Cancer Rates & Environmental Pollutants in Communities

Two new articles to share with you this week (click the pictures to get to the stories):

1) Midwifery is ready for delivery, but mainstream public health lags (published in This Magazine):



2) Mining Biodiversity: An environmental review for a gypsum mine was written by a company with connections to a mining group, is full of holes, and describes a project that will threaten biodiversity, water quality and farming on the Avon Peninsula. And yet, it was approved (published in The Coast):

Why to Ban Pesticides

A Bunch of Recent Publications

I've been remiss about posting my publications here lately, so here's five of them in one go, in case you missed them and were having trouble sleeping at night. Click the picture to get the story:

1) Control Your Technology: Excessive dependence on technology impacts stress, productivity and the environment [published in Your Workplace Magazine]:


2) Round and About: Halifax's most notorious intersections aren't so bad on a beautiful winter's day at noon, but should we be investing in safer alternatives? [published in The Coast]

3) Biomass Mess: Professors make recommendations that could turn NS into a renewable energy maven, including one that could moonscape the province in the process [published in The Coast]

4) Branding the Environment: If environmentalists don't change mainstream hearts and minds, they won't make a lick of difference [published in The Coast]

5) Tragedy of the Common: If the Common is so Common, why can't common people decide how to use it? [published in The Coast]

With our new niece, Maggie.
Dylan takes a gander at cousin Maggie.
Maggie, Moomo and Miia.
Miia and Maggie.
staring contest.

Brad and Freja circus.
Breakfast!
Our new niece/cousin Maggie.
Maggie and her Mommy.
Maggy and her Moomo.

D with Brad, Innez and Freja.
The cat hat.

Reunion.
Rainsuit.

Auntie Sian and Uncle Mika, about to become mommy and daddy S.

D with some of his favourite grownups.

D with Moomo!

D with Breadhead, a real Japanese hero.

Dylan & Skai and Dylan & Calla and Dylan w specs

Here's D in Trana with our friends' little boy, Skai.

D and his 2nd cousin Calla got into an xmas wrestling match. Despite his gloating, he lost.


Here's D at the spec store, trying their wares.

Top 11 Albums 2009

Here are my 11 favourite albums from 2009. Mind you, these didn't necessarily come out last year, that's just when I got a hold of them. The bolded ones are the best of the best:

1) Tracy Chapman, Our Bright Future - The first half of this album features some really new sounds from her, almost like folk-lounge music. The second half is a bit of a let down but the first half carries it.

2) K’naan, Troubador - On the flipside, the second half of this album is really innovative hip hop with brilliant storytelling. The first half is a lot slicker than his first offering, and a bit plain. But the second half is worth the wait.

3) Luke Doucet, Blood’s Too Rich - Took a few listens to get into, but Luke's a phenomenal guitar player and his music is a tonne of fun.

4) Joel Plaskett, Three - Oh man this guy has a gift for catchy riffs and hooks, and this is his magnum opus - a trilogy detailing his departure from, exodus away, and return to Nova Scotia. Amazing backup vocals from some of the province's finast female vocalists, sweet harmonic blend.

5) Bop Ensemble, Between Trains - Saw this "Canadian folk music super group" at Stanfest. I'd never heard of any of the members, but they are indeed super. I guess they literally recorded this between trains, so it's got a good jam feel, yet the songwriting and talent of the performers gives it polish.

6) Brett Dennen, Hope for the Hopeless - My favourite musical discovery of the year is California's Brett Dennen, lovechild of Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and Ron Sexsmith. Highly political lyrics with a folkish reggae backbeat.

7) Rolling Stones, Let it Bleed - One of those classic albums you think maybe you should own, and then you hear it and you wonder how you lived without it.

8) Martha Wainwright, I Know You’re Married but I’ve Got Feelings Too - Raunchy folk-signer who is way better than her more famous brother.

9) Mary Margaret O’Hara, Miss America - Another classic you should really, really own.

10) Metric, Fantasies - I was surprised by this album, how good it is, kind of transports me to a funkier universe while I type my missives.

11) Cat Power, Jukebox - Powerful sultry vocals covering some great but mostly lesser known American country/folk/blues numbers from the last half century.