See the World from different eyes. World News Aggregated in Multiple Languages. This informational., educational and entertaining blog is 100% Human Moderated 7 days a week! Ver el mundo desde otros ojos. Noticias del Mundo agregados en varios idiomas. Este blog informativo., Educativa y entretenida es 100% humano moderados 7 días a la semana! موجز انباء العالم Световни Новини 世界新闻 世界新聞 Παγκόσμια ειδήσεις החדשות בעולם
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Herb LeBlanc
Herb LeBlanc chante «D'un bout à l'autre de Clare» au spectacle d'ouverture du Festival acadien de Clare 2008. Chanson composée par lui, Len LeBlanc et Lester Doucet. Avec le groupe Studio B et Daniel LeBlanc au violon.
Herb LeBlanc 1928-2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The lore of the Rogue's Roost
The lore of the Rogue's Roost
Rogues Roost is an isolated cove, with narrows only a few feet deep in some places.
It is located in the vicinity of the villages of Lower Prospect and Prospect, Nova Scotia. The Rogue's Roost and Snow's Cove of Rogues Roost are the sheltered anchorages in the narrow passages between Roost Island and the mainland.
Notorious for it's unique geological features which trapped many a Pirate and Rum Runner.
According to some websites, the Roost was popular as a hideout for privateers during the War of 1812. Legend has it that Young Teaser, a soldier and his boat of the same name, now haunt the route.
Notable shipwrecks in the area include the SS Atlantic in 1873 & the HMS Tribune in 1797.
ROOST ISLAND
Roost Island features a small inlet only accessible by kayak during high high tide.
This "hidden lake" is one of the most quiet spots, but don't be surprised if a kayak tour pops in at high tide. A colony of terns nests here.
SNOW'S COVE
Named after a long-time stewart of the area, Capt John Snow, Snow's Cove of the Rogues Roost features a tight exit into Cub Basin.
During high tide, it allows a sheltered route for kayaks and canoes.
A bronze plaque affixed to a granite cliff face reads as follows:
“In Memory of John Snow, 1914-1970; keen small boat enthusiast, founding member of NS Schooner Association, leader of many organized cruises, an outstanding shipmate; [this plaque] erected by his many friends on this the site of his favorite anchorage, Snow’s Cove of Rogue’s Roost, ‘…and all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow rover, and quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over’; Erected July 15, 1972”.
John Snow drowned in a a tragic car accident in Halifax's Northwest Arm in 1970.
More Lore
Legend has it that the Rogue's Roost was more than just a sheltered anchorage.
During all the great oceangoing eras, from pirates, to the exile of the the acadians, to the turn of the century rum runners, the Rogue's Roost's clever geological design was the rogue captain's worst enemy.
For once you had found safety in the anchorage of Snow's Cove, there was only one narrow exit... and the impassable backdoor into Cub Basin. Like a mousetrap, an entire ship and it's crew, could find themselves trapped, with very little effort on the part of the assailant.
Even as recently as the last prohibition, this safe-haven was notorious for police - and bootlegger raids.
Evading by Salts & Corks
Local lore recounts tales that rum runners knew exactly how many corks it took to float a bottle of rum, and exactly how many pounds of salt it took to sink it. Armed with this knowledge they soon starting evading the hunter by throwing burlap bags filled with salt, rum and cork to the ocean depths.
While their ships were examined by officers, the rum was safely stowed on the ocean floor.
No sooner were the officers gone that the salt had dissolved enough to let the cork float the rum. Another speakeasy could continue to thrive...
Sailing through the Revenue Act
Excerpt taken from a sailing journal dated 1907, a ship returning to Newfoundland from a Trouting expedition:
V tSH you would come up here and have a look at
the weather, sir." The Rose had been kicking a
good deal for the last half hour, and I noticed that
she was making short tacks. The calm, which
had lasted since early morning, had evidently
given place to a north-easter. I went on deck
and found the Rose close-hauled, diving into an
Exactly where we vere 'e could not make out, for
a heavy fog, with mist, had come up ith the wind and had
completely shut out the land.
