Remembrance Day Events in Vancouver plus Canadian Campaigns

Like many folks, Remembrance Day is a reflective day for me – and one of conflicting emotions. As a pacifist who abhors war, i feel the best way to honour veterans is to work with full human intelligence, intellect and emotion to prevent war and senseless killing.

With this in mind, i take the day to remember the fallen who fell victim to the myriad atrocities of war and enjoy tracking down the stories of Canadians heroes like Talbot Papineau and watching historical documentaries about the wars and other efforts to make peace.

A couple years ago, i recorded a podcast series called White Poppies for Remembrance discussing the various emotions stirred up in my belly while reflecting on the vast lost human potential.

Last year, my pal Trauben and I stood out in the rain at Cates park for a sea-born ceremony and then hiked the Baden Powell trail from Seymour to Lynn Valley – he’s a former Air Cadet and me a cub scout so we’re well used to rainy ceremonies ;-). I also make sure to hear bagpipes each year.

Remembrance Day at UBC

This year, i think i’m heading to pay respects at UBC War Memorial Gym – built to honour soldiers by students, UBC’s architecturally advanced for its time is hosting a Remembrance Day ceremony

ergo:

This year, the Remembrance Day ceremony will be held on Wednesday, November 11 at 10:50 a.m. It will be an opportunity to honour and remember all those who served in times of war, military conflict and peace.

This year, 2009, we commemorate two special and historic milestones, the 65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy and the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Red Cross. In recognition of the completion of the restoration work on the Memorial Wall, this year’s guest speaker, Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Donald G. MacLeod, CD, BA’ 53 will focus his address on the Korean War.

Everyone is welcome to attend this annual ceremony — doors open at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony will commence at 10:50 a.m. and will last for approximately 45 minutes. Light refreshments will be served after the ceremony and all are welcome to stay.

Remembrance Campaign

CDN Veterans Affairs asks How Will you Remember?

Download Canadian historical war time photo and video packs, organized by theme and era, then remix and share via social networks including Veteran Affairs own Youtube channel and Facebook page plus web graphics to promote the campaign.

Finally, you can choose a Postcards for Peace + RSS feeds for  convenience and a Google map of Remembrance Day Activities across Canada – though the info for the Vancouver events was incomplete – ditto for the HTML version of Remembrance Day events.

{note: good effort and great idea but would be better if photos were preview-able or the packs described – really a lovely use of public archives}

Vancouver Remembrance Day Events

Basically, in Vancouver, your options are: Victory Square, Canada Place – closed caption of Victory Square ceremony, Grandview Park, Stanley Park, or Memorial Park South (Vancouver’s original Cenotaph IIRC).

Here are details from Remembrance Day ceremonies at Vancouver City Parks:

Remembrance Day Ceremony November 11th at Memorial Park South East 41st Avenue and Prince Albert Street.Ceremony begins 10:30 am  March to cenotaph at 10:15 from John Oliver SS. Sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch # 16. Memorial Park South event program

Remembrance Day Ceremony November 11th at Grandview Park Sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion #179 at 11 am located at Commercial and Cotton Drives.  A march to the cenotaph begins at 10:35 am from Napier Street and Commercial Drive.

Remembrance Day Ceremony November 11th at Stanley Park Gather at 10:40 am Sponsored by the Japanese Canadian War Memorial Committee at the Japanese Monument near the Stanley Park Pavilion.

Remembrance Day Ceremony November 11th at Victory Square Gather at 10:30. Major representation by civic officials at 11 am at Cambie and Hastings Streets. A colourful parade precedes the event. Event details

In North Van, you can attend the Victoria Park Cenotaph with a parade to Lonsdale and 15th.

Consider taking along some White Poppies for Remembrance on Postcards from Gravelly Beach podcasts

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Canucks Outsider Media Scrapbook

Whilst tidying up all Canucks Outsider-related ephemera, I’ve rounded up a few oddments of media coverage and Fanzone related stuff for posterity. There are more out there so i’ll gather photos by my Crazy Canucks colleagues and stash ‘em here as possible.

