If there's been a lack of posts lately it's because I've found that people will actually pay me to write. Yay.

I'm working as a summer intern at The Morning Star back in Vernon and also am writing a monthly business column for Off-Centre Magazine, which can be found in red boxes in Kamloops and around the North Okanagan.

            Walking towards class, Friday, I contemplated my scenario.  Travels with T.O. was to be resurrected for one issue but the fact is, walking to and from school rarely provides one with anecdotes.  There is a lack of armed 10-year-olds and, with the weather turning pleasant again after 9 months of winter, campus travels are rather incident free.

            The paper that slowly fluttered down from a third floor clock tower window before it caught the wind bringing it down on the sidewalk in front of me thus seemed to be sent from an indeterminate deity.  On it were the minutes of a recent meeting that involved faculty, administration, and student counsel.  The minutes contained a number of approved proposals which could slightly change the face of TRU for years to come.

            The first order of business, according to the minutes, was to double all food and drink prices.  Pizza will now cost $7 a slice with a can of pop costing $2.50.  Administration believes that the higher prices will result in a 200% increase in food revenue.  They anticipate a slow first month but, after student bodies begin to weaken and ribs begin to show, the second month will see profits skyrocket as malnourished and delirious students engage in an orgy of food consumption.

            The school also will begin signing contracts enabling developers to build new apartment complexes.  The university will donate the land so long as developers promise to build the complexes 50 stories high, charge $1500/month, and build only on areas now occupied by student parking lots.  An additional resolution was passed to ensure the staff parking would not be altered.

            On a possibly related note, the school has been asked to forward a message to security.  Apparently Superstore is looking for security to police their parking lot.  Applicants must be conscious and own a shotgun and baseball bat.

            On student council’s agenda was the hiring of a new student council who, once the current council is made redundant and fired, will be sued and have to pay out $1 million in damages.  After resigning in disgrace, Students for Change will resume governing.

            In a stunning turn, representatives for the oMega announced that Rupert Murdoch had bought the oMega and hired former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair as editor.  Despite questions about Murdoch’s motives and Blair’s reason for wanting a job at a student newspaper, oMega assured TRU that the addition of Blair would make the paper even more fair and balanced.

            Meanwhile, TRU and city transportation have decided to renew the U-Pass program.  In response to pleas for better bus coverage, a new express route between TRU and Padova will be established that will make stops “wherever and whenever the operator feels like it.”

            After reading over the memo I stopped in Old Main, deposited the piece of paper in a recycling bin and wondered why nothing interesting ever happens at TRU.

Katray

Remade Live (2005)

Who are Katray?

Katray are Katherine Jane and Ray Jamaica. Have you figured out how they came up with their name yet? Jane is the one playing the droning intro bass on the opener “Going to California” and elsewhere on the disc. She also sings on a couple of tracks including the melodic “Johnny Rotten,” and is sometimes featured strumming an acoustic guitar. Jamaica is the one singing and occasionally wailing on his electric guit-box. According to their website, the duo first got together in 2000 and toured across the country in support of their debut, “Katray-Katray.” Maybe the CIA has further background information on this duo but this music writer does not.

What do they sound like?

On Remade Live, which is a live album with little production, Katray sound, well, like they’re playing live. With a droning bass, a slow rhythm, a sometimes screeching guitar and lots of distortion, Katray sound like they’re very depressed. Very. Depressed. Hard rock in the style of Bleach-era Nirvana, Katray does not have Cobain’s lyrical or melodic chops to allow their music to rise above the low-production values. Jamaica’s vocals are raspy and, to be frank, tuneless. He often crams a two-syllable word into a space where only a short word could suffice by saying the word really quick. Maybe he thinks he’s being vocally unique. He’s not. It sounds awful. Jane’s voice is much better and it is when she sings “I’ve been kissing Johnny Rotten,” is when the band shows potential. “Johnny Rotten” echoes the Pixies more than Nirvana or Soundgarden and this seems to suit the two-piece band. When Jamaica and Jane alternate versus elsewhere on the record, such as on “TV Talks,” Jane’s lyrics are always sound and flow better.

