Canadian Caribbean/Notting Hill carnival/3D Printing
WHERE TO FIND A TOUCH OF THE CARIBBEAN IN CANADA
By Tim Kiladze, Magdalen Islands, Que. — The Globe and Mail
Whatever the source, the Magdalen Islands, a cluster of roughly a dozen Quebec islands, made me realize the scope of beauty and diversity this country has to offer.
Canadians are quick to tout the rugged beauty of our Rocky Mountains and the tranquility of the sunsets off Tofino, but the Maritimes don’t get nearly as much love.
Maybe I never paid much attention to the region because the folksiness of Atlantic Canadians distracts from the landscapes. But I certainly haven’t heard people talk about the Maritimes’ natural beauty with the fervour they reserve for Canada’s traditional tourist spots.
In this vacuum, the Magdalen Islands are especially overlooked, overshadowed by PEI, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
But they are worth the trek.
The islands are certainly as remote as they sound, situated about 100 kilometres from PEI and 215 kilometres from the Gaspé Peninsula. Mainland isn’t visible from the island. First discovered by Mi’kmaq Indians and later adored by the intrepid Jacques Cartier, les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, as they are known in French, are much bigger than they appear on maps. Driving across them, from the tip of Grosse-Île to the edge of Havre-Aubert, takes about an hour.
Too often, I’ve travelled to places where I still felt connected to the hustle that consumes my daily life, but out in the middle of the St. Lawrence, I felt free. I didn’t give a damn about what was going on in the world, and I didn’t feel guilty about it. There were too many sand dunes to discover, too many cliffs to climb.
All of this came as a surprise. I had reservations about the journey, which involved driving 4 1/2 hours from Halifax and then boarding a five-hour ferry. I don’t get much time off, and I worried I’d be wasting my vacation on some small islands with retirees who finish eating lunch before I wake up.
Yet, my boyfriend and I have had a love affair with Quebec since we went to McGill University. He pleaded with me to go. Even my cynical heart has a breaking point.
Now I owe him. The islands are unlike anything else I’ve experienced in Canada – natural beauty combined with a touch of Caribbean flair.
My mom’s family is from Barbados, and driving around the Magdalens I couldn’t help but feel like I’d escaped to some sister islands, passing clotheslines and brightly coloured homes set against lush hills.
Then there was the salt water air that made me sleep like a baby, just like it does at my granny’s house.
The clear difference, of course, is the culture. Madelinots have roots in Acadia and Quebec, and it is clear, just from driving around, that they are fiercely proud of their heritage, flying these regions’ flags outside many of their homes.
Yet, you won’t be shunned, if, like me, your French is barely passable. The Madelinots I met were bilingual – or at least spoke enough English to aid when my French fell through. Better yet, they’re happy to try their hand at English. Tourism is a major economic engine for the islands, and locals do what they can to appease visitors.
Contrast that with my trip to Paris last summer, when I ventured deep into the 14th arrondissement for dinner. The restaurant owner, who doubled as the waiter, seemed incapable of speaking English, so I sat there Googling the different types of steak on the menu. When I paid for my meal with my Royal Bank credit card, he suddenly asked, “So, you’re from Canada?”
There are myriad ways to spend your days on the islands. You can scoot around on rented bikes, swim in the salt water at the beach, try your hand at windsurfing and hike along set trails.
You can also sit back and eat; you’ll have no trouble finding good food. The restaurant in our hotel, Domaine du Vieux Couvent, served meals that were just as good as those offered by top Toronto establishments I’ve eaten at – only it specializes in seafood and looks out over the St. Lawrence.
The only drawback is that even simple foods can be pricey because they’re imported from the mainland.
I’ll be frank: The islands are not some idyllic fantasy. Travelling to them takes dedication – next time I’d probably pay the price to fly from Montreal – and there are spots that look quite run down. It doesn’t help that ugly hydro wires criss-cross the islands.
But these flaws were easy to overcome, largely owing to the freedom I felt. On vacation it can be hard for me to ignore the Internet. After just half a day on the islands this obsession disappeared. Remembering what breaking this chain felt like alone was worth the trip.
Now when people wax poetic about southern France, an area I’ve long loved, I say, what about les Îles?
IF YOU GO:
Travelling to the islands takes dedication. Daily ferry service runs from Souris, PEI, (traversierctma.ca) but next time I’d probably fly direct from Montreal on Air Canada Express (flyjazz.ca).
Avoid the islands in August. (They’re just as warm in September.) But if you must, be careful about booking accommodations during the month’s annual sand castle competition.
To plan your trip, Tourisme Québec has set up a spiffy website and compiled a handy tourist guidebook that is available on the ferry. Both are extremely helpful. For more details, visit tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com.
