I haven't heard much about potholes lately. Either a) the city crews have managed to fix most of them, or b) we've just memorized where they are and drive around them.

What's your vote?

I read a most fascinating book this week. A book called 'Before the Dawn' by Nicholas Wade a New York Times science writer.

I highly recommend this book, as its the most provocative book I've read yet this year. Its about the development of human kind from the split off from the ape branch 250,000 years ago to eventually form the human species... all through until the time of written history (where most of my reading has started off).

Fascinating theories, not all of which I agree with, and some of which I adamantly oppose (mostly in the last few chapters), but thoroughly fascinating none the less.

Concepts like:
- The common ancestors to all humans came from a pool as small as 5000 people (only a thousand of which were breeding males).
- The human history as studied through DNA and gene tracking of the y chromosomes on the male side mostly, but also the influences from the other branches and its implications.
- The relationship through our DNA to chimp behavior in things like war and procreation of kin folk in the battle for DNA survival of ones future.
- The spread of humanity across the globe and the struggles for survival such as the 15,000 year war in Europe with the Neanderthals that kept modern man blocked into Africa for more than a 100,000 years by a physically superior Neanderthal until modern man got the advantage of spoken language.
- Continuing evolution and its implications... small groups evolve faster than larger groups (via random gene mutations good and bad) and why it is so... cultural effects on evolution... and all sorts of other stuff that borders on racism and some of which I totally disagree with, but fascinating to think about none the less.
- How wolves domesticated man to the sedentary life (not agriculture as commonly believed). Wolves (of which all dogs are 100% derived from) found human hunter gatherers were a good source of scavenging food and thus hung around creating a mutual win win relationship by providing advanced warning of other hunter gathering groups that would disrupt their arrangements and were a threat to both. The security the wolves provided acting as night time centurions gave the humans the safety to stay in one location and build a home... these wolves were later bred to become mans best friend and human kinds first domesticated animal. Without the wolves man never would have had the security to stay in one place, and thus would never have developed societies and eventually civilization. We would still be hunter gatherers evading our enemies (fellow humans) in the night.
- The spread of agriculture that followed and how that developed, as well as the role domesticating of further animals (like the horse) played in human development.
- The role of religion in human development to act as a moral regulator on the lies of the new languages that were developing and why most religions are such black and white concepts of either believers or none believers.
- The role of language dialects for security of of a local people in a world in a perpetual state of war.
- The concepts of what our future could have in store for us as a species. New chromosomes that can be filled with our own designer genes effectively making a new species of man...

I could go on and on, but there are just to many theories and concepts to list... all of which have profound implications on our world today, and I would think will be highly controversial especially when it comes to the topics on human intelligence and the role gene mutations play in that regard as well as the distribution of those genes to a wider public. The implications of a future of test tube babies modified for specific characteristics and the splitting of humanity into more than one species will sure to be huge topics in the years ahead.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is curious about the world we live in, where we came from, and where we are going as a society and a species. Its truly fascinating stuff.

Sounds much better than the readings that charles keeps promoting. :-)

http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/05/02/review-of-before-the-dawn-by-nicholas-wade.html

An interesting notion extracted from the book in the above book review that humans first spread into Australia from the African genesis.

"I haven't heard much about potholes lately. Either a) the city crews have managed to fix most of them, or b) we've just memorized where they are and drive around them.

What's your vote?"

They have *fixed* a lot of them, some remain as do some whole stretches of roads/streets that basically need to be newly re-surfaced as they are beyond pot hole and crack repair.

The City must not keep forgetting the Hart and that people in the Hart pay taxes as well into the City's coffers.

After almost getting pulverized by yet another unaware driver this week, I think I need to remind some people of a small but significant driving rule. When the sign says STOP and it's a three-way stop, YOU have to stay stopped until it's all clear. It's not like a Four-Way where you take turns.

Luckily this location I'm speaking of requires vehicles be driving slow or else there would be some serious problems. The location is the three-way stop between The Bay, Famous Players and the back pass-way between the mall at Parkwood. The cars coming in via Winnipeg street have the right of way. They can either go straight through towards Save-On or they can turn left towards Famous Players. They do not have to stop.

All the other vehicles have a three-way stop. I cannot count how many times I have almost been t-boned by people that stop and go coming up that street when I've turned left into Famous Players. Before anybody asks, yes my turn single was on. These days I go around now, the long way, because I simply cannot trust the people are going to make the right decision.

