SNCA - St. Lucia Day Celebration Nov 30th UBC 4pm

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
zipolita@gmail.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+



UBC's Scandinavian and Nordic Cultural Association  is doing a small celebration of St. Lucia Day by performing a small Lucia train, and providing a few refreshments (hopefully some julmust, mulled 'wine', saffron buns and gingersnaps). 

Please come enjoy some Swedish Christmas & Lucia carols sung by our small amateur choir. 

Doors at 4pm, music at 4:30pm for about half an hour.

Join us and Share this event on Facebook.
 https://www.facebook.com/events/409758089095140/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

 
 Visit the SNCA website here
http://snca.wordpress.com/lucia/

 To Read More About SNCA click the link below.

http://about.me/snca_ubc

SNCA UBC

Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/SNCAofUBC

Stop Ads On CBC & Let's Change Advertising to Positive Moments!!!

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
zipolita@gmail.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+


STOP ADS ON THE CBC!!

Let's be honest here, advertising today is UNHEALTHY!! And EVERYBODY knows it! All it does most of the time is tell you that you are fat, unhealthy, smell, or need something. What ever it's selling, you are not going to be happy until you have this. One of the things I love about being in Mexico right now, is we have no TV.

That's right, no TV and I love it. We don't even have a radio.  I have the internet and I am informed but I chose the info I receive by following the channels, pages that I like.

The CBC is a sanctuary that for those people who enjoy it, listen to it because it's super unique and doesn't have all those horrible ads.

It's true, the Harper government is brutalizing it with deep budget cuts but people have to support the CBC and take on Harper, not cave in and put ridulicous demeaning advertising on it. I realise they must be desperate and people jobs are on the line, so please I understand that I have empathy for the people trying to make the right decisions faced with these difficult issues but this not the right decision.

Watch these videos that they created. It comical but it's very realistic in it's depiction about what will happen to the CBC.



It's just to bad they can't outlaw all "negative" advertising on TV and Radio, it's obviously what people want.  The internet is just as bad but you more control. On TV or radio all you have is mute.

People obviously realize it unhealthy and they are unhappy with it,  that's why they pay the big bucks to pre-program the TV, so they don't have to be harrassed and brainwashed by negative advertising. Not everyone has that option of pre-programming and it doesn't exist for radio.

I guess that's really the next step these petition campaigns have to take is to stop negative, demeaning, brainwashing and inappropriate advertising.

 I remember once watching a show with my daughter on YTV (I TRULY DISLIKE THE ADS ON YTV-NOW THERE'S PLACE TO START A STOP THE ADS CAMPAIGN) but sometimes there are good shows or movies and my kid really wants to watch, so it's super frustrating)and yes it was targeted at pre-teen kids, but my daughter who was 8 or 9 at the time  was watching and every commercial break a condom commercial came on.

And the ad was targeted at adults, it wasn't a be careful gentle approach in a way that would be appropriate to educate younger children, so we had to have a big conversation about that and she was pretty grossed out because the same commercial "CONDOM MAN" (or something like that) kept coming on. Yuck! Poor kid :( Poor me :( Poor Everybody :(

I hope people will speak up on this issue. This is a good start and I hope it opens the flood gates of discussion on this subject. Let's Stop Ads on the CBC, but let's Stop the Negative Advertising Everywhere.

 Let's just have positive happy healthy moments, where people are encouraged to get up and stretch and take a breath, take a walk, meditate, enjoy the day, do some art, hug a loved one, cuddle their pet, now that is the type of advertising that could really change the world.

Until then though, please sign the petition and STOP ADS ON THE CBC. Gracias! http://www.friends.ca/ads/

Living Democracy- ALL Voices Need to be Heard!

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
zipolita@gmail.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+

Save Canada's Environmental Laws

Campaign feature: Living Democracy from the Ground Up

Explore Living Democracy from the Ground Up. 

Watch these Videos and click here and  Sign the Petition. 


Make your Voice Heard. Protect B.C. & Canada from Environmental Attacks.

www.envirolawsmatter.ca
Canadians want strong environmental laws to protect our communities, ecosystems, health, and economy. This channel is a gathering space for those who are fighting to maintain and strengthen those laws and our core Canadian values.

