Category: Fauna


BC Hydro, power and authority

Filed under: Environment, Fauna, Government Works, Social Activism by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
December 13, 2011

Lots of no trespass signs about and some on old hydro meters. Dell from Coopers says they were by and changed his. Some people say they don”t want them because of health issues. Other say they wanted a choice for no wireless connection. The fact is they are being installed and adds in the papers are asking for clear access.

The hydro has worked since it was nationalized in BC as a  monopoly and  as socialism goes it was considered  draconian. However the lower rates we are supposed to get from the monopoly are supportive of the vision of Canada being a mixed economy. As a Non profit crown corporation it is not allowed to have retained earnings and must lower rates for efficiencies it gets. Still you have to watch that the government does not raid it for revenues like raising water licence fees, to accommodate good water levels for the utility.

The off-peak time dynamic will be the next issue us consumers will be watching as we still want it to be an under girding of our economy and not go to profits.

BC Hydro has the rights to all water in the province for generation purposes and a lot of power.  When good snow packs occur the next year should see rate reductions, as they have in the past.

The lines and poles are public property and that always raises an issue when they talk about co generation ; recently the utility has replaced a lot of poles and  is working to have a third 500 KV line to the lower mainland from the interior.

Today in history December 13 ,2003

Saddam Hussein is captured in Iraq. ( The Ace of Spades)

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.08 administrative or criminal

Filed under: Crime and punishment, Vegtable soup, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
December 5, 2011

The province is saying that they are pleased with the results of a tough new roadside suspension law after a year of activity. The results they say saved lives. There were 40 % fewer deaths accruing over the time of the implementation that saw roadside suspensions coupled with very severe administrative penalties.

There are 4 million people in this province and the death rate is very low, some what over 2 per thousand per year for all causes, that ranks with the Arab emirates that are filthy rich, and is far below Canada’s rate of about 7 per thousand. There are approximately 350 some vehicle related deaths per year here and Stats Can does not break down the ones that are drunk or alcohol related. It would be safe to say that if the general population has enough regard for life and safety to keep the rate of death so low for the general population that we’re not bunch of drunks out there needing constant supervision and scrutiny of our assets . This brings up the specter of political opportunism the great success that they are promoting did not translate into a premium benefit the opposite is true as drivers are facing a 30 dollar increase to the levy dictated by ICBC. Makes you want to go find an occupy movement camp does it. It gets worse the real change is that more public control is welded and less trust and presumption in the population to act above the reasonable prudent person. The Chinese say more laws get more criminals. Now they say a portion of the law is unconstitutional as there is not enough process and appeal for those that blow over the 0.8 that is the criminal benchmark for impaired drivers. You  can bet it was just grease for that application of the non criminal high administration penalty bonanza that the province is reaping; and of course they are not taking it from you the taxpayer but some vilified group who  enjoyed the relief of stress by having a couple of beers with the office staff after work twice a week. Can it be? and I give this to you; that the dynamic contributed to less benign deaths in the general rate of our society. KDG

Editors note: A designated driver is not a hard ship for most people to arrange and rotating is not hard for you sociable types to get a turn….

Today in history, December 5 1945

Flight 19 is lost in the Bermuda  triangle.

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Speedy trial

Filed under: Crime and punishment by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
December 1, 2011

There is at this time an inquiring going on in this province as to the long delay and trail of a serial killer Robert Picton. The  inquirery is  headed by a former Attorney General of the province Wally Oppal and has already flushed out  some disturbing items including a public relations officer that has said that she will testify on behalf of the victims and not her employer the RCMP. She has been quoted in the papers as saying that she was the victim of sexual harassment and that her superiors were more interested in drinking  and her then solving the crime.  The harassment part would make her a hostile witness to the events and it all seems a troubling affair.

A local fellow says he has a transcript of a trial of a local train robber from Kamloops shortly after the turn of the 20th century and it took two weeks to secure a 15 year conviction based on eye-witness ( credible) and  the possession of registered mail; must have been simpler times.

We think that a incrediable expense and waste of time is appearant and if there is an undisclosed benifit to the investigation it needs to be disclosed by statement from the  police and investgators. As this expense is now salt in a wound.

Today in History, December 1 800

Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo the third at the Vatican

Chunnel tunnel between UK and France meets 40 meters below the seabed.

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Today, a clue revealed.

Filed under: Crime and punishment by Kevin Griffiths — 1 Comment
November 24, 2011

A Halloween night murder in Armstrong BC is one step closer to being solved as a DNA link to an assault on an escort service worker in Kelowna  has fielded a artists description of the suspected murderer. This according to The Province paper. A source had said that a letter to the police had come promising  more of the same . An the paper is reporting that they think the man has left the area.

A taunting murderer Terry Driver was eventually caught by his interaction with the police for  a crime in the lower mainland area of BC. Boasting and curiosity of what the police are doing about crimes is a dynamic that people that do profiles use to isolate types of personalities when trying to find a criminal.

Opinion: While it is great to have a sence of liberty if you are a vulnerable target take personal safety precautions such as be out in the company of friends and not alone and vulnerable.

Today in history, November 24,1932

The Federal Bureau of investigation opens its crime lab in Washington

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lending library

Filed under: Crime and punishment, Technology, Vegtable soup by Kevin Griffiths — 1 Comment
November 23, 2011
An Amazon Kindle Powered Off

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The electronic world is expanding with a lending library on Kindle readers.  The local  Public library  has a Kindle reader for lend , and they have paid for some titles, now a source says that Amazon the internet book seller is also going to be offering  an entry menu of some publishers books  on lend. We will watch  and wait on this. However reasons for not having a tablet  device are getting fewer and far between.

Today in History, November 23,2001

The convention on cyber crime is signed in Budapest Hungary.