'" Looks pretty bad, Captain," I said, " any chance to get to Rogues'
Roost before night ?" Rogues' Roost, I may say, is a small
Cove, Just how it comes to be called by that uncomiglimentary name I cannot
say. It was suggested to me once that it was so called because it was a place
of frequent resort by Nova Scotia Traders, I never could see the connec-
tion, for be it said, Canadian Traders, with one exception, ith
whom I became acquainted during my Collectorship, were
honest enough not to deserve the implied charge. I am in-
dined to think that the inhabitants of the Harbor 'ere respon-
sible for the name. The one exception above-mentioned existed
in the person of the trader of whom it was remarked on the
occasion of his trial for smuggling "that he was able to sail a
whole schooner through the Revenue Act."
Topography, Fauna & Vegetation
The area is mostly covered in heathers, low grasses and evergreens. Berries abound nearly all seasons. The landscape is rough, and barren. Glacial Striations are noticeable on the top of Roost Island and surroundings. Deep narrow channels were carved out by retreating ice sheets tens of thousands of years ago. In many areas the topsoil has eroded to weather. Large erratic boulders and glacial anomalies salt and pepper the landscape. Areas inhabited by the Double Crested Cormorant appear as lifeless patches in the evergreens, destroyed by the birds messy occupation.
Deer, mink, and a variety of other small game inhabit all the surrounding lands.
Hawks, Grey & Common Gulls, Terns and Bald Eagles are common sight in the Audubon life.
The Great Blue Heron also makes the Rogue's Roost it's home and is a certain sight, particularly in the evening when the sky is overcast.
Visiting the Rogue's Roost
There is no land access to the Rogue's Roost. It is one of Nova Scotia's marine features. Accessible by sailboat, pleasure boat, canoe or kayak.
The local outfitter offers sunset tours at reasonable rates http://eastcoastoutfitters.net
Coordinates
Entrance into the Roost
44 28' 18.2" N
63 45' 24.7" W
Snow's Cove
44 28' 14.0" N
63 45' 2.0" W
Shipwrecks in the vicinity
RMS Atlantic
Year: 1 April 1873
Location: The Atlantic struck an underwater rock called Marr's Head 50 metres from Mosher Island (Meagher's Island), Nova Scotia.
Stats: 562 died with a total survivor count of 390 people of the 952 aboard
HMS Tribune
Year: 16 November 1797
Location: Thrum Cap shoal, in the vicinity of Chebucto Head
Stats: 12 survived of over 240
Posted by babylakes at 02:17 PM | Permalink
Sea Kayaking in Nova Scotia - 25 to 30knt wind
Here's Peter and I coming back from a precautionary rescue we had to perform tonight. The winds are blowing hard, and the sea was ugly.
Please note that we are both trained professionals and were responding to distress. Never paddle in a sea state that is beyond your level of experience, and certification. You should NEVER go out recreational kayaking in these conditions.
The holy shit moments only start to happen about 4m15sec into the video. The first few minutes is setting up through a more sheltered area, planning how to head out into the rough stuff. When we clear that last island, the sea starts to spray! Unfortunately 5 minutes in , I think i hit the camera accidentally, and turned off the video. First minute of the vid is just setting up the camera on my PFD
Pete does a roll in a sea kayak with winds 20 to 30 knots
Pete does a roll in a sea kayak with winds 20 to 30 knots
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Digital Divide - explained.
However, the levels of awareness and the use of these new technologies and services are highly polarized along social class and generational lines, creating a digital divide...
Contrary to the widespread enthusiasm about the Internet, a significant number of Canadians will remain unconnected for many years to come."
Andrew Reddick
The Dual Digital Divide: The Information Highway in Canada
2000
Complete report can be found here.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Dear Telus
Photo Caption: all tiers of area management teaching their salespeople how to best serve customers.
Dear Telus
I have been a loyal client for nearly a decade. To this effect, I am thoroughly pleased to write to you today, as I am convinced that you value any feedback from such a long-tenured patron.
Since I have been using my Blackberry Pearl, my trackball has failed twice. Both times, I was well treated and settled for a swap unit.
I would like to point, however, that in both of those experiences I remained without a functional phone for seven to ten business days, never the two to five as the clerk had promised.