Here are 50 Groups that Endorse Save Canada's Environment
http://www.envirolawsmatter.ca/endorsers







 The 50 Groups on this link Endorsed the following Statement of Principles below
http://www.envirolawsmatter.ca/endorsers
updated May 9, 2012

Here are 10 see link for the other 40 
1. Alberta Wilderness Association
albertawilderness.ca
2. BC Nature (Federation of BC Naturalists)
bcnature.ca
3. BC Sustainable Energy Association
bcsea.org
4. Bow Valley Naturalists
bowvalleynaturalists.org
5. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
cape.ca
6. Canadian Environmental Law Association
cela.ca
7. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
cpaws.org
8. Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists
cseb-scbe.org
9. Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition
ccwc.ab.ca
10. Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy
steadystate.org

http://www.envirolawsmatter.ca/statement_of_principles

Statement of Principles

Strong environmental assessment (EA) laws should be based on and measured against the following key principles:

1. Adopt sustainability as the core objective.
EA legislation should be directed, at its core, to achieving specific and measurable sustainability goals and leaving a positive environmental and socio-economic legacy.

2. Strengthen public participation.
An effective and inclusive EA should have early and ongoing processes to meaningfully engage the public in assessments of proposed projects or policies, including demonstrated participation opportunities from the initial identification of the proposal through to monitoring, full transparency and sharing of information not only by government but also by proponents. Meaningful engagement with the public also requires that funding is provided through an independent body for multi-faceted assistance to participants and on an early and ongoing basis.

3. Meaningfully involve Aboriginal governments as decision makers.
An EA process should respect and accommodate Aboriginal and Treaty rights, including Aboriginal title, with Aboriginal rights-holders having a meaningful role in government-togovernment decision making on resource development in their territories and all aspects of environmental planning and assessment.

4. Establish legal framework for strategic environmental assessments.
Strategic EA should systematically integrate environmental considerations into government planning and decision making processes relating to proposed policies, plans and programs and there should be public records to demonstrate how this integration has been carried out and implemented.

5. Establish legal framework for regional environmental assessments (REAs).
REAs undertaken ahead of industrial development, or a major expansion of development, should be carried out to help define the terms and requirements of subsequent project assessments as well as providing baseline data and analysis for subsequent assessments.

6. Require comprehensive, regional cumulative effects assessments.
Create and implement a mechanism so that comprehensive, regional cumulative effects assessments are conducted based on the need to manage for sustainability and the outcomes legally integrated into decision making.

7. Employ multijurisdictional assessment and avoid substitution.
Effective EA should require that all provinces and territories negotiate, in serious consultation with Aboriginal governments, and execute harmonization agreements with the federal government that: allow for predictable sharing of EA responsibilities; follow the highest standards and best practices; and allow for efficient administration of the process among all affected levels of government and departments.

8. Ensure transparency and access to information.
For any EA process to be credible and transparent, all project information, including that not required by the assessor but produced by the proponent, should be readily accessible online.

9. Make EA procedures more fair, predictable, and accessible.
Each type of EA should have predictable processes, actors, and procedures; but predictability of process must not be conflated with predictability of outcome. Even where simplified, each step in an EA should demonstrate how all information required to make the best decision, including that provided by Aboriginal peoples and the public, is being fully considered. An efficient EA regime should provide for clear rights of appeal for affected parties and for those with public interest standing.

10. Apply design principles throughout the EA process to ensure that focus and efficiency do not come at the expense of democratic and constitutional rights.
A successful EA regime must be applied broadly and consistently, while ensuring particular reviews are focused and efficient. Any policy or proposed project that could inhibit progress toward sustainability goals or cause significant adverse environmental impacts must undergo an EA.

Do Kids Need Math? Do most people? No!!

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
zipolita@gmail.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+


Whooohooo! This guy is AWESOME!! 

He makes soooooooooooooo MUCH sense. I have math story. Want to hear it?

I had a math teacher in Grade 8 that was not very good at his job. I fell behind and never could catch up. I managed to get thru Grade 10 Math but HATED it! I never wanted to take Math again. And so I didn't.

I took ART! I LOVED ART! I had great Art teachers in 8, 9, and 10...but 11 & 12, different story. And that's another story. But part of that story is because of the issues with Art I changed to photography. Anyways, I couldn't wait to graduate. I never wanted to go to school again.

When I graduated I went to work in labour. I worked on big production farms and in factories. Fast forward 10 years and I get tendonitis really bad working in a repetitive labour intensive job. I go back to school. I want to take Professional Photography, BUT I need MATH and not only that PHYSICS.

