edward Snowden did us all a favour, it's time to curb the snooping - World - CBC News

Edward Snowden did us all a favour, it's time to curb the snooping - World - CBC News: "It is no longer radical to be alarmed that trillions of records of phone calls and emails have been maintained for years now in massive government "haystacks" — just in case."

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Extreme Ice Survey: memory of a landscape - World - CBC News

Very cool photos of glaciers around the world.  Love the colour of the old year ice!


Extreme Ice Survey: memory of a landscape - World - CBC News:

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TURKEY: under Ottoman Empire treaty with Catherine the Great if Crimea declares independence it returns to Turkey | Voices of Ukraine

An interesting comment on another situation with the "we are all treaty people" adverts in mind ...

"burak_tatar on March 19, 2014 - 1:32 amI am a citizen of Turkey and right now we are only slightly interested with the situation in Ukraine and Crimea.  ... ...
Also I don’t think that international relations would function that way. I mean, of course the treaties are important but the advantages of those treaties are only applicable when your state is strong enough. nobody would give you Crimea just because a treaty that you signed 2 hundred years ago. back then, Ottomans were stronger and they had a hope to re-capture Crimea,  ... ... it would be funny to defy Russia to control Crimea and it would also be a deathly mistake."

TURKEY: under Ottoman Empire treaty with Catherine the Great if Crimea declares independence it returns to Turkey | Voices of Ukraine:

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Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC

Yet more food for thought:

"yukon23Please hold your complaints, and accusations of racism, for the real instances of racism and discrimination.
All the articles, complaints, "awareness campaigns", etc just make sure that the serious events are hidden in the constant drone of "racism, racism, discrimination, discrimation, rights, rights".
Everybody is offended by something. Show your true strength by brushing off this petty BS that is done with no ill will.
Save your breath, and your credibility, for when Quebec passes another obscene bylaw. 
How is this article ten times the length of the story of the hotel charging Aboriginal People %50 more for a room.
THAT'S racist. That is horrible.
A cheer team taking a fun picture from an age old cliche fit for halloween is a joke.
Pick your battles would ya? Please? I'm begging"

Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC:

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More food for thought ... Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC

This is an interesting comment to the story:

"MSmittyThis article was too politico-academic for my likes. 
The arguments against cultural appropriation reflect an insecurity amongst native people. Head-dresses in of themselves are symbolic of anachronistic clan-based societies and military chiefdoms. The "Big Man" wore the biggest head-dress. Not much different than any other clan-based society to be honest. It is not an insult, it is what it is. Us Anglo-Saxons came from a long line of filthy barbarians who never bathed or shaved but made good steel. Our barbarian "big man" also wore the biggest hat. We changed along the way... 
In any case, aboriginals do not own a right to use feathers as fashion accessories. So suck it up on that one. 
Her argument that indigenous women are 'hyper-sexualized" was nonsense. The "vanishing Indian" myth had little to do with sexuality, though one of its more ironic and interesting stories did involve a woman, in the Eastern US. The "Indian Princess" I will concede. However, every culture has its own sexualized feminine ideal. Seriously, the naughty nurse, the sexy librarian, the cheerleader, the geisha, etc. Her argument that this somehow puts women in danger is specious and actually insulting to the intelligence of those of us who know about the violence FN women can face and know it generally starts at home on the rez! 
I can deal with saying this was "not OK", or "inappropriate". However, I think we would be wise to save the word "racist" for those moments where the racism is all there. 
Being insensitive is not racism. Racism requires more than cultural appropriation. It requires hatred. Mere ignorant stereotypes which do not promote hatred and are without malice are not racist. It cheapens the word to call them racist."

Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC:

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Further to ... the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC

I'm now reading through the comments to this article with the "Most Liked" filter engaged.

... heavy sigh ...

This is when I become overwhelmed, wonder how this mess will ever be sorted out, wonder what I can possibly do to make the situation better, tear up over the immensity of the racial divide in my beloved country, ... ... ... and close the browser window.

However, in these two comments there is a spark of hope.  The first is an indication of how the public education system has failed us all, the second, a succinct list of analogies that everyone should be able to understand.

Two thumbs up for Anatpuk!

Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC:

"CeeDeeEnn
Ms Mackenzie- a white settler? (shaking head) If an aboriginal person dresses up in a `white` business suit, should I be offended? If Im of Scots descent and a black person wears a kilt (as is actually the case in many Pipe and Drum bands in Canada) should I be offended? If Im Italian and an Asian wears a toga should I be offended? If a German wears a straw peaked hat should Vietnamese be offended? If an Asian wears Austrian- trachten, should Austrians be offended? This whole thing is just too ridiculous, and everyone is just way too sensitive,« less 3 days ago 22 Likes Like Share 

 Anatpuk @CeeDeeEnn, 

• A business suit isn't a cultural item 

• Black people have never systematically slaughtered Scots 

• Asians have never created Italian race specific law in Italy 

• Vietnamese have never stolen land from Germans 

• Asians have never abducted Austrian children, raped them and forced them to speak mandarian, japanese or korean. 

The whole thing is not too sensitive, the whole thing is too poorly understood to see why this is offensive to Aboriginal people"

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Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC

Serious food for thought.  As a "self-confessed white-settler" myself, I have long been aware of the harm caused to our indigenous communities.

In the early 1980s I was posted to a High Arctic community.  My education and curiosity began then.  I wanted to know why on earth anyone would live on the "island of gravel" I was visiting.  Doing some research, I learned about the Canadian Government of the 1950's "program" [pogrom?] of enhancing Canadian Sovereignty over the Arctic by moving indigenous communities.

First of all, WTF!  The paternalistic gall of our leaders! [and a tangent for another day]

Then I learned that my location was not the intended destination.  During the transfer, the ship got stopped by ice short of their destination. Because they could go no further that year, it was decided to change the destination and re-locate the community to this uninhabited island.  The epitome of "close enough for government work".

Never mind that it was uninhabited for a reason, there was nothing there!  No hunting, fishing, or any of the natural resources that original communities settled in places for.

I was gob-smacked that the government would move four extended families to this isolated and barren location and literally abandon them there!  I would learn about residential schools five years later.

I personally have been paralyzed for decades after learning of just these two policies of the government.  How can anyone ever make up for, apologize enough for, these kinds of horrific events affecting decades and generations of people?

We, the "royal we", Canadians, have got to start with educating the general public.  Since the internet, and reading comments by average citizens, I am appalled by the lack of education about indigenous peoples.

Reading essays like this one is a start.

The Aboriginal section of cbc.ca is a start.

Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC: "As stereotypes of indigenous people and a frontier narrative of white-settler ‘progress’ are part of our liberal ideology, it is possible to both have good intentions and act in racist ways within Canada and Saskatchewan.

However, ‘good intentions’ do not undo the effects of our actions nor should they excuse them.

Rather, our responsibility as a (white-settler) community needs to shift from simple blind ‘good intentions’ (which justifies a continued ignorance of the effects of our practices) to critical reflection on our practices before we engage in them and reparations when we cause harm (whether unintentional or intentional)."

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There are incredibly smart people in this world!

Keith Ledgerwood - Did Malaysian Airlines 370 disappear using SIA68/SQ68 (another 777)?:



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Cat parasite found in Western Arctic belugas - Technology & Science - CBC News

Cat parasite found in Western Arctic belugas - Technology & Science - CBC News: "For the first time, a parasite that can affect humans has been found infecting Arctic beluga whales killed for food, suggesting one way climate change could pose a threat to human health."



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CBC Sports - Performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake

Very Cool!



CBC Sports - Performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake: "Performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake"



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RCMP seek northern Manitoba's 5 most wanted - Manitoba - CBC News

RCMP seek northern Manitoba's 5 most wanted - Manitoba - CBC News: "RCMP in northern Manitoba are asking for the public's help in locating five people wanted for various criminal offences."



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and the Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of Phoenix Sinclair

An excerpt from the Executive Summary of the final report from the inquiry into the death of Phoenix Sinclair.

My hope is that the heart wrenching evidence I heard in Phase One of this inquiry will serve as a catalyst to ensure that the recommendations that emerge from this report are wholeheartedly embraced and implemented. The protection of children is a shared value of the whole community. The public interest that this Inquiry has

received encourages me in the belief that achievement of the better protection of all Manitoba’s children, and especially the most vulnerable, will be the true legacy of Phoenix Sinclair. 

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As our nation's broadcaster, I think the CBC is failing in its' mandate when it chose to close this article to comments.

Awesome Canadians

Winnipeg man opens his massive backyard rink, snow bleachers - Manitoba - CBC News: "Winnipegger builds rink and bleachers with 3,000 hand-cut blocks of snow"



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