News
Morning Brew: Arts budget strengthed to the tune of $7 million, fire department budget facing serious cuts, Sarah Palin scheduled to appear at a conference this October, Robertson extends business opportunites to China
So the government has graciously added another $7 million to the arts budget -- almost a year after cutting it by $8 million. Why the sudden generosity? I'm not sure, actually. It might have something to do with the extremely negative reaction to the prior budget cuts, or possibly they figured that they needed a boost in popularity. In any case, it's certainly good news for the smaller, independent theatre groups that have been struggling. But how are we supposed to trust a government that constantly flip-flops for arbitrary reasons? News
Morning Brew: Smokers are no longer welcome at golf courses, beaches, or parks, City Hall engenders some serious doubt regarding managerial competence, salmon numbers expected to reach a record 34 million
Soon, golfing and smoking will carry a hefty fine. And not just at golf courses -- lighting up on any beach, park, or playground will be enough to land you with a few hundred dollars worth of fines. Now, some might say that smokers should know better, and that they shouldn't be smoking in public places anyway -- but a golf course seems relatively private. Even if it weren't, the average smoker has discretion enough not to puff in the faces of non-smokers. They are aware of the health risks in choosing to smoke. Isn't that enough? News
Morning Brew: Murders on the decline as sexual assaults rise, expropriation of Surrey owner's property a source of ire, mushroom farm under investigation for work-related deaths
We're not murdering people as much as we used to, compared to last year. On the other hand, sexual assaults have risen slightly, so there's some downsides. I mean, yeah, ideally we'd want a completely murder and rape-free city, but it could be worse. If I had to pick a violent crime I'd like to see less of, murder would be pretty high on that list. I suppose slightly higher rates of sexual assault is the price we pay for our swinging nightlife. News
Morning Brew: Vancouverites protest stoning, kayakers raise thousands for cancer patients, repealing the HST may carry a significant cost, Canada Post struggles with slower mail service
Well, that's something I never thought I'd see -- a crowd of hundreds has congregated in Vancouver to protest stoning. Of course, it's the other kind of stoning -- you know, the barbaric method of execution that dictatorships whip out whenever someone so much as coughs the wrong way. It's awful, brutal, and a symptom of a misogynistic and hateful society. It's awful, partially because there are so many other ways of stoning that don't involve actual stones. The article mentions that 150 people have been stoned in Iran in the last 30 years, but it's unclear whether they used a bong or a pipe. Okay, that was a bad joke. News
Morning Brew: Bike lanes don't sit well with local businesses, food vendors still struggling, sizeable opium plantation discovered by police
Business do not want bike lanes. We all know how it is -- those damn, dirty cyclists keep mucking things up with their healthy, environmentally-friendly transportation. Now they're out to take jobs away from honest downtown businesses. That's the impression the business owners seem to give, although it's not really a convincing argument -- last I checked, cyclists are still consumers too, and businesses are still likely to thrive even without access to parking. Most people walk/take public transit downtown anyways. I can't imagine that cycling will be the nail in the coffin for these roadside business, but who knows? News
Morning Brew: BC gets yet another political party, record numbers of salmon give hope to dwindling industry, school districts have millions of dollars tied up in unusable bank accounts
BC is getting another political party. The BC First party, which alleges to reach out to those dissatisfied with both the Liberals and NDP, hopes to rally behind some of the anti-HST sentiment and get some seats. Of course, the province already has 22 other parties, and most of them are not major players. Is another new kid on the block going to do much to shift the waves of political power here? I doubt it, but I suppose there's no harm -- unless they're taking votes away from other parties. 