My Math is so old now I have to re-take grade 10 Math so I can take the grade 11 Math. Thankfully I had an awesome teacher, BUT I also had a boyfriend I was living with and everytime I got stuck on a problem he got me thru it and I could finish my homework. I got an A. But many of the other kids/adults did not. Some even failed.

Then I had to take the Grade 11 Math. I was so incredibly stressed, I needed this stupid course with quadratic equations so I could take my Photography course, it was what was standing in the way of my dream.

 I remember watching the teacher mark my paper and she was going over my mistakes and tears were falling and some landed on the page, and I couldn't help it and it was just awful.

Anyways I managed a B somehow, and while accomplishing this helped boost my ego a lot when I took the Business Math in the Photography program I sucked and barely passed. I am still not sure how I did it, but 2 other kids didn't. Mainly because they didn't go every single day, which I did.

The Physics was another battle and that I did thru correspondence. Yikes, Yuck!

Thankfully that's all behind me now. And you know what. I don't use any of it. 

 And I am a very good photographer and artist.

My girl is learning Math now. She had to go to public school recently because they were renovating our building and the noise was so bad that I had to send her for our sanity. She came home with Math headaches. It's CRAZY!!  Why are we doing this to kids? God didn't invent Math. You don't see bears and deers in the forest calculating and using math problems to figure things out.

 This speaker, John Bennett, is so RIGHT ON!! Stop teaching Math after age 10. Let kids learn cool brain games, there are lots on the internet and in boardgames and other places.

Analytical thinking makes sense. Having common sense and figuring out consequences that makes sense. Math makes no sense.  Even many mathematicians say that algebra is all imaginary.

It's unhealthy to stress child this way and at the same time stress there parents and everyone around them.

It's unhealthy to test children period, I believe. Anyways, I love this guy and I hope people wake up to this and stop teaching useless Math in school.

Instead teach them gardening. Teach them to grow food in raised bed gardens. How to compost and grow seeds and plants in popbottle greenhouses. Teach them about GMO and seedbanks. Teach them how to harvest the food, how to weigh it and measure it and how to cook with it.

Teach them how to pick it and pack it and sell it in a market. These are the skillls they need. This is the reality today.  You could also teach them how to build cob houses. That would be a super useful skill. A pratical skill. These are the skills and tools need today.

If a kid really wants Math fine. But don't force anyone to learn what they don't want and which they see no point in learning. Help them learn the tools they need to truly succeed and be happy in life.

I AM an Artist because of Mr. Dressup!

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
zipolita@gmail.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+

Like so many Canadian kids, I grew up with Mr. Dressup.

Non-free media information and use rationale for Mr. Dressup

 His show is one of my fondest childhood memories. I just remember him always being there, him and the Friendly Giant.

I loved the Tickle Trunk with all the incredible costumes, he really made your imagination come to life with all the little skits he put on.

My favorite part was when he drew pictures. He was so DARN GOOD at it!! He made it look so easy and so fun.


Casey and Finnegan were so much fun too and I loved it when we went to the treehouse. I always imagined what it looked like in there and what it would be like to live in it.

Mr. Dressup, Ernie Coombs, would have been 85 this year, and I'm so thankful that Google acknowledged him and reminded me of what a great man he was.

I don't think I would be an artist today if I hadn't watched him as much as I did. He truly imprinted me and I am so grateful. Thank you Mr. Dressup, Thank you Ernie Coombs, Thank you CBC for showing Mr. Dressup all through my childhood and later. You were a stable in my life when sometimes it was chaotic and stressful, I could escape for a little time that I always new would be peaceful and fun.


I just loved this spider costume, it was one of my favorites. :D
I also love that they addressed teasing (bullying ) in this video. Such simple methods but I believe it works. They need more of Mr. Dressup type programming these days!



If you want to learn more about this wonderful children's program please visit Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Dressup



My Watercolours

Here's your Awwww moment for the night!

Tina Winterlik © 2012
zipolita@gmail.com
http://zipolitazvideoz.blogspot.mx/
http://zipolitazwebdezign.blogspot.mx/


I hope this posts okay, I just got it from Facebook. Awwwwwwww!
So cute and sweet! 

They were really brave and smart!

