Morning Brew: May 27, 2008

So I'm sure you heard about the crazy naked man who hijacked some overalls and a semi, then took the cops on a high speed chase through Maple Ridge... watch the hijacker get taken down by a Mountie SUV, or check out the whole chase via the CBC right here. And I was already scared of trucks... not to mention the RCMP.

With Harper's formal apology to survivors of the residential school program scheduled for June 11, give yourself a reminder of our ugly history via the Tyee's chat with author Marie Wadden: In Search of an Aboriginal Future (including a great photo essay). She's really positive about the steps being made, but you don't need me to tell you it all reeks of 'way too little, way too late' syndrome. Even those Aussies, the kings of aboriginal racism, beat us to the 'formal apology'. Oh well, all America has right now is 'National American Indian Month', which doesn't even seem to have a website. I'm guessing that they'll get their apology if America gets Obama'd... but how long does it take to make some real progress?

Oh, and theres now a $50,00 reward for those stolen Bill Reid pieces.

Here's a history of the Burrard Street Bridge, while a Vancouver councilor wants the public's input into what its future should look like. With bike to work week in full swing, what's your take?

Expect Canada's copyright regulations to be tightened very soon... a move that could limit your ability to travel with an iPod or laptop. Are you kidding me!? If they start scrolling through every iPod at airport security, I'm hijacking a plane on principle.

On second thought, it might be a step towards ending all that wasteful air travel; why fly anywhere for business when you'll just get rejected at security for that new R.E.M record you forgot to delete off an iPhone that'll video-conference your Starbucks-fueled jowl around the world in five seconds anyway? Calculate your own carbon footprint at any of these online resources, but what we really need is one developed for/targeted at BCers... just another place where Toronto outdoes us.

Some local Waste I can support: five nights of the best Vancouver music... tickets are on sale now.

Sun headline from the weekend that says it all: Taser is probably safer than a bullet from a gun, epidemiologist concludes.

Lululemon founder Chip Wilson celebrates his own funeral... a celebration which quickly turns to disappointment as he, along with the rest of Vancouver, finds out it's just a promotion for a new Children's Hospital fundraising run. Giving back is good, but how many donations will it take for us to forget about the sweatshops? I like this comment on a thread in the Discover Vancouver forums: "luluLOSER!!!!!"

Brittania is hosting an anti-Olympics carnival.

A local invention will be finding use on the recent Mars probe... but would finding life on Mars be a "crushing blow" to the human race?

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson lambasted a fan for lighting up a joint during a recent concert. I can't wait for hundreds of metal horns to turn into middle fingers when they play here on June 3rd.

Canada attempts to stake claim to the Arctic. You mean there's oil up there? WWIII at the North Pole in fifty years? I'm having visions of this.

photo of the Nuxalk Nation reserve in Bella Coola by Derek Woods