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Post by Starsteward on Apr 6, 2020 11:52:10 GMT -8
I'm curious as to what members are seeing and hearing in their area at 7pm each evening. I was a bit baffled at first when I heard people banging pots and making a bit of a racket in other ways. My first thought- illogical, I know, was that somehow, a cure or vaccine for this Covid 19 monster had been announced. My condo neighbour, one of the ruckus makers, told me it was in support of the front line workers, medical and otherwise. I'm near the Peace Arch hospital in White Rock, and there is a good din every evening. I'm certainly onboard, now that I know what's going on. Tonight, ten police and emergency vehicles paraded down a nearby street, with sirens sounding. I've also noticed, on my long walks, even more people just saying hello as you pass. These are troubling times, when maybe a lot of us are more cognizant of our own mortality. We're giving each other a wide berth... but in a way, there is an increased sense of community. 7pm highlights that. From my vantage point in the western/southern side of Vancouver's 'West-End', I've got a 40% open view of the ships at anchor in English Bay and a good view of the venerable St.Paul's Hospital, being a mere block and a half away. At 7:00 P.M.(some folks jump the gun a bit by a minute or so), begins the nightly hand-clapping, banging of pots/lids, beating on bongo-drums, cheering aloud, some folks are flying the Canadian flag (as we would normally on Canada Day), and precisely at 7:00 P.M. the Nine-O-clock gun now sounds, having been re-timed from it's regular 9:00 P.M. historic blast. Through the locally created din, one can hear all the cargo vessels at anchor in English Bay sound their whistles and horns! This show of support from seamen from distant shores, away from their families and friends, remind us of how interconnected our 'global village' has become in so many ways. Joining the 7:00 P.M. demonstration of thanks and unity, in their nightly parade-drive around St. Paul's comes all branches of our first responders; lights a-flashing, sirens discharging some melodic sequences not normally heard during regular call-responses. As the nightly tributes fade into the evening light, my balcony vantage point becomes, for a few moments, my 'island' of safety, solitude and reflection. I reflect on 'how things were', mere weeks ago; the cacophony of human-kind going about their daily routines, now becoming physically isolated, driven out of our normal, often abusive creature habits. Admittedly, I chafe at the resumption of some of those creature habits, hopefully being more mindful of our inter- dependence on all humanity within our global village. All members of this forum dwell within the boundaries of the 'have-nations'. Let us all envision the days ahead when many more inhabitants of our global village benefit from the riches that we often take for granted.
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Post by paulvanb on Apr 7, 2020 8:51:58 GMT -8
I'm curious as to what members are seeing and hearing in their area at 7pm each evening. I was a bit baffled at first when I heard people banging pots and making a bit of a racket in other ways. My first thought- illogical, I know, was that somehow, a cure or vaccine for this Covid 19 monster had been announced. My condo neighbour, one of the ruckus makers, told me it was in support of the front line workers, medical and otherwise. I'm near the Peace Arch hospital in White Rock, and there is a good din every evening. I'm certainly onboard, now that I know what's going on. Tonight, ten police and emergency vehicles paraded down a nearby street, with sirens sounding. I've also noticed, on my long walks, even more people just saying hello as you pass. These are troubling times, when maybe a lot of us are more cognizant of our own mortality. We're giving each other a wide berth... but in a way, there is an increased sense of community. 7pm highlights that. I'm currently living in North Van, up near Grouse Mountain. 7pm gets good and loud here with lots of pots, pans and a vuvuzela horn (remember those from 10 years ago..?) so the 7pm cheers happens even in the sleepiest neighborhoods of upper North Van I am quite fortunate to have numerous trails to choose from. I live just steps away from Cleveland Dam however it tends to be busier with folks who drive up from the City. As a result, Most of the locals have also been staying away from Cleveland Dam and the rest of Capilano River Regional Park and I've been hiking the less traveled trails along the bottom of Grouse. Like yourself Neil, I've found more people saying hello as you pass by with heaps of room to spare. We are out there most evenings at 7pm making noise. I have been out hiking up at Cypress Falls as I was there three times last week. Not that many people there. Yesterday morning I hiked up to Twin Falls from from Inter-River Park. Not too many people when I started, but on my way back, especially towards the end, it was like Grand Central Station. I had heard locals complaining about people coming over and overrunning the dam and surrounding areas.