Can We Change the World in Four Years...

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
tina_winterlik@yahoo.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+




http://www.fouryearsgo.org/
What is FOUR YEARS. GO. is a call to shift humanity’s course to a thriving, just, and sustainable future by the end of 2014.



When I first found this website I guess about a year ago,  I was so psyched. I posted lots on my blog about it and I was very motivated trying to spread the word. Then I guess I did what I was supposed and started focusing on me. How can I change the world? What is my role?

And that is what I have been working on the last while, it's one of the big reasons why we went WWOOF'ing. http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.mx/2012/11/woof-video-contest-ends-nov-152012.html







It's why we are in Mexico and I am dreaming, praying and projecting we can get a little piece of land and build a cob house and have raised bed gardens, composting, pop bottle greenhouses, rabbits, chickens, get fish from the ocean and live in the simple way possible with the lightest eco-footprint.

There are some wonderful videos here for solutions so I hope you'll watch. http://www.fouryearsgo.org/solutions/  

The website is new and I haven't even seen alot of them but I'm glad to come across all this again and I happy to find more info






http://www.fouryearsgo.org/solutions/oceans/

Source: National Geographic’s 10 Things You Can Do To Save the Ocean

1. Mind Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Energy Consumption
2. Make Safe, Sustainable Seafood Choices  

3. Use Fewer Plastic Products 

4. Help Take Care of the Beach

5. Don't Purchase Items That Exploit Marine Life

6. Be an Ocean-Friendly Pet Owner

7. Support Organizations Working to Protect the Ocean
8. Influence Change in Your Community

9. Travel the Ocean Responsibly

10. Educate Yourself About Oceans and Marine Life   




Water-This video will make you think about your next glass of water.
       

The Burden of Thirst -http://www.fouryearsgo.org/solutions/freshwater/

The Rights of Nature is a global initiative to gain recognition and respect for the rights of Mother Earth within international treaties, national governance and local ordinances.

World People's Conference

Climate Change & the Rights of Mother Earth

 http://pwccc.wordpress.com/programa/


Consumerism
http://www.fouryearsgo.org/solutions/consumerism/ 
A huge system of cultural assumptions and actively intrusive advertising is bombarding people with the message that they are not happy, healthy, whole and satisfied unless they buy, have, use, and consume the latest product.

This video is 21 minute but you just HAVE to watch it!!

The Miniature Earth . 2010 edition . Official version  

What if the world's population were reduced to 100 people community? Visit www.miniature-earth.com

http://www.fouryearsgo.org/solutions/secure-our-future/

♫♥ We are all connected to this Earth ♫♥

Sustainability Explained through Animation 

http://www.fouryearsgo.org/solutions/sustainability/

Your Eco-footprint

Find out how many Earths it takes to sustain your lifestyle – and what you can do to reduce your impact. Mathis Wackernagel: The Ecological Footprint



http://www.fouryearsgo.org/solutions/ecofootprint/
Want to make some changes but unsure where to start? Here are some of the main ways to reduce your personal impact on the Earth’s resources through your daily choices:

• Be transportation-smart: drive less, drive smart, share rides, and use public transport whenever you can.

• Save energy: use compact fluorescent light bulbs, and turn off lights, computers, TVs and other appliances when not in use.

• Eat lower on the food chain: whether or not you are to go veggie or vegan, even small adjustments in your food choices add up to a big difference over time.

• Be thoughtful about water use: use low-flow shower heads, sink aerators and low-flush toilets.

• Reduce plastic and decrease or eliminate “disposables.” Use your own cloth napkin, non-plastic cup or refillable water bottle and take-home containers.

 Make Your Voice Heard!

As individuals, much of our Ecological Footprint is shaped by infrastructure decisions of business leaders and policymakers. Hold your leaders accountable for taking actions to balance the budget with nature, rather than adding to our “ecological debt.”

RSA Animate - 21st century enlightenment

 http://www.fouryearsgo.org/solutions/go-deeper/

Painted on a wall near W. Broadway and Main St. in Vancouver BC. Photo by Tina Winterlik © 2012

2012 - A Message of Hope

WOOF VIDEO CONTEST-Winner Announced Soon!

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
tina_winterlik@yahoo.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+


UPDATE NOVEMBER 27/2012: Just a few more days until we find out the Contest Winner. Still wanted to share our video because I want to let you know about this great opportunity to WWOOF IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER, LEARN & GROW TOGETHER! 
 
