They come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Reusable and biodegradable bags are the newest answer to the plastic, environmentally-unfriendly shopping bags. While plastic bags use up a small fraction of landfill space, it’s still considered waste. Going biodegradable just makes sense.

In Brandon Glenn’s E-book Green Ideas for Business, Michelle Crossley states: “any waste your company generates is an unnecessary cost. Waste is simply inefficient”.

Consider how many plastic bags you come home with after a day of shopping, or even after a quick visit to the grocery store. While some people will reuse these bags, doesn’t it make more sense to use something you can feel good about throwing away? How about something you can even throw in your compost?

Greg Beresford, president of BioBag Canada Inc. says BioBag has seen a definite increase in the demand for biodegradable bags.
“I’ve been doing this for over 12 years now and the demand increases every year,” he says.

BioBag’s products are made out of a material called Mater-Bi, a compostable, Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) free resin. Even the inks used to logo the bags for other companies are compostable.

“We do not use polyethylene in our products,” says Beresford. “Our base stock of corn or other material takes less than a year to grow. Oil takes much longer to find and make and with paper you are taking out trees 25 years and older.”

Beresford notes that all of the bags can be decomposed in compost between 10 to 45 days, depending on the method of composting.
As Glenn points out in Green Ideas for Business it also makes sound business sense to join the environmentally forward movement towards “green” bags.

“When customers bring their own shopping bags, this is saving the stores money,” the E-book states, adding that printing your logo on shopping bags works as a mobile billboard.

Stash reusable bags in your car, home and even office so that you’ll remember to use them every time you go out and buy something. Smaller ones can even fit in your purse.

Forget about that unsightly tangle of plastic bags hiding underneath the sink. Using reusable, and even compostable bags makes so much more sense environmentally, and for your business financially.

To download a copy of Green Ideas for Business, visit www.greenbagpromos.com.

But wait! If that were true we’d always be upset when it rained. We’d be unhappy 24/7 if a plan failed. We’d all be at the whim of life events all the time and we know that’s not the case. How is it we’re so predictably unpredictable . . . that we can be guaranteed to be, not only different from each other in our responses, but different than we ourselves were last week or last month or even yesterday?

The answer lies, not as we once imagined, in the outside world, but rather in our inner world . . . the world of thought. This simple yet profound truth leaves us free to choose. We need not settle for a habit of worry or pessimism but can easily opt for a lighter approach. We’re no longer powerless victims but instead, powerful creators. What once seemed like an inevitable response to life is now an opportunity to recognize the possibilities open to us. Our state of mind determines the quality of our experience.

So how do we become aware of our habits? How do we let go of unwanted thoughts? Perhaps the most difficult habit to recognize and thus the most difficult to break is our attachment to our thinking. It’s quite a revolutionary idea to imagine we need not take our thinking so seriously, but rather view it as we’d view a cloud crossing the face of the sun. As we’re able to step back from our thinking and see it with some perspective, we can recognize our habits. Do I have thoughts of judgment or do I see the best in people? Do I tend to see worse case scenarios or am I hopeful and optimistic? We can gauge the quality of our thinking by the feeling that accompanies it. Whether we feel anxious or calm will reveal our state of mind.

Every day we let hundreds of thoughts go. A thought will pop up about an old school friend and it quickly passes. We might remember a certain meal we had while travelling and it’s gone in seconds. Constantly there are random thoughts passing through, many below our awareness. When we see a thought as meaningful and significant, we attach to it and create other thoughts around it. We’re gripped and have created a 3D movie. Eventually we become what’s referred to as “busy minded”. In this state of mind we feel as if we are victims, at the whim of past or current circumstances. That’s when we want to “let it go” and regain a neutral, calm feeling. Only from this place can we access our wisdom and common sense. We’re no longer held hostage by our own creation. We no longer need something or someone to blame.