WHERE TO STAY
Domaine du Vieux Couvent is a nearly 100-year-old convent that was remodelled into a four-star hotel. Rooms start at $200 in high season. 292, route 199, Havre aux Maisons, Magdalen Islands, 418-969-2233; domaineduvieuxcouvent.com.
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WHEN NIGERIA DAZZLED AT NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL
By Victory Oyeleke From Nigerian Tribune
The song “Jamaica Farewell” evokes an extraordinary longing for the Caribbean. Coconut trees, Rum, perfect clear water sea, exceptionally soft beach sand, and the wonderful “briny” smell coming off the cool breeze from the ocean adds to the allure of the Caribbean but I can assure you that if Lord Burgess was sailing from Jamaica to Notting Hill, London England on the 26th August 2013, he would not have written that song because, the Caribbean and even Africa came to Notting Hill.
The display of perfectly made Jerk chicken, rice and Peas, Ackee and salt fish, Jamaican patty, loud music being played on 40 different sound systems, live stages featuring both local bands, and international artist from around the world, bright and peculiar costumes, beautifully decorated floats cascading down the streets with dancers and scantily-cladded revellers that could drive a saint to sin, the sound of laughter and an atmosphere charged with happiness and excitement was the composition of this year’s Notting Hill Carnival and Lord Burgess would have felt at home .
The weather was tropical and the turnout was impressive. Approximately 1 million from around the world attended, maintaining the carnival status as the largest of its kind in Europe.
The carnival is in two parts; the first day is tagged children’s day where children showcase their piece with a relatively lower turnout compare to the second part, which is mainly for adults.
The parade begun on Great Western Road, then along Chepstow Road on to Westbourne Grove, and ended up in Ladbroke Grove. After the floats left the streets in procession, people carried on partying at various after parties.
Though the Carnival had a predominantly Caribbean vibe to it, other ethnic minority took part and this year’s Nigerian Corner was the place to be. Nigeria was fully represented. Meat pie, Jollof Rice, Suya, Roasted Plantain, Corn-on-the curb were available
The live performances were done the Nigerian style and both Nigerians and none Nigerians took to the dance floor in excitement. It was amazing to see people of other ethnicity trying to mimic the dance steps.
The MC Ganga Adeyinka, opened the gyration by paying tribute to late Nigerian artists.
TV Show host TejuBabyface made a brief appearance, sexy KWAM 1’s daughter, Honey B dazzled the crowd with her fiery performance and mesmerizing body even MC Ganga could not take his eyes off her.
Tillaman, TispsyDir Sid, Dayo d1 adeneye, Sunday Are, Naeto C, Ayo Shonaiya, Alariwo of Africaalso wowed the crowd with their performances.
Amid all the splendour of the carnival, it is easy to forget the motive behind the carnival which started as a local festival set up by West Indian immigrates and people living locally who wanted a forum to bring those living in Notting hill together majority of whom were facing racism, lack of working opportunities and poor housing conditions, which resulted to suppression of good self-esteem, which wasn’t different from what they experienced during slavery.
The need to express themselves grew very strong and Notting Hill Carnival was born.
Although the first carnival was organised by exiled American Claudia Jones (Mother of Notting Hill Carnival) in 1959 and was indoors at St. Pancras Town Hall and was more of a social event than an Afro- Caribbean event, it was Rhaune Laslett that brought the Carnival to Notting Hill when she invited members of various ethnic groups in Notting Hill to take part in a weeklong event that would end with an august bank holiday parade and ever since the Carnival has been held inAugust and have grown more diverse, bigger and richer in content.
Like everything of this magnitude, the carnival had its fair share of controversies over the years. In 1976, a riot broke out at the end of the carnival resulting to the injury of about 100 police officers. About 60 Carnival goers had to be taken to the hospital and 66 people were arrested. Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon who were two famous participants at the riot later formed the seminal punk band The Clash and wrote the song ‘white Riot’ about the event.
There have been records of violence through the years, which flooded newspaper headlines creating a showdown of fear over the Carnival. However, this years’ Carnival was relatively calm with a reduced crime rate.
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Related story with different viewpoint
Notting Hill Carnival like Soviet Russia, says Clarkson: Top Gear presenter says event is now dominated by police
By Louise Eccles From Daily Mail UK
Top Gear presenter’s comments come after more than 300 people were arrested at the festival
The 53-year-old said if the same happened at a football match, there would be consequences
A further 300 people were treated by the emergency services at the event
96 people were held for drug crimes and 64 for public order offences
The Notting Hill carnival is now ‘like being in Soviet Russia’, with police helicopters circling overhead and sirens blaring, Jeremy Clarkson has claimed.