I hate to say this but maybe it is time to do what they have been doing in Italy. My wife has family in Sicily. You cannot go from town to town unless you have good reason, with documentation to back it up. As an example, I would not to be allowed to cross a bridge unless I had work to do on the other side. Going to Costco may not be a valid reason.
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Post by dofd on Apr 7, 2020 11:38:34 GMT -8
I'm currently living in North Van, up near Grouse Mountain. 7pm gets good and loud here with lots of pots, pans and a vuvuzela horn (remember those from 10 years ago..?) so the 7pm cheers happens even in the sleepiest neighborhoods of upper North Van I am quite fortunate to have numerous trails to choose from. I live just steps away from Cleveland Dam however it tends to be busier with folks who drive up from the City. As a result, Most of the locals have also been staying away from Cleveland Dam and the rest of Capilano River Regional Park and I've been hiking the less traveled trails along the bottom of Grouse. Like yourself Neil, I've found more people saying hello as you pass by with heaps of room to spare. We are out there most evenings at 7pm making noise. I have been out hiking up at Cypress Falls as I was there three times last week. Not that many people there. Yesterday morning I hiked up to Twin Falls from from Inter-River Park. Not too many people when I started, but on my way back, especially towards the end, it was like Grand Central Station. I had heard locals complaining about people coming over and overrunning the dam and surrounding areas.
I hate to say this but maybe it is time to do what they have been doing in Italy. My wife has family in Sicily. You cannot go from town to town unless you have good reason, with documentation to back it up. As an example, I would not to be allowed to cross a bridge unless I had work to do on the other side. Going to Costco may not be a valid reason.
I would not consider the lower mainland as 'town to town', but the easiest solution would be to close the bridges and seabus to all traffic.
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Post by paulvanb on Jun 1, 2020 20:21:14 GMT -8
Do we have some members here that belong to Gurushots???
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Post by paulvanb on Jun 9, 2020 11:27:26 GMT -8
Wonder if there are any calls in Washington state for ferry service from Point Roberts to Blaine after reading this. Would have been perfect for the Hiyu!
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jun 9, 2020 13:17:04 GMT -8
Wonder if there are any calls in Washington state for ferry service from Point Roberts to Blaine after reading this. Would have been perfect for the Hiyu!
I wonder how quickly they would be able to acquire land and build terminals and ramps at both sites?
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Post by Kahloke on Jun 9, 2020 16:07:29 GMT -8
Wonder if there are any calls in Washington state for ferry service from Point Roberts to Blaine after reading this. Would have been perfect for the Hiyu!
I don't see ferry service happening, but I wonder if Canada would be more willing to let Point Roberts residents travel to and from Blaine when Whatcom County enters Phase 3 of the COVID re-opening strategy. Unrestricted travel is permitted in Phase 3. That, of course, is Washington State's rules, not Canada's. But, it seems like some sort of accommodation could be made for Point Roberts, especially if the border remains closed for the remainder of the year, as has been speculated.
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Post by paulvanb on Jun 9, 2020 17:45:00 GMT -8
Wonder if there are any calls in Washington state for ferry service from Point Roberts to Blaine after reading this. Would have been perfect for the Hiyu!
I don't see ferry service happening, but I wonder if Canada would be more willing to let Point Roberts residents travel to and from Blaine when Whatcom County enters Phase 3 of the COVID re-opening strategy. Unrestricted travel is permitted in Phase 3. That, of course, is Washington State's rules, not Canada's. But, it seems like some sort of accommodation could be made for Point Roberts, especially if the border remains closed for the remainder of the year, as has been speculated. Brandon, I had heard about the Point Roberts situation this morning on the radio. It would only make sense, but since when has government ever made sense. We both have idiots for leaders in our respective countries.