See also:

Canucks Outsider podcast episode art archive

Hockey NW and Canucks Outsider design archive

My grassroots Canucks media coverage began with the “Pig Express” my own publication from 1979 – this edition featured then-GM Jake Milford flying to Sweden to recruit players

At the SLC 2002 Olympics came my anecdotal CBC HNIC appearance with Don Cherry, Ron McLean and Joe Neiuwendyk’s brother Gilles – Don Cherry wore my furry hat (thanks to brother Anders) which was featured in his montage for a few seasons – i spoke with Ron and Don about my daily photo journal of 28 events in 13 days

Vancouver Courier’ Mark Hasiuk wrote up the Canucks Outsider podcast during the playoff run on 2007 with special emphasis on my support of the international fans

Much more after the jump …

Canucks Outsider podcast episode art archive

I’ve found that the podcast episode “album art’ pieces are hard to keep sorted. I’ve also found that there are a lot and in a variety of sizes. For a flashback and convenience, here’s a batch of them all in one place with more to come as i find them. Find more Podcast Album Art in Flickr. Many are by me, the rest are by my pal Bread. See also Misc. Canucks on Flickr and Hockey NW and Canucks Outsider art archive on Flickr.

See also:

Hockey NW and Canucks Outsider design archive

Canucks Outsider Media Scrapbook

True North Media House – Kids with beards making media in 24 Hours

Vancouver 24Hours

KK and DaveO discuss TNMH while sporting beards and hats

True North Media House is shaping up, pushing forward and making its own path to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Seeking to form a partnership with the W2 Community Media Arts Centre, TNMH is hosting a pivotal meeting today (Thursday, 6pm, Catalyst Internet office).

The mainstream media is paying attention with coverage by Business in B.C., Business in Vancouver The Vancouver Sun, CBC, BBC and most recently 24 Hours. Indeed the message of inclusiveness, variety, free expression, and creativity is getting out there, beyond the massive coverage on the web o’ world.

In today’s 24 Hours article (featuring myself, Kris Krug and our rocking beards) Kris is quoted: “We’re just a bunch of kids who are doing social media and online media and we just want to cover the Olympics [...] We’re banding together to share sources, resources, photographers, places to work, press briefings.”

And that’s all true, except maybe the kids part ;-).

Sign up to the mailing list, visit the website and follow TNMH on Twitter!) as we plan a friendly parallel for new media which seems to be undervalued by modern dinosaurs.

Bonus: Add speech bubbles to imagine what KK and I were talking about during the shoot my Carmine Marinelli from 24 Hours.

City of Vancouver Media By-law Report

Rock n’ Roll Photo w/ Bev Davies + Kris Krug at Northern Voice 09

Building A Scene – Rock & Roll Photography Panel Re-cap

Blurb:

Photography isn’t always clean, in a studio with great lighting, patient models, or beautiful subjects.

Iggy Pop decades apart by Kk and Bev Davies at NV09

In a panel with two noted Vancouver photographers Bev Davies and Kris Krug, host Dave O will explore how they find inspiration, develop a differentiating style, capture atmosphere, and form relationships with the artists, plus technical tips to make a great rock shot.

They’ll also discuss sharing your work to build a common experience and a “scene” for fans to self-identify with and participate in as well as compare and contrast favourite shots.

Video:

Thanks to Bruce Sharpe – 25 Hour Day via Blip.Tv, who sets up the clip in Rock N Roll Photo:

Using several well-chosen photos of rock ‘n’ roll stars as a backdrop, Dave Olson finds out from noted Vancouver photographers Bev Davies and Kris Krüg how they are permitted access (or not), how they work with the musicians (or not) and what it takes to get that iconic, memorable photo. From Northern Voice 2009.

It takes a minute or two for the video to settle down. Stick with it, it’s worth it!

Slides:

Complete Rock N Roll Photography slidedeck (Google) by Dave Olson featuring photos of Kris Krug and Bev Davies.

Live blog:

Northern Voice 2009 Rock and Roll Photography Kris Krug Dave Olson Bev Davies by Miss 604 Rebecca Bollwitt

Excerpt: I first started delving into the works of the legendary Bev Davies only just over a year ago but after discovering what I have (which is simply scratching the surface) I realized what an important person she is to rock and roll history, along with Vancouver history.

Along with Kris Krug, whose rock photography is recent yet not any less inspiring and captivating, Dave Olson will guide these two through a journey of their craft both on and offline.

Reviews:

Northern Voice – Dean H (SubPop New Media)

I also saw a great talk moderated by Dave Olson on rock ‘n roll photography featuring Kris Krug and Bev Davies. Both of Kris and Bev take fantastic pictures (that you should really take a look at) but, in particular, some of Dev Davies’ early pictures (there are some in a Flickr set here) are must see if you’re a fan of early ‘80’s punk and hardcore. Bev was basically the only one taking pictures at these shows in Vancouver in the early ‘80’s and her collection of shots of DOA, The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, The Adolescents, Gang of Four, Duff McKagan-era Fastbacks (and on and on and on) are amazing. You may have seen her photography in the punk rock calendar that Nardwuar put together a couple years ago—all the photos in the calendar are her work.