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Lay off

Filed under: Politics and Politicians, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
November 22, 2011

A unconfirmed source says that the crew they work on is being layed off till spring complete the sidewalk upgrade and storm sewer  work on Garcia and granite.  A white hat seemingly in charge later confirmed “we are out of here”

When I gave him a Diamond  saw blade, I found he commented I will behave as they do. Some of his crew were seen tossing tools about a day before.

He also seemed unsure who would be finishing the project.

The site had the benefit of a Federal Government Funding credit sign for over a year before any construction began and when it did it was coordinated with the local civic election and a flurry of other work.

Also an announcement that there was no way of accounting back in the job creation projects for the 46 billion spent on the recession fighting  program “The Canada Action Plan by the federal an auditor general may make for interesting applications for laid off job creation workers. 

Today in history, November 22 1995

Toy Story the first computer generated feature film is released.

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What do you want. Fall humorous speech contest, merritt toastmasters, Kevin D Griffiths ACG, ALB, TGIF

Filed under: Enterprize, Fauna, Social Activism, Technology, Tourists by Kevin Griffiths — 1 Comment
November 10, 2011
  • World War II MemorialThe Japanese needed security and provoked the second world war for fill. Yes fill, the crafty fellows thought that the world would respond by firing artillery shells into the island nation, plugging holes and filling cracks so that they had land to live and grow on. That has to be true as when the game went atomic the war was over because no more fill.
    England, Japan and New Zealand are about the same size with the latter being slightly larger than the Japanese 4 islands that house their 100 million people.
    Points
  • Snakes, there are no snakes in New Zealand as In Ireland they didn’t make it out of the ice age.
  • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long journey to Paradise?
  •  A least one 1200 year old tree centers the splendid sand and greenery for the fauna in New Zealand
  • A small lizard survives the from the Dinosaur age we think he must have liked to eat frozen snakes.
    • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long journey to Paradise?
  • product placement
  • 1/4 acre syndrome; the  inhabitants of New Zealand have lawns and single family dwellings and their favorite pastime is self home renos.
    • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long  journey to Paradise?
  • 20 to 1 sheep, there is peace and contentment as the 3 million odd people in New Zealand can all count sheep to go to sleep at night.
  • *
    • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long journey to Paradise?

It’s a long, long way to paradise from spirit bay….

If the Japanese can make it to Vancouver they can fly for about a thousand dollars to New Zealand  via commercial air carrier .

Note there are poisonous sea snakes in the ocean off New Zealand     .

  • Did I mention that the Mauri go down to spirit bay to start their long, long journey to Paradise?
  • please note the one pointless note….*
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pellet plant

Filed under: Crime and punishment, Enterprize, Government Works, Technology, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
November 4, 2011
Inside a woood-pellet heater

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I went by the new wood pellet plant today and took a picture of the a man supervising a bagging operation.
A source says that there may be some hiring when the dryer is finished in about 6 weeks.
The wood pellet plant seems new and modern and clean without clutter or grease. On the way over I upbraided a child that was playing between the wheels of a parked logging truck. He agreed it was a danger and took his plastic gun and played elsewhere. The truck had nothing to do with the pellet plant however; people should pay attention to their own children.

Today in history, November 4,1970

Genie a thirteen year old feral kid is found after being locked in her bedroom most of her life.

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Hacks

Filed under: Crime and punishment by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
October 27, 2011

Today in history,October 27th 1982

Dennis Moran born , American computer hacker

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Mid week activities

Filed under: Environment, First Nations People, Flora, Politics and Politicians, Public health, Social Activism by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
October 20, 2011
The Sydney Opera House, designer, architect an...

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There are some significant activities this week in Merritt, tonite the Alexander the Great Seminar continues at the library, presenter al Horne and his wife coördinate the slides and the talk.An Academic venture,in progress as the credits for photos of antiquity are yet to be published.

The Nicola Naturalists also have and AGM tonight  at 7 o’clock at NVIT about 3 kilometers from the 6-8 presentation at the library.

There is also a member picture presentation after the expected brief business meeting.

Last evening there was an eco health forum that featured such speakers ad Scotty Holmes the chief o the Upper Nicola Indian band  and others including representation from the Community round table at evening it was sparsely attended and  coming to a conclusion in its second day of presentations and discussions.

Today in history, October 20th 1973

The Sydney Opera House opens.

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Nicola River Duck

Filed under: Fauna by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment
September 15, 2011

The Nicola River has  a short piece that comes from Nicola Lake to Merritt’s west entrance and joins with the Coldwater River  a distance of less then 20 kilometers. The river then continues to Spence’s bridge then into the Thompson river  on its way to the Fraser and the sea It actually begins about 30 kilometers north-west of Kelowna draining The Thompson Plateau and connecting historic Douglas lake with Nicola lake.

The piece in Merritt includes a meander through the Golf Course and some ranch land  it is home to many bird and animal species including the mallard I entered in the Consumer Protection BC contest. Deer and red fox are reported as being seen often and many deer tracks come to the river and then return to the hills about town.

You can vote for our duck photo once a day on about page 17  of the Consumer Protection BC face book page till the voting ends on the 23’rd of September.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/ConsumerProtectionBC?sk=app_100240610079120

Today in history,Sept 15 1944

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill meet in Quebec to make strategy at the Octagon Conference.

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Freeway closed

Filed under: Tourists, Workers Safety by Kevin Griffiths
August 11, 2011

The Coquihalla is closed by a multiple vehicle accident at the moment. A source says they are rerouting traffic to highway 8 Spence’s bridge and the Fraser Canyon to Vancouver. Exit 286 at the  interchange is closed.

Today in history :August 11 1972

The last US ground forces leave Viet Nam

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