Since 1970
This year’s theme:
AI and digital planning for tourism.
Tourism contributed 10% to world GDP in 2024 according to this source.
Category: Arts and Culture
Featuring Ryan Bellville,season 29
break a bone:a funny bone…
The Best of the Halifax Comedy Festival
Photo: Pexels.com
Stephen King born September 21st +…September 21st marks several significant moments in geopolitical history, severe natural disasters, and the births of influential figures across literature, music, and screen.
Major Historical Events & Catastrophes
* 1921 Oppau Chemical Explosion (Catastrophe): A tower silo containing 4,500 tonnes of a mixture of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded at a BASF plant in Oppau, Germany. The blast killed an estimated 500 to 600 people, injured thousands, and destroyed much of the surrounding town.
* 1938 Great New England Hurricane (Catastrophe): One of the most destructive tropical cyclones in U.S. history made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Long Island and Southern New England. Travelling at high speeds, it caught the region by surprise, causing 500 to 700 deaths and widespread destruction.
* 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake in Taiwan (Catastrophe): A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Taiwan near Chi-Chi. It resulted in over 2,400 deaths, thousands of injuries, and billions of dollars in damage, making it Taiwan’s second-deadliest earthquake in recorded history.
* 2013 Westgate Shopping Mall Attack (Major Event): Armed militants associated with the extremist group al-Shabaab attacked the Westgate shopping center in Nairobi, Kenya. The multi-day siege resulted in 67 deaths and highlighted global security threats.
Notable Birthdays
* H.G. Wells (1866 – 1946)
An English author often called the “father of science fiction.” His foundational works—including The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and The Island of Doctor Moreau—pioneered core sci-fi tropes that still shape literature and film today.
* Leonard Cohen (1934 – 2016)
A legendary Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist. Celebrated for his deep bass baritone voice and complex lyricism surrounding romance, faith, and grief, he authored iconic songs such as “Hallelujah” and “Suzanne.”
* Stephen King (Born 1947)
An prolific American author dubbed the “King of Horror”. He has published dozens of bestselling novels, including The Shining, IT, Carrie, and Misery, selling hundreds of millions of copies worldwide and spawning dozens of film and television adaptations.
preseason and reg schedule
At this writing, the Merritt centennials are playing with a five to one lead over The Columbia Rockies… 12 minutes left in the 3rd period.
Mystro Kevin Griffiths recommends
20 September 2026. Ad info…
My name sake has been productive back in Europe with concerts. The culture of sounds, its resonator does pursue listeners to enjoy an evening of soul stirring reflection.
Music has charm to settle…
Think of those suffering this weekend, winter coming on, be an escape for them… by hitting the high note when ever things start to go flat PP
Three dots means story continuous and ongoing and progressive.
To Beat Germany in Cameras.
Today 46 Percent of global market belongs to Canon…
Canon roots
In November 1933, a small group of visionary tinkerers ****—Goro Yoshida, Saburo Uchida, and Takeo Maeda—came together in a rented room in Tokyo’s Azabu district to establish the Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory. Yoshida, a skilled self-taught technician who repaired motion picture equipment, had disassembled a high-end Leica camera out of curiosity and realized its internal components were made of standard brass, iron, and aluminum, rather than precious metals. Convinced that Japan could produce a world-class 35mm rangefinder camera locally at a fraction of the cost of imported German models, he partnered with his brother-in-law, Uchida, who managed the business and financing alongside Maeda, who brought crucial organizational expertise.Together, the team built Japan’s first 35mm camera prototype with a focal-plane shutter in 1934, naming it the Kwanon after the Buddhist goddess of mercy. While Yoshida drove the early mechanical innovations, bringing the camera to full commercial viability required scaling up operations and navigating complex German patents. Uchida secured key backing from Dr. Takeshi Mitarai—an obstetrician who later took over management—and arranged a partnership with Nippon Kogaku (later Nikon) to supply high-quality Nikkor optics. By 1935, the team refined the brand name to “Canon”—a word signifying precision standards—and launched their first production model, the Hansa Canon, in late 1935, successfully laying the foundation for modern global camera manufacturing.