Randy Stewart at Stewtopia: Northern Voice 2009 – Vancouver’s Finest

Dave Olson’s interview with Kris Krug and Bev Davies about rock and roll photography was fantastic. I had met Bev the day before after an intro by Peter Andersen and I had a lovely conversation, but had no idea she was so punk rock. Her pictures speak volumes.

Maryam ghaemmagha​mi Scoble says:

Finally, I especially enjoyed watching Dave Olson interview Bev Davies and Kris Krug about taking photographs from Rock and Roll bands and watching all the historic and amazing photos reel on stage.

Speakers:

KK + Bev Davies in Rock N Roll Photo by Penmachine

Moderator Dave Thorvald Olson is a writer, podcaster and documentarian who frequently appears in media from High Times to CBC to BBC discussing counter-culture, art, hockey, and public policy. He’s seen hundreds of rock shows, published punk rock fanzines, followed the Grateful Dead plus Elvis died on his 7th birthday. (DaveO’s Library)

Bev Davies photographed most every punk rock band in, or through, Vancouver in the 1980’s from DOA to The Clash. Her intimate and distinctive B&Ws, which appeared regularly in the alternative press, captured both the sweat of the band and the excitement of the audience and together form a compelling chronicle of Vancouver’s music history. (Bev on Flickr)

Kris Krug shot dozens of bands at the last 3 SXSW Music fests along shooting everything from fashion shows to tech conferences. Known for his x-processed style, at SXSW he captured evocative, gritty shots from well-known artists like REM and Flaming Lips to emerging acts and shares his shots with Creative Commons licensing to help bands and fans enjoy the experience. (KK on Flickr)

Business in Vancouver tells the True North Media House story

From Business in Vancouver on, Friday, 12 June 2009 in 2010 Gold Rush by Bob Mackin, comes a  discussion about the True North Media House including quotes from Kris Krug and comments about the “Open Letters to VANOC” i published via Raincity Studios in November 2008.

Posted here for archival purposes. Grab Print version as needed.

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Countdown: 35 weeks until the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

VANOC slow to get into new media game

Kris Krug is among a small group of Vancouver new media trailblazers aiming to revolutionize how the Olympic Games are covered in this wild Web 2.0 world.

They have devised the True North Media House, and they say it will also be strong and free.

It’s going to be a Downtown Eastside-based alternative for outlets big and small that don’t qualify to be inside the fence at the main media centre in the Vancouver Convention Centre or in the non-accredited provincial facility at Robson Square.

“With the explosive growth of online journalism, citizen journalism and new forms of journalism, we’re going to have huge demand for the services we’re offering there,” Krug said.

The concept was borne out of meetings last fall among disaffected members of the local new media community. Early on, VANOC was wide-eyed about the new media. Krug and others briefed VANOC executives and staff on a new media day back in 2005. But as the Games approached, things changed.

I remember Krug sitting crestfallen outside the Pan Pacific Hotel last November, ruing the fact that VANOC didn’t let him join in the world press briefing. That week, his Raincity Studios’ colleague Dave Olson extended a hand with his famous “Hello VANOC, we’re nice, local and invite you for a coffee and a talk” open letter.

Any VANOC forays into the virtual world have been on the coattails of telecommunications sponsor Bell. The Cultural Olympiad’s intriguing Canada CODE digital collage is the best example. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are used by many individuals at VANOC, but not VANOC itself.

The reluctance apparently comes from top-down. The IOC has tiptoed around the Internet, not fully embracing the new media. To its credit, it opened its own YouTube channel during the Beijing Games while liberalizing its rules to allow athlete blogs. Krug said the IOC’s top Canadian, Dick Pound, told him that the Internet is the second-biggest threat to the Olympics movement, after performance-enhancing drugs.

“They haven’t figured out how to harness the Internet, so they view it as a cannibalization of their broadcast revenues,” he said. “By not figuring out ways to engage the media, particularly the new media, they’re missing out on a whole generation.”

So Krug is intent on showing the IOC the potential.

“We have lots of people who are stoked abut it. You might have a Swedish ski blogger, and we’ll have the Christians blogging about Christians in the Olympics,” he said. “We’ll have other people who are probably anti-Olympics there, too. It’s like a big house, and everyone’s welcome in. It’s about open access for all these locked out, independent new media.”