Why should I buy this record (if I can find it)?

If you like Soundgarden’s Batmotorfinger or Nirvana’s Bleach and are willing to lower your standards a little then you may enjoy Remade Live.

Why shouldn’t I buy this record?

If you don’t like Bleach or Badmotorfinger you will not like this. Period. If you haven’t heard either of them, buy those first. Then, if they change your life, consider buying this.

What song should I download (if I can find it)?

Download “Johnny Rotten,” if you want something that you will listen to and keep on your computer. If you want a sample of the rest of the CD, try and download “Looking for Alice."

You can buy Remade Live or listen to Katray’s first CD by following the links from their website, Katray.com.

Recently, actually ever since deciding to go to South America and try and write a book I've been much more taken with literary/narrative non-fiction where not only can a writer report, but he or she can write.  You can make words not only work but also woo.  It's made me reconsider how my career will progress.  Working for a newspaper or writing books?  Hmmmm, we'll see.

The relationship between agriculture and the environment has long been fraught with tension and conflict.  From intrusive animals, pests and vegetation to regulations over fertilizers, agriculture has often seen the environment as more of a hassle than an asset. 

Some new programs active in the British Columbia interior are designed to foster a new spirit of harmony between farming and the environment.

One such program is the Environmental Farm Plan Program which hopes to improve the image, efficiency, profitability and long-term sustainability of its farms by promoting and assisting farms in becoming more conscious of the land they use and affect.

The voluntary and confidential project is open to registered farms from organic farms to cattle ranches to orchards and is administered on the ground by grass root groups like the Kamloops-based, B.C. Cattlemen’s Association.

Local hobby rancher Delray Shannon is one of 13 part-time farm planners for the Cattlemen, the most active group.  Shannon has travelled as far North as Clearwater, as far east as Ashcroft and as far west as Salmon Arm to spread the word on the program. He said he has given workshops and workbooks to as many as 100 different people in the interior.

As a planner, Shannon’s job is to host workshops where farmers can learn about the program and pick up a workbook.  Farmers hoping to participate in the program fill out the work book, often with the help of a planner.  An example of a question in the workbook (all of which are Yes and No questions) is “Are there any potential sources of contamination within 50 feet of the well?”

Other areas covered include waste disposal, fertilization, quality, air quality, and impact on wildlife. If there are all No’s in one area, then the problem needs attention.  This risk assessment stage can be done individually or with the help of a registered planning adviser.

So far, Shannon estimates that he’s finished ten completed farm plans and three which are almost done.  If this total seems low, that’s because it is.  As of the end of 2005, only 2% of ranchers have completed Environmental Farm Plans, which certify farms as compliant with all environmental rules.

A budget published on July 13, 2004 by the Cattlemen’s Association predicted 677 completed farm plans, but, by the end of December, only 92 plans had been completed.

A small percentage of those may be non-cattle operations operating through the Cattlemen’s Association because of geographic proximity.  According to Cattlemen statistics, there are 4,013 cattle operations in British Columbia.

Shannon, said that he sees a number of reasons ranchers have been slow to pick up on the program. “One of them is probably the age demographics of the farmers,” he said.  Shannon said a lot of them are nearing retirement age and “one more poke from a government type is not something they’re interested in.”

There is also the issue of mad cow disease, which Shannon said has devalued his small personal stock to 20 per cent of its original value and has him contemplating selling them off.  This has prevented this farm planner from taking part in the program so far.

Shannon, though, isn’t discouraged.  He likened the program to a wave which is just starting to catch. .He said that the younger generation seems more interested and that, as more ranchers see the program for what it is, more will join.

His prognosis is shared by Dave Melnychuk, a planner with the B.C. Milk Producer’s Association.  Melnychuk said, “I get a lot more calls now than I used to get earlier because the word spreads among the farmers themselves.”