On that note, I think It was a terrible design of the access way. A left turn should never have been allowed there and it should have been an exit only. That way all traffic coming down from Winnipeg St would have to go around.

Another place of questionable driving decisions.... the pedestrian controlled light on 15th Avenue at the Post Office. It's amazing how many drivers I have witnessed either stop then go anyway, or completely ignore this light and drive on through.

People... when the light stops blinking green and turns red, that means you stay stopped until it turns green again. The red light is not a suggestion.

I see the RCMP has offered a million bucks for the Encana bomber. Don't forget whose money is being used here. Like I said before; they couldn't track a menstruating elephant through four feet of fresh snow!

Mantracker's in Quenel right now. Maybe he could use the million.

Could the smokers please stop throwing your cigarette butts all over the place. It is littering!!! It is garbage!!! It also is a discusting habit that will eventually lead to a fire.

Maybe Mantracker can hunt down the Encana bomber??

EnCana Corporation has doubled its offer of a cash reward for helping solve the Dawson Creek bombings.

EnCana is offering up to $1 million cash for information directly leading to the arrest and prosecution of the individual or individuals responsible for the recent bombings at EnCana facilities in the Tomslake area near Dawson Creek, B.C.

This is NOT taxpayer money as indicated in the article on opinion250 yesterday.

Pylot Project: "When the sign says STOP and it's a three-way stop, YOU have to stay stopped until it's all clear. It's not like a Four-Way where you take turns."

I agree! Almost got hit there the other day and the ignoramus had nothing better to do than to give me the outstretched middle finger of the same left hand that was holding the cell phone to his ear!

Solution: Make that into a Four Way stop since most people know how to use those, more or less.

i wonder if I.D.L.construction are going to keep the 30kph restriction on the tyner ridge water line project on forever or what.there are joggers passing me at 30 k.
come on I.D.L. move the restrictions a bit closer to where you are actually working please.

"I see the RCMP has offered a million bucks for the Encana bomber. Don't forget whose money is being used here."

Who cares where the money comes from? It's Encana's. For example, when I pay my Terasen bill, the money is now Terasen's. In any case, hopefully it gets somebody to talk.

"Could the smokers please stop throwing your cigarette butts all over the place."

Couldn't agree more. I went out to a public campsite yesterday and was disgusted by the cigarette butts all over the place. I'm sure some of those butts were a few years old.

The leagl streets that were there were closed. Those are internal shopping centre access lanes to the various parking lots. I think Pine Centre has built a similar nightmare as a result of the new mini-box stores. It seems we have people who do not know how to design traffic lanes working on those projects.

If I call correctly, there was no stop sign going west on the access spine which is the extension of 13th. The only stop, and it has been a four way stop right from the beginning, on that east-west lane was the one at Moore's crossing over to the London Drugs parking lot area. That has worked reasonably well.

At the intersection of the Spruce St. extended lane and that east-west access spine, there is still only a two way stop for the lanes which cross the access spine. That is actually another "dangerous" area.

So, along that access spine there are three conditions for the same movements. Starting from the west and going to the east - a 3 way stop, a 4 way stop, and a 2 way stop.

No wonder people are confused.

A similar idiotic traffic nightmare exists at the London Drug entrance/exit to Vancouver and 12th.

They used to know how to lay out a shopping centre when they built Spruceland, although the switch of direct access to parking lanes at the north end from single point access at the south end of the Central West service street is also not the best decision in the world. I do not think that was there in the initial years.

Smile and everyone wonders what your thinking about. Either that or it's better living through chemistry. Might I suggest a few happy pills/pops/smokes for those that cannot turn that frown upside down. This is the weather everyone longs for in the dead of winter, enjoy it. Just think, in another 2 or 3 months we will have that terrible solid state dihydrogen monoxide every where.

Have a wonderful campfire free, sunny, hot, long weekend.

A world class marathon runner runs at about 20kph. A metric mile (1.5km) can be run at around 25kph ..... so the "jogger" passing you must be doing a short sprint.

:-)

The book you described eagleone reminded me of a book I read a few years ago called Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Was a wonderful read. Will definitely be checking this one out.

Happy 60th Dad From Chris here in PG

How about all those braindead driving around with STUDS in there tires!!
Where's Campbell now that U LIBTARDS put the bum back in there,lair,liar..
Clark and Harcourt did nothing compared to this clown!!
AND HE'S A CONVICTED DRUNK just in case you all 4 got.
In another country at that.
He's sunk when the emalis are produced he's history!! yea!!