My luck never fails, and so my trackball failed today again. I was right across the street from a privately owned Telus store in the downtown, but, alas, I will spare you the details of the unethical bullshit they fed me over there. My real misfortune started when it dawned on me that your corporate store would surely be quicker to solve my irritation.
As you may have guessed, I was not taking kindly to being told that my only option was to get, yet another swap unit. This would have been the fourth phone (original phone, first swap, second swap, ..and) I received in one year, and I was also aware that I would be without a working phone for seven to ten days without reimbursement.
There was a lot of noise in the store, but, how lucky is it to walk into a store and all levels of area management are standing in the middle of the salesfloor? (see photo)
The salesperson options were limited. It is not your policy to replace trackballs of on-warranty phones, and all the boss's boss's were standing right next to her. But this was no ordinary case.
Were you really just going to send me a fourth phone and make me wait a week? I asked to speak to the next level of management (area manager). I point out the fact that I used your Blackberry Phone to take the above photo, I'll get into the mechanics of that later.
The salesperson approached her manager but was refused, then placed me on the phone to speak to "Client Care". Now, to be honest, I would have been pleased to speak to anyone in any capacity to help me.
All I really wanted was for the salesperson to replace my trackball, which from my online research, takes about twenty seconds to do. It's far less costly than a refurbished phone, I would have not went a week without service and, you guessed it, you would have a slightly less frustrated patron.
Let me refer you again to the above photograph. Who you see here are all tiers of area management, teaching their salespeople how to best serve customers. To my misfortune, this was a very loud and enthusiastic conversation, and I couldn't hear a damn thing on the phone.
I covered my ears struggled to communicate with the person on the other end of the phone, which, allegedly, may have been able to provide an amiable conclusion to all this fracas.
After several minutes of struggling to hear the person I finally had to ask the other salespeople to be a quiet. In fact I simply said it loud enough for everyone within standing distance to understand that I was having difficulty listening to the phone.
The cluster of management , who had watched the entire drama unfold, were unmoved and continued their loud banter. I had no choice but to hang up on "Client Care", and to that person, I apologize. Your voice was barely audible over the racket in the store.
All I wanted was for my trackball to be changed. YouTube it. This uncomplicated proceedure takes less than 20 seconds. I felt terrible for the salesperson, her manager's refusal to speak to me must have been humiliating. I left without a solution and with a humbled salesperson behind the counter.
Sometimes my luck does work for me though. It happens that the right-side button on this damn Blackberry is programmed to pull up my camera, and without a trackball I managed to take your picture, with your phone, that you wouldn't fix.
Remember though that every person in this photo was aware that the solution to my problem was easy, logical, and inexpensive (and possible, right then and there, no questions asked). Every person in this photo also acutely knew that the manager had horribly shamed the salesperson. Moreover, each of the managers in this photo, smiled and posed for my photograph. None of them offered any assistance.
If their impression of best serving a customer is "posing for the photographer", what are they doing teaching the salespeople?
Bravo! Telus, Bravo!
Update: Mar 25 2009
I called today to try to send this post to Telus Client Care (Loyalty). Mike, from Toronto, was not interested in even receiving this documentation. I asked Mike, from Toronto, if there was any record of this post on my account, since they ARE client care, and every tier of management is in the photo. Not only is it not documented, Mike, from Toronto, systematically refused to let me send it to him, or his manager. Mike, from Toronto, systematically refused to place me in contact with Karen Skerry, area manager corporate stores atlantic canada, seen in the above photo.
All I get is the same rhetoric: I can pay for a new Blackberry, which Telus graciously offers a voucher for 200$ which hardly covers the cost of the device, or I can wait another 7 to 10 days to get the fourth phone in a year. Telus is NOT offering compensation for the two previous service interuptions which amount to 14-20 days in the past year, waiting for new devices to arrive, nor are they offering compensation for the 7 to 10 days it would take to receive a new Pearl, should I have aquiested to their policy.
I explained to Mike, from Toronto, that it is possible, that in the millions of customers that Telus has, that sometimes some client experiences surpass the ordinary for which policies are written. On the millions of clients, it is inevitable that SOMETIMES the policies in place just don't cut the mustard.
Telus.... just send me a trackball. Is that REALLY too much to ask?