There are still no statistics, though, that show an increase, although a recently published update estimated 1,247 statements of completion would be submitted in the coming year for all sectors.  So far 392 statements of completion have been given.  The 2006/2007 British Columbia budget cited mad cow disease and bird flu as two reasons for the program’s slow start.

Bob France, the newly appointed general manager of the Cattlemen’s Association said, “We try and get [the program] out in front of people as much as we can.”  He said the Cattlemen’s Association promotes the program in the magazine they publish as well as by organizing workshops.

Cattlemen president Mark Nairn said ranchers have been the most prevalent planners of any sector and that it shows that the industry realizes it must improve environmentally in some areas. “It’s the kind of program that really demonstrates our commitment to the environment,” he said from his Riske Creek ranch, 50 kilometres west of Williams Lake.

Personally, Nairn said travel and time constraints have forced him to delay doing a plan, although he intends to undertake one soon.

Elaine Spearing, a farm planner with the Certified Organic Association of B.C., has conducted at least a dozen workshops.  While she said that the number of farms represented at the workshops has declined since the beginning of the program, she is hoping that more farmers will begin to take part.  She echoed Shannon and said she believes .  once more farms complete the program and receive funds to aid them, the reputation of the program will grow and farmers who were once hesitant will start to join

Spearing also said that, because of the intense workload of many farmers, there is some time between when farmers attend workshops and when they actually are able to complete their workbook.

Shannon, the Cattlemen’s Association planner, echoed Spearing, “I think the biggest thing is time.  Most of the ranchers I’ve talked to say they want to [take part].”  But, he said, the one or two hours a farmer may have to spare is not enough time to complete a plan.

After the workbook is completed, producers prepare an action plan to resolve any issues brought to light.  This is often done with a planner like Shannon or Spearing.

Action plans include two tiers with the first tier consisting of steps to ensure ensure a farm complies with all environmental regulations.  The second tier are actions which producers can undertake to improve the overall environmental impact of the operation.

Because the program is confidential, if producers are unable to comply with areas that breach environmental regulations, the planner cannot report the producer.  The confidentiality, it is hoped, will encourage participation of farmers who worry that they don’t currently comply with environmental rules.

Partial financing for action plans can be obtained from the plan if the producer decides to implement solutions called “Beneficial Management Practices.”  Funding can cover up to 50 per cent of a project’s total cost and requires a planning adviser’s approval of the action plan. There is a lifetime maximum of $30,000 that can be obtained by any one farm.  

Funding can be obtained for more than 60 practices including, moving livestock or horticultural facilities away from streams, gathering information about pests, and modifying or improving irrigation equipment to ensure it wastes less water.

One local farm planning to access the available funding is Dairy Road organic farm Thistle Farm.  The farm hosted a farm plan workshop last October conducted by Spearing, who works for the Certified Organic Association of B.C.  Co-owner Debbie Kellogg, who runs the farm with her husband, said that they had not yet had time to do their own Environmental Farm Plan.  However, she plans to meet with Spearing in April and eventually to apply for money to help improve their farm’s water management practices.

Funding cannot be obtained for works started before the approval of an Environmental Farm Plan.  This means that the work Thistle Farms has already undertaken in order to become organic cannot be reimbursed and has made participation in the program not as urgent.  “We’re certified organic, so we already have some pretty strict guidelines we have to follow,” Kellogg said.

Among the guidelines Thistle Farm must abide by is a ban on pesticides and herbicides, regular crop rotation and regular soil testing.

Once a plan is complete, the farmers can have the workbook and action plan, assessed by a planner.  If the farm is in compliance with all environmental regulations, the farm is given a statement of completion.

If the workbook is completed and no work is required, or if an action plan has been completed and resolved problems brought to light by the workbook, then the farm is granted “implemented status.”  The program also supplies a bright sign that proclaims the farm’s status.

The Environmental Farm Plan Program was created in 2002 as part of the Agriculture Policy Framework Agreement signed on to by the 10 provincial ministers of agriculture and the federal minister.  As part of the program, the provinces were each expected to create and submit a proposal for an Enivironmental Farm Program.