“Rolling to the End of the Line” Transit mixed-media essay on the Buzzer

As part of Translink (the greater Vancouver area transit authority)’s “I Love Transit” week, i was invited by Jhenifer Pabliano to contribute an article about why i love transit. I assembled a mixed-media package to tell my story a few different ways – words, photos, poems, twitters and a podcast (some video coming soon for extra fun).

Here it is for your convenience, here’s: I Love Transit Week essay: Dave Olson

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For I Love Transit Week, I’m happy to share a contribution from Dave Olson, who is a prolific and talented local writer, podcaster, poet, Canucks superfan, and much more. You can find all of his work at uncleweed.net — and here’s some direct links to his blog, notebook, Twitter, and three podcasts: Postcard from Gravelly Beach, Choogle On, and Canucks Outsider.

So without further ado, here is “Rolling to the End of the Line,” an essay about transit by Dave Thorvald Olson.

Escape

Dave’s 4th Grade Sciene Fair Exhibit

Brother Bob and I would mimic the airhorns on the way to elementary school – same as we’d do for truckers and fire trucks, pulling the string down, hoping the bus driver would notice and honk. Seemed like a blast to me, tooling along in those big buses, filled with interesting people coming and going. I’d trace routes around Vancouver maps, then memorized provinces, states and countries – imagining myself at the wheel of some kind of bus. My 4th grade science fair exhibit extolled the wonders of Trolley Transit, complete with the proposed ALRT route traced off in felt pen on a GVRD map plus a stack of Buzzers to give away.

Later, transit became my escape. In the early 80s Vancouver was growing up – so much newness everywhere it seemed, except in my neighbourhood. So buddy Brad and I would skip out errr … wait until after … school and hop the 312 or 316. We’d roll down Kingsway, over an hour all told, to tromp down Granville to Odyssey Imports for records or Black Market for t-shirts. Then maybe skateboard over to that crazy new domed stadium place and hang out on the steps, trying to imagine would Vancouver would look like in 20 years. Then warm up in the law courts or the Vancouver Art Gallery before hopping a bus back home to the ‘burbs.

Exploration

My forays stretched later into night and ventured further afield – wherever there was an all-ages punk show or a sweet girl with busy parents, I’d find a bus route – navigating to shows at the York Theater on Commercial Drive or tracking down some old church or community hall on some route I’d never heard of charted out in a battered paper schedule. I remember missing the last bus to Surrey from downtown and hoofing all the way down Hastings to the PNE to catch another – a long walk in the cold Chuck Taylors before ending up at Whalley Exchange in the wee hours.

Dave’s beloved VW Microbus

In 1986, Vancouver changed. A lot. The SkyTrain (or Airbus as I preferred) was running for a few years to New West. We’d hop a #319 and whisk downtown on the ALRT in 22 scant minutes for the barrage of international events in shiny teal buildings. Suddenly Vancouver was modern and everyone came to watch. I’d seen most all of Vancouver from Ambleside to Crescent Beach by then, so I got my own bus – a VW camper bus – and set off travelling.

Creation

Twenty-two countries later and countless bus, trains, trolley and trams rides later, I returned and moved high up Lynn Valley – “Just ride the 210 ‘til the driver turns off the engine,” are the instructions to visiting friends. Living on the Baden-Powell trail also means I ride transit – a lot. Currently to Kitsilano – that’s two bridges of patience. But now, I am more prepared – I strap on oversized headphones, grab iPhone for live Twitter updates, snacks in pocket, and travel mug with tasty bevvie. Importantly, a Moleskine notebook, inky pens and an audio recorder in my lunch sack allow me use transit as a creative space.

The Crazy Canucks podcast crew, on the back of a bus! (Dave

Creation works best aboard the Seabus – the views stunning, you always get a seat, and if you are waiting, its your fault as the Seabus boasts punctuality the Germans would envy – indeed, “Otto and the Beav” rarely stumble whither windstorms or traffic jams (digression: i was hoping for “Sockeye” rather than “Breeze” for the third vessel’s name).

On my commute and weekend excursions, I mix up the routes for exploration and documenting the curious. I look to old-timers who rode routes toting heavy film cameras just to document the ordinary goings-on on 1930s Vancouver for inspiration. What I see goes into notebooks, snapshots, video clips and audio podcasts – sometime in the back seat recording a Canucks Outsider podcast, riding the SkyTrain end to end for a Choogle on podcast or documenting the SeaBus on Car-free day. Maybe writing freeverse and Twitter updates describing the scenes of life from the transit journey then co-mingling the spectacular and mundane of metropolitan Vangroovy into literary dim sum.