The August Bank Holiday festival, which attracts one million revellers every year, has been marred by violence and drunkenness in recent years.
At this year’s two-day event, more than 300 people were arrested and a further 300 were treated by the emergency services.
The Top Gear presenter said that, far from being a ‘gooey muddle of love’, the event was now dominated by police officers trying to keep the peace.
Clarkson suggested that the event was only allowed to continue because it was seen as a celebration of ‘multiculturalism’.
Writing in a newspaper column, he said that politicians were eager to promote Notting Hill Carnival as ‘a tremendous event which brings us all together in a gooey muddle of love and music and strangely-scented tobacco’.
Clarkson wrote: ‘Afterwards, the police always tell us that it was very ‘peaceful’ and then they post amusing videos on YouTube, showing officers dancing with the crowds and ‘twerking’. Lovely.
‘But from where I was sitting, about a mile down the road, it sounded like I was on the set of Hill Street Blues.
‘Every few moments a cop car screamed past, its siren blaring and then, before it had faded into the distance, a convoy of ambulances roared by, their lights flashing.
‘Meanwhile, high in the sky a police surveillance helicopter spent all day hovering over the same spot, its camera pointed ominously into the crowds. It was like being in Soviet Russia.’ ‘Peaceful? Doesn’t sound that way to me.’
Crowds: At this year’s two-day event, more than 300 people were arrested and a further 300 were treated by the emergency services
carnival
policeman
Justification: Clarkson suggested that the event was only allowed to continue because it was seen as a celebration of ‘multiculturalism’
Pictures from this year’s carnival captured rows of men urinating in the streets and revellers passed out drunk on the pavements.
Police officers were photographed separating topless men as they fought with each other, and grappling a man to the ground as they handcuffed him.
Clarkson added: ‘If there were 300 arrests at a football match and 300 injuries, there would be hell to pay.
‘There’d be bans and fines and the club would be told that unless they bucked their ideas up, there would be no more football in their stadium until the end of time.
‘But of course, the Notting Hill Carnival is the shining jewel in the crown of multiculturalism.
‘So it was peaceful and wonderful and everyone got on terribly well.’ In total, 301 people were arrested, 23 more than the previous year.
Of these, 96 were held for drug crimes and 64 for public order offences, while others were arrested for carrying weapons, assaults on police officers and grievous bodily harm.
There were three sex attacks, and more than 300 people were treated for cuts, bruises and alcohol-related injuries.
The Metropolitan Police said 6,000 officers were on duty at the carnival on Sunday and just under 7,000 on Bank Holiday Monday.
Brawl: Jeremy Clarkson said: ‘If there were 300 arrests at a football match and 300 injuries, there would be hell to pay’
In June 2011, 16-year-old Junior Henry stabbed Rio Andre, 20, during a gang clash at the carnival.
Henry was photographed running away from Mr Andre with a bloodied knife after stabbing him in the abdomen, in an image that shocked the world.
The carnival is the largest street festival in Europe and originated in 1964 as a way for Afro-Caribbean communities to celebrate their cultures and traditions.
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WHAT IS 3D PRINTING
In iNews Cayman in yesterday’s edition (published Sep 1 2013) “3D-PRINTED SHOES MEAN YOU’LL NEVER NEED TO BUY ANOTHER PAIR” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/2013/09/pirates-cayman-brewpirates-carib-5model-cruise3d-shoes/ we showed a story of a collection of wedge heels created entirely using a 3D printer. Almost immediately we received readers’ inquiries asking us what id 3-D printing? Read on:
3D printing: What is it, and how does it work?
From World Mysteries.com
Three-dimensional printers were all over the news this week, from a plastic printable gun to a live-saving medical device. Here’s a roundup of 3D printers and how they made headlines this week.
Photo 1: MakerBot Replicator 2X 3D desktop printer is on display at the MakeBot booth at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
So what is it exactly?
Three-dimensional printing — and many insiders prefer the term “making” in order to differentiate from the traditional idea of printing — is at its most basic level the process of creating a digital 3D design, then slicing that design into layers and printing those layers one at a time until the final product takes shape.
Everything from the soles of running shoes to a new coffee cup can be made using this technique.
How does it work?
Three-dimensional printers typically use rolls of acrylic, ABS or metal as the raw material which is then fed into the machine.
Guided by computer-assisted design software (CAD), the printers melt down that raw material and repurpose it into solid objects by depositing droplets one layer at a time.
That material is then melded into shape using a precision laser, following the specifications set out in the CAD drawing.
As these layers — which can be microscopically thin — add up, the 3D object slowly takes shape.
When they were first invented 30 years ago, the original models of these machines were large, expensive and could only be operated by experts. But several companies are now producing hobbyist-sized versions that can be purchased for around $1,000 dollars and used at home by “makers.”