British Columbia was the first province to have its program in place and in 2003 was given $24 million from the federal government to use towards the program until 2008.  That money, plus $10 million from the provincial government is then redirected to the British Columbia Agriculture Council which administers the program.  Money is also received from private organizations like Ducks Unlimited.

The British Columbia Agriculture Council oversees the program and organizes the training of planners must take.  The council then delegates the application of the program to planners like Shannon and Spearing.

In 2004, the British Columbia Agricultural Council signed a $3-million deal with the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association that sees the Kamloops-based organization promote and implement the program.

The Environmental Farm Plan Program is not the only project trying to bridge the gap between producers and the environment. In fact, aside from donating money to the Environmental Farm Program, Ducks Unlimited has been working directly with producers to reduce the impact of farms on wetlands.  One such way is by financially assisting ranchers fence off wetlands from their cows.

Bruce Harrison, a biologist at Ducks Unlimited, said that a key question the members of Ducks Unlimited have asked themselves is, “How can we make it so cows and ducks can coexist as much as possible?”

Harrison said that projects such as the fencing off of wetlands are not only good for the environment and at-risk ecosystems, but that they benefit producers as well.  He said that, by keeping manure out of the water, ranchers are able to raise meatier, healthier cows.  The end result is a happy rancher, and a happier duck.

Further resources at the disposal of environmentally conscious producers are available via through programs created by two environment-oriented funds.  The Agriculture Environment Initiative includes two separate funds which are available for environmental purposes.  The funds have been used to develop a wide range of plans, from cutting down snake mortality in the Okanagan to reducing the affects of wildlife on ranches.

However, when a mid-term report on the project’s effectiveness appeared in 2004, it noted that the funds allocated to the program were not spent as quickly as expected, possibly indicating a lack of enthusiasm for, or knowledge of, the program.  The result was that the program was extended three years so that all the funds could be spent.

The Agriculture Environment Initiative is scheduled to expire in 2007.  However, a conference on the environment will be held soon where Cattlemen president Nairn said, “We’re hoping [the federal government] will continue their commitment to the program.”  He said that the program has done a lot of good for ranchers.

Of the few “Irish” options available to revellers on St. Patrick’s Day none were able to capture the truly spirit of the Irish.  After visiting the three pubs, the one thing seeming to be lacking from all venues was that none were, shall we say, dank­ enough.  High ceilings, lots of room, and an overall lack of atmosphere made it so no pub was able to recreate what I imagine an Irish pub would be like. 

One reason for this may be because, here in Canada with more room to build, there is a premium on visibility and space.  This means that the intimateness of pubs in Irish and certainly Britain, which I have visited, are not duly recreated.
 

Ideally, I imagine an Irish pub seating no more than a handful of patrons huddled on bar stools as close to the Guinness as possible in a smoky basement.  While I am in full support of the anti-smoking laws in B.C., it would be nice if the other requirements could be fulfilled.
 

Unfortunately this was not the case.  Aside from two intoxicated individuals at Pogue Mahones who approached our table and started a discussion over a minibike on the wall, drunken louts were in short supply.  All bars featured much space and clean tables and floors.  Worse, Sgt. O’Flaherty’s and Kelly O’Briens ended up trying so hard to be Irish that it was impossible to imagine oneself actually at a pub in Ireland.  For that reason, and because of the two friendly drunks I will raise my beer glass to Pogue Mahone’s as Kamloop’s best Irish pub.

            Maybe it was the fact that this was the Trews’ third time playing Kamloops in the past year and a half.  Maybe it was because they’ve been constantly touring in support of their latest album for the last six months.  Or maybe it was because guitarist Angus MacDonald’s nose was twitching. 

For whatever reason though, Wednesday’s show at Cactus Jack’s was made memorable more by the packed and enthusiastic bar crowd than by the roots-rock hitmakers.

            The Trews took the stage to a packed dance floor and quickly launched into a set chock full of radio hits from their two major-label albums.  “Fleeting Trust” was an early favourite and the band was tight throughout the set.  However, despite singer/guitarist’s Colin MacDonald’s best efforts, the band didn’t seem to have the energy or chemistry displayed in past Kamloops appearances.