I love you, you’re perfect, now change

change my route to think about the neighbourhoods March 30, 2007 – Dave Olsoni change my route from time to time to think about the neighbourhoods switched Cambie 15 for Main Number 3 or Fraser if i don’t mind cutting across Kingsway skirted schoolgirls Xavier-bound headphones, sweaters in rows downtown exchanges spake in broken halts sometime gleaming often rain occasionally sleet, hail or ice Here are two more transit poems from Dave: The Ferry Changes Tack, and Waiting Only Twice a Day

Aboard these cooperative transport pods are keys to a civil society – you mingle with strangers, you guess their stories, you accidentally eavesdrop on conversations, or hope for the character who amuses you to come on board. Tolerance and translucency abound onboard. For me, I roll with a load of billeted foreign exchange student chattering away in Portuguese, Japanese or practicing English. You begin to notice the same people and sometimes recognize your bus buddies at a store or a bar as “ahhh it’s that guy from the 228″. At least I do.

I tell myself I am helping reduce greenhouse gases and getting one more car of the road, but it ain’t always easy keeping it that way. Like any relationship, me and transit have rifts and differences – ask me about my issues another time. Despite my policy conundrums, I ride because efficient transportation is key to a pleasing living experience for more of us. So the escape, exploration, creative space, collective experience and chance encounters still get me running down the block – with a warm beverage, giant headphones and notebook – to hop aboard, flash my two-zone pass, and say “hello” to the driver while heading for the good seat in the back.

Jess Sloss made a video – Me spieling about Olympics, indie media, etc.

Independent Media Center and the year 2010 with Dave Olson
Dave talks about the early plans for an independent media center to support media makers from around the world. http://www.raincitystudios.com for more.

More videos from Jess socialsquared

Tags: vancouver, 2010, vanoc, olympics, social media, independent media

Dave Spiels Forth at Canada Place outside VANOC Worldwide Press Briefing

Outside of the VANOC worldwide press briefing, independent media maker Dave Olson answers questions about the Olympics, protests, and tension between social concerns and international events. He spiels forth about peace, pacifism, understanding, love of winter sports, copyright, rumoured riots, the importance of dialouge and respect and conversation. Also he briefly recounts his experiences covering Olympic Games from a grassroots point of view. See 2010.dailyvancouver.com for more. Filmed by Manfred Becker.

Formats available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4), Flash Video (.flv), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v), Quicktime (.mov)

Tags: vanoc, vancouver, media, independent, olympics, 2010, canada place

Checking in from the 2010 Olympic Worldwide Press Briefing at Canada Place

KK and Uncle Weed check in from Canada Place after being rejected entry to the VANOC worldwide press briefing event. We had hoped use our experience crowd-covering previous Olympic Games to discuss how social media can enhance the accredited media’s coverage and also provide deep documentary into the fan experience and lesser-known athlete’s stories. Alas, we were asked to leave and watched over by a handful of Vancouver Police Officers. Outside we drink coffee and chat about the experience and such.

Formats available: Microsoft Video (.avi), MPEG-4 Video (.m4v), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: vancouver, vanoc, olympics, 2010, protest, accredation, canada place, police, media

For the record: happyfrog and 3rd Whale merger press release

Green Web and Mobile Companies Merge to Help Conscious Consumers “Be Green on the Go”
Cross-posted from PRWeb

What happens when a happy frog and a pod of whales get together to change the world? Vancouver, Canada-based, green web companies 3rdWhale.com and happyfrog.ca announced an equity merger with plans to grow globally with the goal of helping eco-minded consumers make informed choices in all aspects of their lifestyle – from organic food to eco-travel.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) November 12, 2008 — Vancouver Canada-based, green web companies 3rd Whale and happyfrog.ca announced an equity merger and plans to grow globally under the 3rd Whale name.

The merger combines 3rd Whale’s location-based mobile phone application with happyfrog.ca’s rich “web 2.0″ platform providing green consumers with cross-platform tools to find values-aligned businesses. By using the company’s next generation mobile and web tools, participants can easily share their eco-smarts by adding business reviews, blog posts, and mentoring programs to help others reduce their eco-footprint.