This whole experience has helped me really figure out what I want for my child and myself. 

A small cob house, a beautiful garden of raised beds and trellises and ways to produce food in small area. 

A few chickens and rabbits, a cat, a dog and maybe a bird. 

Plus a great composting station to produce awesome rich earth from all the food scraps we don't eat and the leaves from the garden. 

A popbottle green house made from all the popbottles the tourist use when they visit Zipolite. 

That's my dream. Oh and to make sell chocolates, paint, do photography and help artists and businesses with Social Media, especially "green" businesses. 

That's my dream, and winning this contest will help it to come true...it will get it started. :) and everything we learned WWOOF'ing has helped give me knowledge to fullfill it! :D 

I highly recommend WWOOF'ing it will help you DISCOVER, LEARN AND GROW!!

So this is it. I'm excited. Tomorrow is the last day of the WWOOF  VIDEO CONTEST. Winners will be announced Dec 2. WOOT!  May the best video win!!

We had a lot of fun this summer when we went WWOOFing.

Photos by Tina Winterlik © 2012

Angel learned to feed chickens and milk a cow. We got to go out into the meadows and pick St. John's Wort. We learned how to care for ducks and how they are good at eating bugs and slugs in the garden. We learned what it's like to live with a group of people in a different environment that we were used to. We got to live in a Yurt. We got out of the city and really into the country with all the fresh air, forest, farms, bears, bugs and all. WWOOF is all that and so much more. Please check out my video below.

Have you heard about Solar Storms. It's a solar flare that causes electrical surges.
Here's some pics from NASA http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2012/03/22/PowerOfSolarStorm-poster1280.jpg

Have you ever thought about what you would do if one wiped out all the electricity? There would be no banking? so no money right? What would you do? Could you feed you kids? 

"If they're directed at Earth, such flares and associated solar events can create long lasting radiation storms that can harm satellites, communications systems, and even ground-based technologies and power grids. NASA and NOAA – as well as the US Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) and others -- keep a constant watch on the sun to monitor for X-class flares and their associated magnetic storms. With advance warning many satellites, spacecraft and technologies can be protected from the worst effects. Read more here"

More info on the Solar Flare Jan 22/2012
 http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010800/a010899/index.html

Nasa says we don't have to worry about anything but still...
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html


Learning to grow your own food will help Mother Earth in so many ways. Right now the practice of huge mass productions farms are so unhealthy for Mother Earth and us. Learning to grow your own food the way our grandparents did and selling excess at Farmers Markets is the way to go.

If you had a little piece of land where you could grow your own food that would be a smart thing wouldn't. Maybe you don't even know how to do that.

Maybe you should consider WWOOF- Willing Workers On Organic Farm. WWOOF is where you exchange your labour for food and shelter. It's a world wide organisation but not all are the same.

WWOOF.ca is for Canada. We signed up and went WWOOFing this summer at 2 places. It was very enlightening in so many ways and I do recommend it..

To find out what it's like please watch my video. Tomorrow is the last day for the WWOOF Video Contest. It ends Nov. 15/2012 at midnight. I would really appreciate you vote. A view is a vote, so please vote. Just watch this video and please share. Muchos Gracias!! We really appreciate this. :) Thank you so much. 

And you'll learn a lot!! It's a good video! You'll see!


WWOOF is Discovering, Learning & Growing Together. This is my entry for the "WWOOF IS" Contest with "WWOOF Canada". Please share this widely and Think Organic Farming and Sustainable Living!! Contest Ends Nov 15th 2012. Winners will be announced Dec 2/2012.

Fishing for Fun & Crayfish on the Cowichan River

Duncan Garage- Best Croissants EVER!! Photos by Tina Winterlik © 2012

St. John's Wort that we collected in the meadow-Photos by Tina Winterlik © 2012

Living a Yurt in Duncan BC -Photos by Tina Winterlik © 2012

Where we lived- in a Yurt! Photos by Tina Winterlik © 2012

Hiking along the Cowichan River-Photos by Tina Winterlik © 2012

Relaxing and Reading! Photos by Tina Winterlik © 2012

I love lavender!! Photos by Tina Winterlik © 2012

Remembrance Day 2012- Remember...

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
tina_winterlik@yahoo.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+

From Wikipedia
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. 