What are the advantages of 3D printing over traditional manufacturing
Traditional manufacturing typically requires large blocks of material such as steel, which is then cut away using a CNC machine or a lathe to create the final product. As a result there is a much larger amount of waste than with 3D printing, which leaves behind almost no waste material whatsoever.
Other traditional forms of manufacturing, such as tool and die, require forms to be built which then hold the liquid raw material as it is poured in and allowed to cool — a process that typically requires large machinery, workshops and assembly-line support.
Three-dimensional printing, by contrast, can be done in anyone’s garage or basement, often with a microwave-sized device.
And unlike massive robotic assembly-line machinery, which needs to be retooled every time a new product is introduced, 3D printers can adjust to a new product-line just as fast as new software is introduced.
As a result, some experts have compared the advent of the 3D printer to the invention of the home computer or the online search engine — forecasting that it will change the world of manufacturing.
How can I get one?
Hobbyist-sized versions can be purchased directly from manufacturers such as Cubify and MakerBot, and Staples announced it will begin selling 3D printers on its website and eventually in stores.
Stratasys offers a range of printers from desktop models to commercial sized units designed for serious manufacturing.
Read more (article source): http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/3d-printing-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work-1.1295363#ixzz2UavnRC5z
How 3D printers are making headlines
This week, doctors saved a baby using a device made on a three-dimensional printer, NASA announced it is investing in 3D food-printing technology and a U.S. company was forced to remove plans for a working 3D printable handgun from its website.
In short, the technology that was virtually unheard of a couple of years ago — except among ultra-nerdy tech circles and in sci-fi book clubs — is now making headlines around the world on an almost daily basis.
Michigan doctors save baby using 3D-printed splint
The University of Michigan announced Wednesday that Dr. Glenn Green and Scott Hollister, who holds a Ph.D, had successfully designed and printed a tracheal splint for Kaiba, a 20-month-old baby boy. Kaiba had a rare condition known as severe tracheobronchomalacia, which caused him to stop breathing on a regular basis and require resuscitation daily.
The splint was printed from a biopolymer material called polycaprolactone, and was modeled directly from a CT scan of Kaiba’s trachea. The final product was sewn around the infant’s “airway to expand the bronchus and give it a skeleton to aid proper growth.
“Over about three years, the splint will be reabsorbed by the body,” said a news release from the university.
NASA plans to print space food
NASA announced this week it is working with a Texas company to design, build and test a food printer that could work in space.
Essentially, Austin-based Systems and Materials Research Corp plans to create nutritionally rich food using powdered proteins, starches, fats and flavours with water or oil to create “digital” recipes that can be printed into pre-determined shapes.
Theoretically, a meal could be printed in the shape of chicken wings, or a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings. Astronauts could order up the meal they want, and the printer would create it on demand.
“The 3D printing system will provide hot and quick food in addition to personalized nutrition, flavor and taste,” the company wrote in its proposal to NASA.
“The biggest advantage of 3D printed food technology will be zero waste, which is essential in long-distance space missions.”
Esher’s Impossible Drawings in 3-D
Many people are familiar with the work of M.C. Escher. We have all learned to appreciate the impossibilities that this master of illusion’s artwork presents to the layman’s eye. Many of the so-called ‘impossible’ drawings of M. C. Escher can be realized as actual physical objects, Prof. Gershon Elber of Technion’s Faculty of Computer Science has done just this. His research team has developed a unique CAD application for designing “impossible” 3D objects, with the 3D printer in Technion’s Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning The Belvedere comes to life in a 3D model. All M.C. Escher works (C) the M.C. Escher Company B.V. – Baarn – the Netherlands. Used by permission. All rights reserved. More about Prof. Elber’s work at: http://www.cs.technion.ac.il/~gershon…
3D printable gun removed from Web
Earlier this month, a university student named Cody Smith successfully designed, printed – and fired – a plastic gun he created on a 3D printer. He named it “The Liberator.”
Then Smith posted plans for the weapon online, allowing anyone to download the specs and create their own firearm, provided they had access to the $8,000 Stratasys Dimension SST 3D printer.
His work inspired another “maker” to come up with plans for printable shotgun shells, which were then fired from Smith’s gun.
It was all too much for the U.S. State Department, which this week blocked Smith from distributing the plans.
“#DEFCAD has gone dark at the request of the Department of Defense Trade Controls,” stated a Tweet from Smith’s company. “Take it up with the Secretary of State.”
Still, the move came after the plans had already been downloaded more than 100,000 times, according to reports.
Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/how-3d-printers-are-making-headlines-1.1295419#ixzz2UawQevI6
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http://blog.world-mysteries.com/science/3d-printing-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work/
