It could happen to you

Municipality’s create bylaws because Canadians love to complain and politicians need to get elected every 4 or so years. It has gotten to the point that there is almost no way your average Canadian can go through the day without violating some bylaw or laws. Here is a suggestion, write your municipality and demand that they reduce the number of bylaws by 15%. If enough people do it, the politicians will pick up on it, because they can be seen to be doing “something” Of course be prepared for the backlash when you pick on someone’s “sacred cow” and be prepared for someone to want to get rid of something you like.
Follow the link to this blog about a couple organizing a party and getting into trouble. Here is a tip for dealing with Bylaw Officers, make them give you a card, write down exactly what they are saying, show it to them and ask them if what you have written is correct. Also record the actions of the officers. Many bylaw officer don’t understand the limits on their powers and breaching them could put them in a difficult position. If they start threatening you, don’t follow the cycle of anger, maintain calm and record details. Have someone tape the interaction. Doing so changes the dynamic. Also don’t start the conversation off with anger, Bylaw officers are human also and a “Good morning, Hello” goes a long way to setting the tone.

Willow pond blog

Flying with the fastest birds on the planet

Ever wondered what it is like to be a bird? Well some people in BBC did and here is the result, a camera harnessed to a Peregrine and a Gos Hawk, warning video is not for people that get air sick!

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B

Some more old time boogie via the Andrew Sisters. I do like my boogie.

Afghanistan in Pictures

U.S. Marines help as a young girl is carried by her father to a Medevac helicopter September 18, 2010 near Marja, Afghanistan. The girl suffered wounds to her face and legs after being struck by shrapnel from an RPG that was fired at Marines patrolling in her village.


Singer and activist Farhad Darya reaches out to women as he performs at a concert during a peace day event on September 21, 2010 in Mazar-e-Sharif,


A French soldier from the 1st Regiment Marines Infantry (RIMA) fires an anti-tank grenade from an assault rifle FAMAS


Maliha Ahmadzia, a 25 year-old law and political science student at Mawlana University in Balkh province, who is running for parliament poses for a photo.


Excellent photographs of the ISAF in action and of the people of Afghanistan.
Courtesy of Boston.com

Goodbye BIOS, Hello UEFI

New PCs could start in just seconds, thanks to an update to one of the oldest parts of desktop computers.
The upgrade will spell the end for the 25-year-old PC start-up software known as Bios that initialises a machine so its operating system can get going.
The code was not intended to live nearly this long, and adapting it to modern PCs is one reason they take as long as they do to warm up.
Bios' replacement, known as UEFI, will predominate in new PCs by 2011.
The acronym stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface and is designed to be more flexible than its venerable predecessor.
"Conventional Bios is up there with some of the physical pieces of the chip set that have been kicking around the PC since 1979," said Mark Doran, head of the UEFI Forum, which is overseeing development of the technology.
Mr Doran said the creators of the original Bios only expected it to have a lifetime of about 250,000 machines - a figure that has long been surpassed. (Gee, thats an understatment)

More at BBC