It’s a Burning Ears inferno today, with anarchists freaking, end-of-the-world freaks, a cash-strapped visitor from Iceland, Dal getting called a “leading institution,” celebrity hurling and much more. Full links apres jump.
ANARCHY IN ATLANTICA
from Brooklyn and cyberspace
Thanks to active protests, last weekend’s Atlantica meetings didn’t go under the radar, as so many bad business moves do. One-stop social change source Infoshop.org — where the slogan is “Kill capitalism before it kills you!” — has been keeping an eye on Atlantica with its Infoshop News arm. The latest:
Eighteen adults were released on bail Monday after spending a weekend in jail on charges stemming from an anti-Atlantica protest that damaged some downtown Halifax businesses.(story here)
And in Brooklyn, the World War 4 Report covered the story under the headline “Globophobes rock Halifax.”
Protests against a Halifax conference to promote the “Atlantica” free trade zone proposal turned violent when about 50 yooung people dressed in black and wearing balaclavas broke away from the larger group. Running through downtown Halifax, the youth hurled paint-filled light bulbs, fire-crackers and rocks at police, businesses and journalists.
The Atlantica project, officially known as the International Northeast Economic Region (AINER), envisions new ports, transmission lines and superhighways to integrate Canada’s Maritime provinces with New England and upstate New York. (story here)
People, yes. Superhighways, no. Why would we do Atlantica, yo?
CASH AND CARRY
from Iceland
Like many folks in Iceland, Jonas, a writer for Iceland Review, lives by his debit card almost never uses cash.
Payment cards in Iceland have become the single accoutrement, along with a cell phone, that you literally don’t leave home without. Merchants have come to terms with the sitch as well, accepting plastic for everything from brand new beamers to a cup of coffee. Sounds great, right? Well as long as you don’t leave the credit-card comfort zone of our island nation. Enter: the big, bad, real world. On a recent outing to Nova Scotia, Iceland Review photographer Palli and I were working on a story about Halifax. After collecting our Grand Prix (a fine specimen of auto engineering?) and bounding off for our hotel downtown, we neglect to withdraw any dollars (as we have no króna to cash in). (story here)
To make a short story micro, the legendary kindness of Nova Scotians comes through again.
SAV’D
from Clinton, Massachusetts
Have you heard? According to blogger Patricia Diane Cota-Robles, “2007 will be a year of monumental change,” when humans have to prepare “for our Ascension into the 5th Dimensional Realms of Infinite Perfection.” The 22-year-old from Clinton shares a story from Shelley Yates as proof “YOU are the Hands of God now made manifest in the physical world of form.” And it was Halifax that turned Shelley Yates on:
Two miracles happened in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. My son and I drowned in a flooded marsh and not only lived to tell the tale, but we are better than ever. I was dead for fifteen minutes. I was told by Beings of Light how to save myself and my small son, and I was given a message on how to heal the Earth. (full healing message here)
Yates says big things are coming July 17, at 11:11 in the morning GMT. My calendar’s already marked.
THE SCHOOL OF HARD CLICKS
from Chatsworth, California
An article in Campus Technology magazine talks about how universities are trying to personalize the online teaching experience:
At a leading institution in Canada, Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, students can attend interactive classes online that are complete with slides, voice, white board capabilities, polling, chatting, application sharing, and, soon, live video as well. (story here)
Judging by how well they spun the problem of overcrowded classrooms, Dal should start teaching PR.
DOCTORS IN THE HOUSE
from Toronto
The Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors is about to start its Halifax conference, Health Fusion 2007, running June 22 to June 24. According to the CAND:
Halifax was chosen this year because of an increasing interest in Naturopathic Medicine in the Maritimes, and to highlight the 26 licensed Naturopathic Doctors currently practicing in the province, 8 of which are located in Halifax. (story here)
Nice props for the alt docs.
BRAIN DRAIN
from Ottawa
Tech mag Monitor has an article about an Alberta company’s successful first test of its tracking software. The story of Database Information Services Inc, founded by David Swan and Paul Carreau, is also a story of dreams getting stifled on the east coast.
The road to creating REMS was a long and arduous one for Carreau and Swan. The company started in Halifax, where Swan hails from and Carreau was stationed. “We found it impossible to raise the necessary capital in Nova Scotia,” Carreau said. “Lots of interest and promises, but no follow through. There came a point when both David and I had put all of our own money into it and we were no further ahead. We decided to call it a day.” (story here)
Their REMS software sounds boring anyway. Maybe we’re better off without them.
HE’S NOT GONNA HURL
from Ennis, Ireland
No sooner do we hear about a potential Ireland-Halifax air link, than an Irish sports hero is coming here. But don’t expect the hurling star to do any hurling.
Clare inter-county senior hurler Tony Griffin will this weekend complete the Canadian leg of his 7,000km charity cycle in memory of his father Jerome, who died of cancer in December 2005. The 2006 All-Star hurler will then attend a special ceremony being held in his honour in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Mayor of Clare Councillor Flan Garvey will also attend the event.
Despite having studied for two years as a human kinetics student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Griffin surprised the sporting fraternity in February when he announced his departure from the Clare Hurling team in order to embark on the charity cycle. (story here)
Whether it’s suspicious or serendipitous, I’m happy for another excuse to mention Flan Garvey.
When you see the world meeting Halifax, I want to know about it. Send links here.
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2007.