This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. 

Photo by Tina Winterlik © 2012

Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month," in accordance with the Armistice, signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 a.m.) World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.
^{Read more here}

 RMR: Rick's Rant - Remember to Remember


Well done Rick!! This is so true, it made me think and made me teary. :(
Let's remember to remember! 

I remember the first time when I really understood what Remembrance Day was. I think I was 8 or 9. I was in Brownies and somehow I got to be my group's leader. That meant that I was chosen to walk with Guide and someone else (I forget who) and put a wreath of poppies at the Cenotaph.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Remembrance_march.jpeg

Photo by Joe Mabel

 For me is was a little scary and I remember I was very nervous. Everyone was so quiet and no one was smiling. It definitely imprinted me.  

I remember too that we all learned the poem in Flanders Fields in school. As I write this my daughter asks "Why did they fight? " That's a big question and I am not able to answer very well. We google and research it. She understand what Remembrance Day is about and tomorrow even though we are Mexico, we will take some time to remember...

I am sorry I do not know the illustrator of this image. Please tell me and I will credit them. 

 From Wikipedia
The poem was written by Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae on 3 May 1915 after witnessing the death of his friend, a fellow soldier, the day before. The poem was first published on 8 December 1915 in the London-based magazine Punch.  Read more here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:In_Flanders_fields_and_other_poems,_handwritten.png

In Flanders Fields

The first chapter of In Flanders Fields and Other Poems, a 1919 collection of McCrae's works, gives the text of the poem as follows:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

Copied from Canadian Living - thank you for sharing!

Why Wear a Poppy

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said,

And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;

But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.
A boy came whistling down the street,
...Bouncing along on care-free feet.

His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she'd pinned it on, he turned to say;
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered; "This is Remembrance Day.
And the poppy there is a symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.

And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.
I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.

He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird, he would race about.
As the years went by, he learned and grew,
And became a man - as you will, too.

He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day.

When he smiled at me and said, 'Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mum, please don't cry.'
But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.

His letters told of the awful fight
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.

Till at last, at last, the war was won -
And that's why we wear a poppy, son."
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight
But your son - did he come back all right?"
A tear rolled down each faded cheek;
She shook her head, but didn't speak
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me, you'd have done the same:

For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Though our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!
And so, when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and Give!

Don Crawford

I am sorry I do not know the illustrator of this image. Please tell me and I will credit them. 

Save BC's Endangered Forests

Photos & Video
Tina Winterlik © 2012
tina_winterlik@yahoo.com
http://zipolitazvideoz.blogspot.mx/
http://zipolitazwebdezign.blogspot.mx/

Please sign this petition. I believe our survival and children's survival depends on preserving our forest. I want to take my child to see these huge giants and the eagles and all the incredible flora and fauna that is critical to a healthy environment.

One day I would like to take my child and spend time with a wise elder and learn the precious knowledge about the forest that needs to be passed on to us.  Please take action to protect all forests.


Petition to Protect British Columbia’s Endangered Old-Growth Forests and Forestry Jobs http://www.ancientforestpetition.com/

Old-growth forests are important because they:

• Sustain wildlife, including species at risk that can’t flourish in younger forests.
• Store vast quantities of atmospheric carbon. Coastal old-growth forests store twice or more carbon per hectare than the ensuing second-growth tree plantations that they are replaced with.
• Provide clean water for people, salmon, trout, and wildlife.
• Act as fundamental pillars of BC’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry.
• Are important parts of many First Nations cultures.  Read and sign petition here

Filmed and edited by TJ Watt

Visit the Ancient Forest Alliance website at http://www.ancientforestalliance.org
to see more videos, photo galleries, new stories, and to find out how to can help!


Seen here is Canada's largest tree, a western redcedar named the Cheewhat Giant growing in a remote location near Cheewhat Lake within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on southerwestern Vancouver Island. The tree measures over 6 meters (20 feet) in trunk diameter, 56 meters (182 feet) in height, and 450 cubic meters in timber volume (or 450 regular telephone poles worth of wood). Luckily the tree, discovered in 1988, is within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, which was created in 1971. Read more here

See more giant trees here http://www.ancientforestalliance.org/photos.php?gID=1

See my videos here http://www.ancientforestalliance.org/videos.php


http://www.ancientforestpetition.com/news-item.php?ID=495
- The eagles have landed

Fri, Nov 2 - Conservationists are pressing government to preserve some old growth forest near Harrison Hot Springs that is habitat to many eagles.