Inception has been on my radar for a few months. Christopher Nolan of recent Batman fame is a favourite director of mine, particularly following his earlier success with Memento. Nolan is a rare breed of writer/director that can bring a story alive with an even balance of darkness and light. This ability has worked to the benefit of many of the fantastic actors that Nolan has directed, the cast of Inception being the latest in this fortunate club. The Oscar buzz is already on for Inception, and my money is on Joseph Gordon-Levitt to get a supporting actor nod. Gordon-Levitt plays the perfect straight-laced, straight-edged straight man to Leonardo DiCaprio’s tortured, soul-searching hero. The cast is rounded out with excellent performances by Ellen Page, Marianne Cotillard and Cillian Murphy. The tight, quick-moving story introduces the possibility of entering a person’s dreams in order to steal their best-kept secrets. The layers of plot are punched up with some incredible special effects, the end result being a mind-blowing thriller that’s sure to be on everyone’s award show list.

Some of the best spy movies out there are the ones with the taut, lean storylines, clipped dialogue, and a looming air of dread that hangs over the whole thing. Flabby, over-the-top cheesefests like a few of the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies could never compete with the force of one of my favourite underrated spy films, Ronin. Salt doesn’t quite make it to the top of my list, but I enjoyed the Cold War feel and the whodunit tension that played out between leads Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber. Jolie plays Evelyn Salt, a C.I.A. agent accused of being a Russian spy. The accusation sparks a 24-hour chase that brings the world to the brink of a nuclear episode. There are twists and turns woven throughout this story, some the viewer is meant to see coming and some that will slap you upside the head and leave your jaw in your lap. This highly entertaining thriller is a great summer escape that’s worth the cost of admission.

Spy movies are definitely not dead. Although Hollywood insiders are pointing to troubles at MGM studios and wringing their Bond-loving hands in despair, espionage fans won’t be left out in the cold. If Inception and Salt are any indication of what good writing, directing and acting can do, spy lovers will be well taken care of for many years to come.

Campfires must not be larger than 0.5 metres wide or 0.5 metres tall. Anyone who lights a campfire must have a hand tool such as a shovel, or at least eight litres of water, nearby to fully extinguish it. Never leave a campfire unattended, and make sure ashes are completely cold to the touch before leaving the area.

Although small, contained campfires are now permitted, open fires of any other description remain prohibited. This prohibition includes fireworks and burning barrels.

The rescinding of this prohibition applies to all B.C. Parks, Crown and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire department. Please check with civic authorities for any restrictions before lighting a fire.

Anyone found in violation of an open fire ban may be issued a ticket for $345. Should a wildfire occur as a result of recklessness, a person can be fined up to $1 million or spend three years in prison and be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Kamloops Fire Centre extends from the northern border of Wells Gray Park, north of Blue River to the U.S. border in the south, and from the Bridge River Glacier west of Goldbridge to the Monashee Mountains east of Lumby.

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire please call *5555 on your cellphone, or toll- free to 1 800 663-5555.

For more information on open fire prohibitions, area restrictions or for updates on current wildfire activity, visit www.bcwildfire.ca.

Electric Mountain Music Festival is the new festival taking over the grounds that used to host the huge Merritt Mountain Music Festival, a country music showcase known for its wild parties and large crowds.

Electric Mountain is taking the city into the country. The festival will focus on electronic and hip hop music over Labour Day weekend, Sept. 3 to 5.

The festival will be run by Vancouver’s Regime Entertainment, and Communications Director Meghan Edmonson says they are remaining humble about their first year in operation.

“We would be happy with 3,000 (attendees),” she says, a far cry from the 100,000 people who used to attend Merritt Mountain. “The whole focus this year is just to brand and get people in the know about it.”

Regime is being smart about taking things one step at a time, which should help them prevent the disastrous situation faced by the Pemberton Music Festival promoters from a couple of years ago.

“Pemberton went so big and then they ran out of money because they were paying so much money to headliners. That’s not realistic,” says Edmonson.

The festival will feature three stages showcasing electronic music and hip hop from the likes of Mat the Alien, local Kamloops DJ duo Dope Tito and the amazing DJ Kofi of the Gorillaz Sound System—a light and visual show featuring the lovable Gorillaz characters.

The festival will also feature a water park with a 200 ft. slip-and-slide, beer gardens, food vendors and onsite camping. Using only a section of the previous grounds from Merritt Mountain, Electric Mountain is being realistic about the atmosphere of the festival.