3rd Whale is best known for the “Greenest Person in the World” contest which generated media exposure from Venezuela to Germany. 3rd Whale is the brainchild of Boyd Cohen, who holds a Ph. D in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and is an Assistant Professor at British Columbia’s Simon Fraser University. The company recently opened an office in Sunnyvale, California and is actively adding members to the executive team and meeting with venture capital firms in Silicon Valley.

Dr. Cohen, CEO, points out, “By combining happyfrog’s expertise in web delivery of green business listings, and related community engagement, with the growing global brand of 3rdwhale.com and our mobile application, we are poised to initiate truly global change.”

In just over a year, happyfrog.ca grew into the definitive directory for finding environmental and wellness focused businesses and organizations in B.C. Happyfrog’s platform also gave a voice to bloggers and the public to share their opinions about favorite businesses from yoga to sushi with the Myhappyfrog social networking platform.

Happyfrog’s “Frog squad” of bloggers and podcasters were visible at eco-trade shows and conferences, including EPIC Sustainable Living Expo at Canada Place, resulting in tremendous exposure for the businesses and organizations showing real environmental leadership.

Founded by independent media veteran Ron Williams, happyfrog was built and launched by Webby-nominated consulting firm, Social Signal (known for Change Everything, BCHydro Green Gifts).

Williams, now President of 3rd Whale, expressed his excitement with the merger saying, “When I first dreamed of creating happyfrog.ca, I knew partnering with values and technology-aligned companies would be the key to scaling to a larger base. Upon meeting the 3rd Whale team, I knew we’d found a great fit to bring our local prototype to a worldwide audience.”

3rd Whale’s mobile application (called Luna) is in public beta for iPhone and on track for general release on Nov. 14th followed by versions for the Google Android and RIM Blackberry platforms. The happyfrog.ca site will be re-imagined and re-branded as 3rdwhale.com and tens of thousands of new entries will be added in conjunction with subsequent rolling launches in new markets worldwide.

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environment ecology business entrepreneurship ron williams boyd cohen dave olson vancouver start-up merger acquisition

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Tags: happyfrog, 3rdwhale, merger, ecology, acquisition,

We Need More Buses! A Campaign by Drivers for Riders (ps thanks)

Excerpted from Meeting Friends at Health Show at Canada Place

… I can’t help but mentioning “More Buses Now!“

This campaign, organized by the transit drivers union, is holding the government to their promises of more buses – not just new buses to replace the aging fleet, but a significant increase in the total buses to encourage ridership, and stop the overcrowding which leads to pass-bys, crowded conditions, and compromised service and safety.

Not fun for anyone – riders or drivers – watching the bus roll by on a rainy day with places to go – yuch.

Participate by sending your opinion to Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon.

More Buses Now! Ask Kevin Falcon very nicely

I’m a daily transit rider (rocking the bus, seabus and skytrain – sometimes all in the same day) and certainly advocate for making transit more convenient and more comfortable rather than looking at public conveyance as a perk or service only for the dis-enfranchised.

I love riding and relaxing while someone else drives which is why I helped ringlead Vancouver Transit
Camp so continued big-ups to Translink for participating in the Skytrain Security Un-conference and huge ups to the organizers for putting this important dialogue in front of the public.

Finally, to really support transit and sensible transportation policies in general – anyone living in Surrey, be sure to vote for Paul Hillsdon for Surrey City Council and/or School Trustee – otherwise, be sure to read his plans for sustainable transportation in the entire region.

Bonus

Karen Quinn Fung – transit activist and scholar, added some of my acerbic dose of punditry to the conversation in Public Perceptions of Transit Security:

As I mentioned yesterday, if you haven’t heard Dave Olson aka Uncle Weed’s rant on transit police on his Choogle On podcast, I highly recommend it with some good humour – his delivery is spot-on, and he entirely captures my own feelings on the topic. (For those of you with delicate ears, he does use some abrasive and explicit language. Nothing worse than you’ll hear on the SkyTrain.) It also brings home an awful lot of issues for me – this is a bit of a long post as a result.

{snip}

Perhaps you’re ready to write Dave off, because you think he’s of a different political stripe or has an entirely different set of values. That’s a legitimate reason to disagree with his delivery, perhaps, but not, I think, with his observations or the broader argument: that as citizens we have the right and perhaps even a duty to question how the presence of surveillance and constant visible law enforcement in our every day lives affects how we act and live in our communities.

Thanks to Karen for so gracefully sharing my spiel with transcription (which matches my stream of consciousness exactly – like stepping my own head). I do indeed ride transit everywhere i go (as in, in other countries and cities besides Vancouver) and like the other Dave OlsEn, i wish transit were free for the people!