Read it on Global News: The eagles have landed - News Hour - Videos | Global BC

Stop the Canada-China FIPA & Nexen takeover-STOP HARPER

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
tina_winterlik@yahoo.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+

The first I heard about this was from Elizabeth May 

 http://elizabethmay.ca/

The threat to Canada’s sovereignty — what we are giving to China 

 

http://elizabethmay.ca/in-the-news/island-tides/the-threat-to-canadas-sovereignty-what-we-are-giving-to-china/

http://www.greenparty.ca/blogs/7/2012-10-29/quand-harper-s-en-prend-la-constitution#comment-16372

 This morning I signed a petition on Leadnow.ca

Tell Prime Minister Stephen Harper:
Stop the Canada-China FIPA and Nexen takeover

At any moment, Prime Minister Harper could pass the most secretive and sweeping trade deal of a generation. Read More Here http://www.leadnow.ca/stop-fipa

 

Just now someone shared Rick Mercer Report. Please watch and take action.

 TAKE ACTION- SIGN A PETITION!  
http://www.leadnow.ca/stop-fipa

So Obama Won! & they Voted to Legalize Pot & Equal Marriage!

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2012
tina_winterlik@yahoo.com
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+


I truthfully did not follow the campaigns at all. I have been here in Mexico and have no TV access and well I just didn't follow it on the internet either. I felt powerless and so I just let it all happen and waited for the results.

I know people were sick and tired of all the campaigning at the end. You could hear it loud and clear on Facebook and Twitter.

I had read that Obama would win by a small margin, at one point it looked like Romney was going to win when watching the stats, but then the next minute Obama was ahead and then he won.

On Twitter he tweeted this

Four more years.

It became the most tweeted tweet EVER!


While watching and waiting for Obama's acceptance speech on my computer (which took forever) in my room in Zipolite, way down south in Oaxaca Mexico( which is pretty amazing when you think of it) http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/cvplive/cvpstream2  I followed my Facebook.

and someone blogged about "Obama Declares Election Victory Via Email And Tweet Before Speech" - http://bit.ly/TJNQsy

which is interesting and tells where we are with Social Media & technology today!

I was psyched to hear that

Amendment 64 Passes: Colorado Legalizes Marijuana For Recreational Use 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/amendment-64-passes-in-co_n_2079899.html




http://www.kgw.com/news/politics/Initiative-502-Legalizing-marijuana-in-Wash-176873221.html

So WOOT!! Wow!! Yippee! Now Stephen Harper you don't have much of an arguement about why we can't get with the program and legalize and have a

Human rights–based approach to drugs policy

http://www.greenparty.ca/media-release/2011-06-02/need-human-rights-based-approach-drugs-policy

http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.mx/2012/04/international-420-day.html

The Green Party recommends the following actions:

• Legalize marijuana by removing marijuana from the drug schedule.
• Create a regulatory framework for the safe production of marijuana by small, independent growers.
• Develop a taxation rate for marijuana similar to that of tobacco.
• Establish the sale of marijuana to adults for medicinal or personal use through licensed distribution outlets.
• Educate the public about the health threats of marijuana, tobacco and other drug use.

Provide increased funding to safe injection sites, treatment facilities and addict rehabilitation which have now proven to be economically and socially in the best interests of the country.

And STOP the STUPID War on Drugs!!

The only war on drugs we should have is the on the pharmaceutical companies but that's another whole battle. Someone told the most money in the world is spent on weapons the 2nd is on pharmaceuticals. Obviously it's time people woke up and changed to a more holistic and organic lifestyle of more indigenous traditions.

I was SUPER HAPPY to see that Maryland, Maine and Washington APPROVED EQUAL MARRIAGE. Wow!! that took a long time, United States your finally getting there. 

There were some funny tweets last night, here was one of my faves.
Funny Tweet

@TimWilliamsPGH

So, Big Bird keeps his job at PBS. Bert & Ernie can finally get married. Grover, Oscar, & the Count can smoke 1, 2, 3, 4 joints. Ah ah ah!

I don't quite get the whole big bird thing, I missed it, I saw a photo of someone dressed as Big Bird going to vote but maybe someone can explain all that to me.