“We’ve cut a more controlled area . . . you do risk there being issues and it would be ignorant for me to think otherwise,” says Edmonson in answer to the question of safety at the festival. “We want people to have fun, but within the realm of what is right and what is wrong.”

The team of Regime Entertainment recently visited Merritt to get a feel for the grounds and receive feedback from the community. Edmonson says that while those who dislike change remain skeptical, generally the community of Merritt is excited about hosting another festival that could be the new Coachella of the north in years to come.

Only time will tell if this music festival will succeed but considering its prominent reputation left over by Merritt Mountain combined with a unique, well-planned organization as well as local community support it looks like Electric Mountain Music Festival could be a real summer festival hit.

For those who are interested in getting involved with the festival, volunteer applications are being accepted and are available directly from the festival’s website at www.electricmountainmusicfest.com. Up and coming emcees and DJs are also invited to submit material for consideration in The Electric Throw Down, a friendly competition for artists to showcase their skills and music to the public for prizes and spots at next year’s festival.

Political Point of View

“What do you read my Lord? Words, words, words.”
— William Shakespeare.

It looks like the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. The revelation of leaked Pentagon documents by the Wikileaks whistleblower website is doing more to end the West’s entanglement in the Afghani and Iraqi quagmire than the vaunted smart technology and a couple of hundred thousand troops. Evidence showing Pakistani double dealings, Iranian complicity, Saudi money and Islam’s resentment of our intervention in their world clearly shows after trillions of dollars and thousands of our young men dead that there’s no possible hope of turning that part of the world into any semblance of a responsible modern democracy.

If after nine years of utter futility doesn’t seem like enough proof we’re wasting our resources, the last nail in the coffin of deluded hopes of George Bush and Barack Obama is finally being hammered home. Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and the whole region of Chaos-stans are best left to stew in their own juices. They should be approached in the manner of the Chinese, who wisely refrain from imposing any morality upon others and come only with the intent of mercantilism. They say, “You’ve got oil. We’ll buy it.” No need to moralize here. One doesn’t see any worldwide protests calling China the Great Satan or any terrorist threats against Beijing. The leaders there are clearly more attuned to public opinion than any American President and are secretly smiling at the prospect of the U.S. having to endure another humiliating Asian retreat.

Since the question isn’t if the West is leaving but when and the big issue is what will it do to American credibility and prestige, the answer is simple. They’re both going downhill fast. There’s no doubt leaving will be humiliating but the whole effort was useless and stupid to begin with. To win in war, the effort must be made to kill the enemy; none of this hearts and minds stuff. It worked in World War II against the Germans and Japanese and it only took half as long to get the victory.

The answer to another question is what happens if Western forces leave? The Americans (and us) can start dealing with real issues at home. Our governments have serious money problems. To go halfway around the world and waste useful tax dollars is not fiscal responsibility in the least. While we’re at it, let’s stop protecting Japan, South Korea and Germany. They’re well off enough to take care of themselves. Bring all the boys home. Besides, any student of geography can see the Mexican invasion of America is going quite well, the Venezuelans and Columbians will soon be at each other’s throats and the South American drug lords are doing rather well. It looks like the War on Drugs is doing as poorly as the War on Terror.

Maybe we should look into the dictionary and see just what the definition of war really is?

Publisher's Note

Mankind has been dealing with forest fires and wild beasts since we got up off all fours a millennia ago but has the passage of time really taught us much? Listen to the news and you’ll hear about devastating wildfires around the globe this summer. Moscow recording the highesttemperature reading in 140 years of weather records, vast swaths of Canada and the U.S.A. currently burning and California dreading the soon to come Santa Ana winds that fuel so many devastating fires, yet people still don’t get it.

Up to 70 per cent of all forest fires are caused by human activity and most don’t need to happen in the first place. Campfire bans are in place for a reason, yet campers seem oblivious; people throwing cigarettes from cars and the stupidity goes on and on. I guess it really comes back to the simple adage that some people are truly wise and some are otherwise. You only need to be affected by a wildfire once to change your ways. If you’re dealing fire, think about its potential effects. How hard is it?

As summer nights cool and fall comes, our senses seem to shift away from the smoky hot days of summer and like many other creatures we start to gather our fuel and food for the long winter ahead. For millions of years man has been dealing with one creature’s annual forage for survival, yet it seems we’re once again oblivious to how we should act after eons of interaction.