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Post by Elwha on the Rocks on Jun 9, 2020 19:28:04 GMT -8
Yikes! I had assumed that Point Roberts residents are exempt from the restrictions. Hope for their sake that they can get this figured out. I too have played with the idea of a Blaine-Point Roberts ferry before. Seems like it would be a tough one to assign a vessel as the route would probably see low traffic levels and yet require a fairly sea-worthy boat. A fun thought experiment none the less!
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Post by Kahloke on Jun 9, 2020 19:31:05 GMT -8
We both have idiots for leaders in our respective countries. I'd take Trudeau over Trump, any day of the week. Trump is a national embarrassment. More locally, I think the premier of BC and Washington's governor are doing a good job of handling the COVID situation.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,175
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Post by Neil on Jun 9, 2020 20:40:31 GMT -8
We both have idiots for leaders in our respective countries. I'd take Trudeau over Trump, any day of the week. Trump is a national embarrassment. More locally, I think the premier of BC and Washington's governor are doing a good job of handling the COVID situation. Agreed. I didn't vote for Trudeau's party, but I can't imagine lumping him in with Trump. Two or three decades from now, Americans are going to look back and be aghast at what a portion of the electorate put in the most powerful office on earth. Governor Inslee and Premier Horgan have listened to the science around the health crisis, and as a result, Washington has fared pretty well after a very worrying start, and BC just never got into dire straits.
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Post by paulvanb on Jul 28, 2020 9:05:50 GMT -8
On board the Cowichan this morning. What is the meaning of the first word on the second-last line?
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Post by Starsteward on Jul 28, 2020 13:03:39 GMT -8
On board the Cowichan this morning. What is the meaning of the first word on the second-last line? com-mi-nute From the Latin 'comminutus': to lessen :to reduce to minute particles: Pulverize Linguistics genius at work in the bowels of the BCF organization.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Jul 28, 2020 16:43:31 GMT -8
On board the Cowichan this morning. What is the meaning of the first word on the second-last line? com-mi-nute From the Latin 'comminutus': to lessen :to reduce to minute particles: Pulverize Linguistics genius at work in the bowels of the BCF organization. It's actually worded exactly the same as found in the vessel pollution prevention regulations and MARPOL. Blame the regulation writers at IMO. (Usually British).
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 28, 2020 18:36:52 GMT -8
com-mi-nute From the Latin 'comminutus': to lessen :to reduce to minute particles: Pulverize Linguistics genius at work in the bowels of the BCF organization. I love learning new words, in unexpected places. BC Ferries with an assist from West Coast Ferries Forum. Thanks for the continuing education. PS: Comminutus is done after cremation in the mortuary industry, resulting in a bag of what is commonly misnamed as "ashes." - Yes, I'm a death nerd now. Fascinating Stuff
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Post by paulvanb on Sept 13, 2020 21:08:22 GMT -8
Just wondering how our Washington members of the forum are fairing with all of this smoke from the wildfires?
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Post by Kahloke on Sept 14, 2020 5:53:34 GMT -8
Just wondering how our Washington members of the forum are fairing with all of this smoke from the wildfires? It sucks. Was stuck inside all weekend. Perhaps we should rename this thread "Why the sky is yellow"? At times, we've barely been able to see across the street, and the air quality index numbers have been steadily increasing, only finally decreasing a little this morning. We were at 295 last night, now at 225 this morning, still very unhealthy. Nothing like Oregon and California, though. Can't do our normal walks outside, or really anything outside. Can't wait for this to clear. I shouldn't be complaining, though. We're not in the fire zones, so that is a blessing.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 26, 2020 7:13:30 GMT -8
A banner photo of the Island Discovery is among the forum flagship rotation.