            Lead guitarist Angus seemed to lack his normal enthusiasm and tucked himself into a corner of the stage behind one of the massive speakers.  There he remained for most of the show with nary a word nor wink for his brother Colin.  Few crowd members seemed to notice the tension though, and by the time the band launched into “Tired of Waiting” the crowd was pulsating.

            “Tired of Waiting,” was just a warm-up though as the band smoothly transitioned into a frantically paced cover of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” which was undoubtedly the highlight of the night. 

The unspoken friction between Colin and Angus continued though.  After transitioning back into “Tired of Waiting”, Angus strummed his guitar to the centre of the stage, closed in a power stance, and stared at his brother, who still did not make eye contact with him.

But the concert went on with the tension between the brothers matched only by Angus’s guitar strings as he launched into one of the blazing solos which had made past Trews shows stand out. 

As the evening wound down, The Trews made several more forays into legendary classic rockers, sampling “Fat Bottomed Girls,”  “Cum On Feel The Noise,” and closing the encore with an impressive cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.”

In interesting news, The Trews did not play two scheduled shows in Victoria and Vancouver this weekend.  According to their website this was “due to illness.”  Whether the sickness is physical or just between band members will be something to keep an eye on.

            The Novaks had opened the evening with an uninspiring and admittedly sloppy half hour set.  However they showed glimmers of the energy that has earned the Newfoundland band two East Coast Music Awards nominations.

            Rocketface followed the Novaks on stage and began playing to an audience that was more preoccupied with chatting and talking than dancing and rocking.  However, by the end of their entrancing set, the three piece band had Cactus Jack’s pushing towards the stage and calling out for more. 

Vocalist and drummer Joseph Janisse won the crowd over with a stage presence rarely seen, especially from drummers (Old joke: How do you know the stage is balanced? There’s drool coming out both sides of the drummer’s mouth).  Of course Janisse’s vocal talents—he alternated between a piercing falsetto and a snarling growl—is enough to keep the most sceptical audience member at bay.

Rocketface punctuated their appearance with by an outstanding cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child.”  After closing with “Dirty,” the single which has announced their arrival on Canadian radio, the band left to an ovation usually seen only by headliners.

            Canada must seize the opportunity to assert its sovereignty over the Northwest Passage before it’s too late, Michael Byers told an engaged crowd at TRU last Tuesday night.  “If we don’t use our sovereignty now, we’re going to lose our sovereignty (in the north),” he said.

Byers is a Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at UBC and has previously taught at Duke and Oxford universities.  He was at TRU to talk about the laws of war from a US perspective and spoke on the subject earlier in the day.  His later speech, however, dealt with Arctic sovereignty after an informal vote by the audience of about 30.

Byers has spent much of the last year talking to Arctic leaders and scientists about the effect of global warming on the North.  What he has learned has convinced him that the issue is one that must be dealt with now.

Byers said that within the next five to ten years reinforced ships will be able to sail through the Northwest Passage, cutting 7,000 kilometres off the current Panama Canal route from Europe to Asia.

“With that shipping,” Byers warned, “there will be a significant risk of accidents.” 

Such an accident, Byers warned, would be far more damaging than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska.  “It would take centuries for the ecosystem to recover from a major oil spill,” Byers said, citing the delicate nature of the Arctic environment.

He also outlined security concerns surrounding the issue, including the possibility of smugglers or terrorists using the passage.

Currently, the United States and most other nations maintain that the passage meets the definition of an international straight.  Canada, though, takes the stance that the Northwest Passage comprises historic internal waters and is therefore governable by Canadian law.

Byers is also an international lawyer and has advised the NDP on international affairs.  He said the Canadian definition could currently hold up in international courts.  But, he warned that if Canada begins to permit shipping through the passage before its legal status is resolved, Canada’s claim will all but disappear.