2 stupid 2 live

Stay in school, kids.

Studs are legislated to be off the road April 30. It is up the RCMP traffic staff to enforce and penalize.
So why are you screaming about political parties? The job of instituting the law is done and it is now someone elses responsibility to enforce the law.

Please, can someone, anyone say something positive. Something lite and flowery to go with the sunshine. At least there are no major fires in our region.

I love hot weather. This may be the best summer we have ever had in PG! Cold rum drinks & sunshine. all. weekend. long.
=]

I second the enjoyment of the cold drinks and sunshine.....there is nothing like a cold margarita on a hot, sunny day!! If it weren't for the fires, I would say that I could live with summers being like this all the time.

Have a great weekend everybody!

"Clark and Harcourt did nothing compared to this clown!!"

In my opinion building boats for $454 million and selling them for $18.5 million is probably the single stuipidest thing any BC Gov has ever done. I would love to hear if anyone has better suggestions.

"AND HE'S A CONVICTED DRUNK just in case you all 4 got."

Ive never been convicted of any crime but I realize that I am not perfect and generally try not to judge people for minor indiscretions.

"He's sunk when the emalis are produced he's history!! yea!!"

Unless he took a kick back he did nothing wrong. Only communists and the uneducated think that governments should own businesses. Has any government ever demonstrated the ability to control spending in BC?

NOTE TO PRIOR EMAIL

I think the second stuipidest thing was pushing $400 million into Skeena-Cellulose and then watching them close up shop anyway.

Thats NDP with the 2 biggest blunders.

"Ive never been convicted of any crime but I realize that I am not perfect and generally try not to judge people for minor indiscretions."

So Glen Clark's little Bingogate scandal is all forgiven then right?

"Ive never been convicted of any crime but I realize that I am not perfect and generally try not to judge people for minor indiscretions."

Born in BC are you implying that being convicted of drunk driving is a minor indiscretion? If so you are part of the problem of drunk drivers.

"Please, can someone, anyone say something positive. Something lite and flowery to go with the sunshine."

OK....Wow, do all you ladies look dynamite in shorts today !!!!

Loooove it !!!

{8-p (that's eyes wide open, tongue hanging out)

Does anyone know what is the deal with the 30km/h zone on tyner?

You must be a frequent visitor of the swimsuit models of the site .....

http://www.opinion250.com/news/53/swimsuit

"Over time, living within your means eliminates all your financial worries--no worries about debts, no worries about making ends meet, no worries about retirement"

"Most of this country's economic problems stem from two sources--people's desire to get something for nothing and people's desire to live beyond their means. The first leads to small foolish actions, like buying lottery tickets and day trading. The second leads to larger foolish actions, like borrowing money to take a "well-earned" vacation. Put both together, though, and you can get some really big foolish actions, like buying houses you can't afford, hoping to flip them at a profit.

We'll know things are getting better when "living within your means" is once again viewed as common sense, and not as the sort of old-hat notion that might be dusted off and considered when things get nasty."

http://www.wisebread.com/living-within-your-means-isnt-nasty

The following link will take you to an article which is titled "Let’s Put the Economic Blame Where it Belongs: On Ourselves". This article was written on Nov. 20, 2008. Please be advised the content contains some profanity and vulgarity.

http://www.delsquacho.com/blog/2008/11/20/lets-put-the-economic-blame-where-it-belongs-on-ourselves/

"Over time, living within your means eliminates all your financial worries--no worries about debts, no worries about making ends meet, no worries about retirement"

Hmmmmm ... that sounds pretty simplistic to me.

The person on the street corner in Vancouver, Kelowna, Toronto, Prince George, Rome, etc. is living within his or her means. They have absolutely no financial worries, no worries about making ends meet, no worries about retirement. No money in, no money out.

So is the person living on a minimum wage paycheck. He/she has money to eat minimal meals, live in a small one room bachelor pad with plenty of ants, and when retirement comes, live off $400 or whatever a month ... retirement will be a joy for them.

And we are not even talking about anyone with a child to support because they managed to get themselves or their girlfriend pregnant. Nor are we talking about someone who is physically and/or mentally handicapped or "challenged" if you prefer that word.

And which planet do you live on Charles?

Putting everyone in this world into the same round or square hole simply does not cut it. Life is much more complex than that. Your preaching does not help anyone.