There are between 120,000 and 160,000 black bears in the forests of B.C., and each one needs to eat up to 20,000 calories per day in the fall season just to survive winter hibernation. Bears know food and how to get it. If you live in bear country as most of us do, why not give these majestic beasts a fighting chance at survival. A half eaten Footlong from Subway left in the back of your work truck is a proverbial bullet in the head to a hungry bear.

If it smells like food then bears will try to eat it and if it’s associated with humans the odds are that bear will become habituated to human waste, harass homeowners and end up getting shot. Once again how hard is it people? Freeze stinky garbage like seafood and other meat wastes, go to the transfer site or landfill more often, clean up your fruit trees and empty your bird feeders. Bears don’t like garbage but if you offer it, they’ll eat it and potentially end up dead.

In the end it’s really our fault as bears don’t create the garbage, we do.

The company updated its infrastructure to make high speed Internet, cable TV and digital phone available in Whitecroft following the approval of its Connecting Citizens Grant earlier this year.

There will be another two weeks to finalize the job after the fibre optic installation is done, said Mascon Cable manager Darren Muloin.

“We hope to have everything done by September 15,” he added. Muloin said they have approximately 40 subscribers in Whitecroft signed up for their services to date.

Because of the terrain, installation was a bit tricky. The company used a truck with an extra long boom to reach the poles and also hired a contractor who used climbing spurs to climb the poles in areas where the poles didn’t run parallel to the road.

Connecting Citizens Grant is a government program that aims to get rural communities connected online by sharing the cost of infrastructure with Internet service providers such as Mascon Cable Systems.

For more information, visit www.mascon.bc.ca.

Mayor Al Raine of the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Byron Johnson as the municipality’s first Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

Mr. Byron Johnson will join the new municipality in mid-September when the municipality is expected to officially open its new offices in the Kookaburra Lodge in Sun Peaks. Mayor Raine indicated that following a very extensive selection process, Mr. Johnson was offered the position based on his extensive public and and private sector financial background and his experience as both a Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer at the municipal level in British Columbia.

“We are extremely pleased that Mr. Johnson has accepted our offer and we are looking forward to welcoming him and his wife to Sun Peaks,” said the mayor.

Mr. Johnson has a professional accounting designation (CGA) and worked in the forestry sector in finance and accounting for some 13 years before joining the City of Quesnel as Director of Finance and Administration in 2004. In 2008, he was appointed as Chief Administrative Officer for the city.

“I am excited about the opportunity to be involved with the new municipality at Sun Peaks,” commented Mr. Johnson. “With my experience in Quesnel, I am looking forward to being able to work with the mayor, council and staff to organize the municipality through this important start-up period.”

“We have a unique opportunity to consider many innovative approaches to providing municipal services.”

“My wife and I have close family ties in the Kamloops area, so we are very excited to be relocating here,” added Mr. Johnson.

The album already made headlines earlier this year, thanks to a shocking music video to the track “Born Free” directed by Romain Gavras, portraying United States military officials rounding up a bus load of redheads and forcing them to run through an open minefield. It’s gory to say the least, but M.I.A isn’t shy about making political statements.

Maya is a fantastic album, with each song a little different from the last. This album is noticeably more electronically charged and dubbed than previous albums like Arular. You’ll find lots of glitchy tracks with heavy bass, and tons of odd little sound clips thrown in.

The album mixes tribal sounds with choirs, computer key clicks and just about everything in between. With catchy, eccentric M.I.A lyrics Maya is true to the artist’s form while being something new and different from anything else out there. Dance floors will be full to this one.

“XXXO” is very pop, and could easily fit into a Lady Gaga gig, while the next track “Teqkilla” is all M.I.A—glitchy hip hop with a feminine edge. “It Takes a Muscle” is electronic reggae, perfect for summer listening, while “Meds and Feds” is a hard pounding rock piece. You get a little of everything in this bag.

M.I.A has turned out very few poor tracks in her musical lifespan and she just seems to get more edge and intensity as her career progresses. Pick your favourite track and enjoy!

For more information, visit www.miauk.com/mayaaspect