I wonder if the JPEG frequently breaks-down and leaves a gap that needs to be replaced in the banner sequence.
Perhaps we have a banner photo of Quadra Queen II that could be used as a replacement banner, but can't be used because its dimensions don't properly fit the banner criteria.
Deep thoughts for a Saturday morning...
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Post by WettCoast on Sept 26, 2020 11:22:41 GMT -8
A banner photo of the Island Discovery is among the forum flagship rotation. I wonder if the JPEG frequently breaks-down and leaves a gap that needs to be replaced in the banner sequence. Perhaps we have a banner photo of Quadra Queen II that could be used as a replacement banner, but can't be used because its dimensions don't properly fit the banner criteria. Deep thoughts for a Saturday morning... How about a ‘standby’ tug & barge photo?
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,175
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Post by Neil on Jan 29, 2021 21:00:07 GMT -8
Thought I might bring up an aspect of our Covid situation that I haven't heard much discussion about.
Several months back, I was joining neighbours who were making a racket at 7pm every evening, showing solidarity with the 'front line workers' in many fields, who were taking more risks than most of us in dealing with the pandemic.
In December, my younger daughter started working at a retirement residence, not as a care aide per se, but in a capacity dealing with prepping and serving meals. As luck would have it, that coincided with a Covid outbreak at her workplace. It's a big facility, but fortunately, the numbers overall never got as dreadful as they have in other places, although, two very vulnerable residents did die. Two staffers tested positive.
The outbreak has been declared over, with no active cases. Staff are tested weekly.
What I'm finding is that because I see my daughter, on average, every other week, I've become rather suspect by association. Even now, with the outbreak over. A close friend, who I currently only join for walks, criticized my decision to get together with my daughter for her birthday, because of her 'contact with Covid'... even though she is negative in tests, and the facility's outbreak is over.
So... I'm hoping that it's not happening that workers in 'front line' positions have been ostracized socially, either blatantly or perhaps subtly, because of people's biases about their occupation. Banging pots and putting out supportive signs is all well and good, but this indisputably scary pandemic shouldn't be creating ancillary victims in the form of the very people we supposedly demonstrate solidarity with.
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Post by WettCoast on Jan 29, 2021 22:55:03 GMT -8
... So... I'm hoping that it's not happening that workers in 'front line' positions have been ostracized socially, either blatantly or perhaps subtly, because of people's biases about their occupation. Banging pots and putting out supportive signs is all well and good, but this indisputably scary pandemic shouldn't be creating ancillary victims in the form of the very people we supposedly demonstrate solidarity with. About this Neil you are absolutely right, and I believe that it is happening, at least to some extent. I am ready to roll up my sleeve just as soon as I am eligible for the vaccine, and I do hope that mass vaccination of the population brings this situation under control.
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Post by paulvanb on Feb 6, 2021 12:35:07 GMT -8
Apparently, they still make these.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,175
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Post by Neil on Mar 4, 2021 21:00:04 GMT -8
It's almost 9pm on March 4th. Only three more hours for the U.S. military to arrest Joe Biden and re-install Donald in the White House, as the conspiracy freaks promised was going to happen. I'll be pretty nervous until at least midnight. I've always been fascinated by conspiracy nonsense, but it's getting scary these days how mainstream it's getting, particularly south of the 49th parallel. Something like 15% of Republican voters thought the attack on the capitol on January 6th was justified. Kellyanne Conway invented the term 'alternative facts'. Alternative reality is just as much in vogue, and just as dangerous.
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Post by paulvanb on Apr 9, 2021 22:08:58 GMT -8
I guess EGFleet is having quite a time revamping his web site.
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Post by EGfleet on Apr 12, 2021 6:08:09 GMT -8
I guess EGFleet is having quite a time revamping his web site. Evergreenfleet had to change webhosting services for the first time in almost 20 years and rebuild everything from the ground up.
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