For this reason, Byers said, it’s vital for the government to work with the United States to come to an agreement on the issue.  Canada, must also take steps to assert itself in the Arctic, including building a polar class icebreaker.  Currently Canada is the only Arctic nation that does not have a polar classed icebreaker.  Byers said that this situation must be changed, saying that even South Africa possesses one such vessel. 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised such a more active role in the Arctic, including a polar icebreaker.

Byers, while saying he “would never in a million years vote for (Harper),” said that he supported the Conservatives Arctic promises.

Expressing hope that Harper would fulfill his Arctic promises, Byers said that Harper should take additional steps, such as enforcing mandatory registration of arctic bound ships.

Byers closed by saying that, while the melting of the Northwest Passage presents opportunities for development in the Canadian north, that positive is far outweighed by the terrible consequences of global warming, including the imminent extinction of the Polar Bears.

http://thetyee.ca/Views/2006/01/30/DefendNorthwestPassage/

Sitting down prior to his Independent Centre show, Moka Only strikes a cigarette and, seeing my notepad instantly asks if he can draw a picture while being interviewed.

After I lend him my pad, Moka gets down to business. Right away, it’s clear that while Moka says everything has been great, more has been going on in Only-land than the plotting of Canadian hip-hop dominance.

Moka, who has been touring in support of his first major-label solo CD, Desired Affect, is best known for singing the choruses to Swollen Members hits. However, the more he talks, the more Moka seems prepared, and perhaps eager, to abandon all that in an effort to return to the world of raw underground hip-hop.

Moka said that Desired Affect will still be promoted to its fullest, pointing out that he just finished shooting a new video. However, aside from supporting the album, he promises, “From this point forward it’s going to be more raw.”

This includes the US version of Desired Affect, completed the day before the interview, which Moka says will be rawer and more beat-oriented. He says that its such a different approach that only one or two of the tracks on the US version would be recognizable to Canadian fans.

Despite success on Muchmusic for the lead-off single “Once Again” Moka says that the radio-friendly approach taken towards the Canadian version of Desired Affect “might have been a mistake.” He says that, in hindsight, it may have been better if he had catered the album more towards his old base of underground fans that he had built up through years of solo work prior to Swollen Members.

In fact, Moka says that the challenge, and the goal, of his new solo work is not to bring over fans from Swollen Members, but to win back past fans who may have been disenchanted by his work with the chart-topping group.

That said, rapping is only a small part of what makes Moka tick.

In making Desired Affect Moka employed a number of different well-known producers but also took the reigns himself on a number of tracks. In fact, for Moka, beats are much more than background noise to rap over. “All I think about is beats,” he says. He pauses for a second, stops drawing and, as if relating a dark secret, says, “To be honest, I could just do beats.”

To this end he’s recently completed a number of tracks and beats for projects overseas. Moka even has built a studio in his house, which he says means “I don’t have to deal with somebody else’s sterilized, hospital-esque place.”

On Desired Affect Moka teams up with a number of collaborators including K-OS. While he says most came about in a purely professional way, Moka says that he was thrilled just to hear MF Doom, who he has long listened to and whom he personally recruited for the album, say his name on tape.

For the most part though, Moka says he’s not plugged in to the Canadian rap scene. Rather, Moka’s personal listening habits are more likely to stray towards British melody-poppers the High Llama’s, “lots of jazz,” and recently Frank Zappa.

But, while Moka can talk at length about Bloc Party and The Darkness, he is most passionate about the problems with mainstream music, and its causes.

The mainstream public, he says, don’t care about the artist. “I don’t see why kids don’t want to know more,” he says. “People want things handed to them.”

Television, which Moka calls a “magic box” may be to blame for this apathy. He says, “People have the disposition where they want to be spoon fed.”

Yet hope and stability, Moka seems to believe, lies in the underground. He says that if there is one thing fans should know about him, it is that he believes in the underground.

“I believe in the underground because with the underground—most of these fans—are loyal,” he says, leaning close. “They believe in the artist and I’m not disposable to them. To the general record buying public I’m disposable. One year they’re buying my stuff, then next year they’re buying Ashlee Simpson.”