Final comment! What is even cooler, is that the minute I got off the phone with Mike, from Toronto... Feedjit recorded a hit... you guessed it... from Toronto! ...I wonder if it was Mike?
The next update.
Today is July 23rd. Its been months, I called Customer Care again and was escalated again to Loyalty. There is no mention of this information on my account, despite having specifically requested it, numerous times. I know the service rep looked at the website. Moments after our conversation Feedjit recorded a hit from Toronto, right on queue.
Toronto, Ontario arrived on "The World of the Truly Random: Dear Telus".
15:48:22 -- 4 minutes ago
Today also marks the beginning of my email campaign. As of today, I am emailing the following letter to the tiers of management seen in the photo. I will continue this each day until I receive a reply. The email is as follows:
Karen
I have been trying for months to resolve my issue of an intermittently functional trackball. Since you were yourself present in the store on the day my troubles truly began (see photos in blog post), I am asking you to deal with this matter directly.
My entire saga, including photos from the store on that day as well as comments left from visitors, can be viewed at http://drobicho.com/blog/2009/02/dear_telus.html Further to this - there is an update on a phone conversation with the call center in Toronto, which is also available on the blog post. .
I have requested that this information be included on my account notes numerous times and each time I am assured it is, but each time I call Loyalty or Customer care, they have no idea what I am talking about.
Below is the letter I wrote Telus - to which I have received NO response, and despite many requests, still does not appear in the notes on my account. I have requested numerous times to get in touch with you but every call center, department and store refuses to provide me with your contact information.
I am at my wit's end. All you area managers were standing in front of me that day and no one helped me. Instead, you chose to shame the customer service person who was trying to help me.
Since you were there in person, I trust that you will have now no problem helping me.
Dan
Triggers Some Response. July 23 2009
Nabil Tannous Nabil.Tannous@telus.com
Cc:Karen Skerry
Hi Dan,
My name is Nabil Tannous, and I am the Market Manager for TELUS in Nova Scotia. Karen passed your concern my way, and I would like to help you out. Is there a number where I could contact you?
Nabil
Karen Skerry Karen.Skerry@telus.com
Thank you for forwarding your email directly regarding your concern. I understand Nabil Tannous has been in direct contact with you regarding the situation as I was in Montreal.
Nabil has mentioned that he has found a resolution for your situation.
Please feel free to contact me directly if there with any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Karen Skerry
Clarification on the Resolution offered by Telus
Some time between emails one and two, and the flood of search engine queries (looks like this went Viral everywhere Telus employs large masses of people), I got a phone call from Nabil.
Telus did make an offer to appease me, despite that I have maintained that a monetary gesture does not excuse the negligence of the managers in the store that day.
Here is the offer (since there was no mention of an offer of non-disclosure) :
- an 8.99$ replacement trackball (seriously they sell these online for 2.99$)
- a 50$ voucher towards an accessory of my choice (does Telus even sell a 50$ accessory?)
- a 50$ voucher if I refer a friend to Telus (part of an existing, ongoing promotion... This didnt make his offer seem very special, at all)
- and there was an outstanding 200$ on my account (see original notes) to go towards the purchase of a new, off-contract device. Now it is important to note that off-contract devices are much, much, much more expensive than that!
Can a corporation (or another person) ask a blogger to censor their online content ? No. Not in Canada, as long as it is factual and not defamatory. It is fully protected under Canadian Law, and in fact, any request to have the information changed or deleted, is unlawful in itself.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
My Rant on Jacko's Death & Social Media
About Jacko's Death & Social Media
I find it interesting watching reactions on the social media platforms.
All the generations 30-40yo are in deep mourning, even shock.
All the generations 25-30yo are being reflective of a man who was revered as an immortal, in every aspect of their lives from early childhood, regardless of their like or dislike of the man.
The younger generations, 25 and under - but particularly younger, have another common thread. They are rejoicing that this bizarre creature is dead, and take offense to the reaction of the older generations.
Interesting - Isn't it ?
I saw Captain Eo....
I stood in line for Thriller.
I danced like a fool to Billie Jean.
The man in the mirror was everywhere.
Guess which generation I am in.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Random traffic sample pulled from domain
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