This tweet is really relevant
For Sure!!

EarthMatter @EarthDefendah

RT @ecoforumorg @Ellenerlanger Now we need to ensure that #Obama doesn't compromise or renege on his #green and... http://bit.ly/PCwOMt

I don't know much about Romney but I saw a few things that lead me to believe are views are completely opposite on many issues, but I was on the fence for Obama (not like a get any choice in this matter except to express my views)  because I heard he's in favor of the Enbridge Pipeline!

 That upsets me and I sure hope that he's not!! and  I hope that he'll rethink all that because the Enbridge Pipeline is the stupidest, most detrimental proposal ever. I won't even get started on that. You can read some of my posts on it if you want.

STOP THE PIPELINE!
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.mx/2012/10/way-to-go-bc-save-our-coast.html 
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.mx/2012/05/stop-pipeline.html 

Donald Trump made big fool of himself with his tweets and they captured in twitter

Ha Ha Ha!! http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Photos+Donald+Trump+Sorest+Loser/7508885/story.html

Photos: Donald Trump is... The Sorest Loser
Donald Trump was not happy about President Barack Obama winning four more years in the White House, and he took to Twitter to voice his frustrations. Though he has deleted several of his post-election tweets, we were able to capture them just in time. Maybe his next reality show could be called The Sorest Loser?
See his tweets here: http://bit.ly/SzXSJQ

From Twitter

"We can't let this happen. We should march on Washington and stop this travesty. Our nation is totally divided!," he wrote.

"Lets fight like hell and stop this great and disgusting injustice! The world is laughing at us. (sic)"

When I saw this I tweeted "Omgosh, how sad! The world is not laughing at you it's clapping for you!" 

I was so tired waiting for Obama's speech. It was fun seeing all the happy people while watching CNN Live http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/cvplive/cvpstream2  but it was after 12am in Mexico and I was exhausted.

Finally Obama came on

CKNW ‏@CKNW

Obama just took stage to Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" 

Which was sort of cool. All the music was really good and that was nice but like I said long.

I guess because he wait a long time for Romney to concede and then whatever phone calls he had to make and who knows but finally he made his speech and it was good.

I like that he said the that after 10 years of war it was almost over. Thank God! 

And how he really tried to reach out to the average working person and about the health care system is working, it sounds like that with the changes about and these things that are happening the US is progressing and healing again.  So kudos to Obama for a good speech and Kudos to the people for voting to legalize marijuana and legalize equal marriage. 

Like I said I hope that Obama keeps "green" and that the US really tries to stop using oil and look for alternatives. 

I hope the whole world works on that for that matter. 

And with that I want to share the videos below because these gentleman really discuss some very relevant info on where we are in this universe in the scheme of things and what we have to do to get there.

Addressing the Root: Change Starts Within

http://www.pachamama.org/blog/addressing-the-root-change-starts-within

There is no shortage of ideas, inventions, and technological advances focused on alleviating the environmental and social crises we are increasingly being asked to address.  It would be nice to believe that technology, legislation, and lifestyle choices are both the cause, and the answer, to these problems, and that if we implement enough action in the right direction, and employ enough grit and determination, we just might be able to move off the unsustainable, unjust track we’re on.

A Widespread Crisis of Consciousness

In this compelling video series, two visionaries – Duane Elgin, author of many books including “Voluntary Simplicity;” and Peter Russell, also an author whose work focuses on consciousness and spiritual awakening – explore the idea that real change won’t happen if we merely implement fixes in external world. Read more here http://www.pachamama.org/blog/addressing-the-root-change-starts-within

And so with this I have to add one more video that is super relevant to all this and you may have seen it before but it's so great I hope you will watch it again.
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.mx/2012/10/message-of-hope-2012-loma-de.html

And to help you find a little peace and if you need a place to chill out after all the campaigning then check out the Meditation Point at Shambhala in Zipolite Mexico. http://shambhalavision.blogspot.mx/

http://shambhalavision.blogspot.mx/ Zipolite, Oaxaca, Mexico

Okay and with that I want to tell you it's still really quiet down here, people are starting to arrive but it's super beautiful and peaceful and the people of Zipolite are waiting for you. I made this video 2 months ago now but it will give you a good idea about what this little town looks like.




And you can see lots of my other videos at http://zipolitazvideoz.blogspot.mx/2012_10_01_archive.html