**** Engineers
February 24 -26 2027…
Canada is at a disadvantage
Canada is at a disadvantage with the trading and tariff situation by being so integrated with the United States. The United States is one of three countries that don’t use the metric system and it is an economic lever or the value that is preferred. Preferred by over 90% of the world’s population.
The modern landscape of the metric system (officially the International System of Units, or SI) is defined by global standardisation everywhere except in a tiny fraction of the world.
Global Metric Adoption
Only three countries in the world have not officially adopted the metric system as their primary standard:
* The United States (uses U.S. Customary units)
* Liberia (currently transitioning)
* Myanmar (currently transitioning)
Virtually every other nation (roughly 95% of the world’s population) operates officially under the metric system. Even within non-metric nations, scientific research, international trade, military supply chains, and high-tech manufacturing operate predominantly in metric units.
Impact on Global Trade, Tariffs, and Building Codes
The metric dynamic creates distinct trade efficiencies—and friction points—where non-metric standards exist.
* Trade & Supply Chains: Dual-inventory costs are a major burden. Manufacturers that produce goods for global markets must either manufacture dual line items (e.g., metric bolts vs. imperial bolts) or standardize to metric. Operating on a unified system eliminates conversion errors, simplifies logistics, and lowers manufacturing costs globally.
* Tariffs & Custom Controls: Tariffs themselves are levied based on weight, volume, or unit counts. When cross-border trading involves non-metric systems, custom entries require strict volumetric and weight conversions (e.g., converting short tons or U.S. gallons to metric tonnes or liters). Mismatched metric and non-metric declarations can cause compliance delays, extra auditing, or miscalculated tariff brackets.
* Building Codes & Construction: Building codes dictate structural design, electrical load calculations, and material dimensions.
* Most global codes mandate metric dimensions (e.g., 400 mm structural spacing).
* Standardizing building codes to metric streamlines architectural plans across international borders. However, in North America, construction remains heavily tied to imperial dimensions (e.g., 2×4 studs spaced 16 inches on center) because the massive U.S. building supply market dictates the manufacturing defaults for raw materials.
Canada: Is Canada a Leader in Metric Efficiency?
No, Canada is not a leader in metric efficiency. Canada operates in a hybrid, dual-system reality—often referred to by logistics experts and engineers as a “half-metric” or “metric-in-name-only” dynamic.
Canada initiated formal metrication in 1970 under Pierre Trudeau. While the transition succeeded at the government and public level (weather, speed limits, road signs, gas sales, and food labeling are exclusively metric), the process stalled in 1985 when compulsory metrication enforcing agencies were dismantled.
Because Canada shares the world’s longest land border and an integrated supply chain with the United States, Canadian industries often revert to imperial units to remain compatible with U.S. trade partners:
* Construction: Blueprints for commercial projects may be drafted in metric, but workers on job sites routinely use feet, inches, and imperial material sizes (drywall, lumber, piping) because the materials originate from or cross the U.S. supply chain.
* Manufacturing & Trade: Canadian exporters must maintain dual-standard machinery or produce imperial products exclusively for the American market while using metric for domestic and European exports.
* Everyday Life: Canadians measure body height in feet/inches, weight in pounds, oven temperatures in Fahrenheit, and real estate in square feet, despite buying fuel in liters and measuring outdoor temperatures in Celsius.
While Canada is officially a metric nation, its heavy economic integration with the United States prevents it from achieving true metric efficiency.
Having Cancer is not an experience you would want. The suffering of the patient and the suffering of the family with the attention of others, combined with the loss of productive lives is worth your attention. Register today at the link.
This is not a paid advertisement.
If we were paid for this. We would clearly put “sponsored or paid add” at the bottom of the piece.
October 4th 2026- run for the cure.
Kevin Griffiths
percypaschal
