Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Robson Square in Vancouver, British Columbia
The courthouse design by architect Arthur Erickson (1924-2009) was commissioned in 1974 to replace the 1906 courthouse on Georgia Street.  During the design process it is rumored to be said:  “This won’t be a corporate monument.  Let’s turn it on its side and let people walk all over it”.  The resulting system of landscaped terraces, pools and waterfalls making up a vast urban landmark stretching for three city blocks, is anchored by the law (the courts) at one end and the arts (the art gallery) at the other end, and embodies a west coast sense of space and relationships.  http://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/130222-Robson-Square-draft-with-BC-logo.pdf  
See also article with pictures at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robson_Square

A pulse is an edible seed that grows in a pod.  Pulses include all beans, peas and lentils.  Pulses are a great source of protein.  You can add pulses to soups, casseroles and meat sauces to add extra texture and flavour.  This means you can use less meat, which makes the dish lower in fat and cheaper.  Pulses are a good source of iron.  Pulses are also a starchy food and add fibre to your meal.  The fibre found in pulses may help lower blood cholesterol, so they are good for your heart.  http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/pulses.aspx

As a country, Canada has ten provinces and three territories.  The largest subdivision by land area is the territory of Nunavut.  The largest subdivision by water area is the province of Quebec.  The smallest subdivision in terms of both land and water area is the province of Prince Edward Island.  Canada is the second-largest country in the world; however, in terms of dry land area, it ranks fourth.  In terms of freshwater area, Canada is the largest country.  See graphics at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_provinces_and_territories_by_area

Birds are natural aviatiors.  Find about our national aviary located in Pittsburgh at http://www.aviary.org/  An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds.  Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages.  Aviaries often contain plants and shrubbery to simulate a natural environment.  Find information and pictures at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviary

The Vancouver Convention Centre is the world’s first LEED Platinum certified convention center and also boasts the largest non-industrial green roof in North America.  Led by Seattle based architecture firm LMN, the most extraordinary addition to the center is the 5-acre living roof that is landscaped with more than 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses, and provides a natural habitat to birds, butterflies, insects, small mammals, and bees.  These bees (about 240,000 of them) live in four hives that produce honey to be used in the center’s kitchen.  The layers of the structure act as an insulator, reducing heat gains in summer and heat losses in winter, as well as contribute to the building’s stormwater utilization.  The underside of the roof is lined with beautiful Douglas Fir slats, a locally harvested material.  Lea Stewart  http://inhabitat.com/leed-platinum-vancouver-convention-center-has-north-americas-largest-green-roof/

MEMORY AID:  FINDS (Nordic countries:  Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden)

Why the Public Library Beats Amazon—for Now by Geoffrey A. Fowler  A growing stack of companies would like you to pay a monthly fee to read e-books, just like you subscribe to Netflix NFLX +1.51% to binge on movies and TV shows.  Don't bother.  Go sign up for a public library card instead.  Really, the public library?  Amazon.com recently launched Kindle Unlimited, a $10-per-month service offering loans of 600,000 e-books.  Startups called Oyster and Scribd offer something similar.  More than 90% of American public libraries have amassed e-book collections you can read on your iPad, and often even on a Kindle.  You don't have to walk into a branch or risk an overdue fine.  And they're totally free.  Though you still have to deal with due dates, hold lists and occasionally clumsy software, libraries, at least for now, have one killer feature that the others don't: e-books you actually want to read.  To compare, I dug up best-seller lists, as well as best-of lists compiled by authors and critics.  Then I searched for those e-books in Kindle Unlimited, Oyster and Scribd alongside my local San Francisco Public Library.  To rule out big-city bias, I also checked the much smaller library where I grew up in Richland County, S.C. Of the Journal's 20 most recent best-selling e-books in fiction and nonfiction, Amazon's Kindle Unlimited has none—no "Fifty Shades of Grey," no "The Fault in Our Stars."  Scribd and Oyster each have a paltry three.  But the San Francisco library has 15, and my South Carolina library has 11.  From Amazon's own top-20 Kindle best-seller lists from 2013, 2012 and 2011, Kindle Unlimited has no more than five titles a year, while the San Francisco library has at least 16.  Read much more at http://online.wsj.com/articles/why-the-public-library-beats-amazonfor-now-1407863714

September 2, 2014  America may be running out of sea captains and librarians.  Those professions, along with occupational therapists, plant operators and scores of others, are likely to report significant deficits of qualified workers over the next 15 years or so, according to a report from the Conference Board.  The corporate-research organization examined the risk of labor shortages in 464 occupations, projecting shortfalls for a majority of them.

"The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest.  Our mission is unique:  To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society.  Founded in 1916, The Conference Board is an objective, independent source of economic and business knowledge with one agenda:  to help our member companies understand and deal with the most critical issues of our time.  We conduct research and convene business leaders in forums large and small, public and private.  The insights captured through our extensive network feed directly back into our research and meeting agendas, ensuring that our activities remain sharply focused on the key issues of the day."

New Zealand's basketball team chanted and posed, stomping forward and stamping the court in a traditional haka dance.  The U.S. players paused during their warmups, amused and intrigued.  The scene played out before the September 2, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup matchup.  U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said his team was aware of the ritual and they lined up to face midcourt as the New Zealand players got into their formation.  After the dance concluded, the United States players clapped, then focused on the ensuing game, winning 98-71.  Link to 1:14 video at http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/zealand-basketball-teams-haka-dance-baffles-team-usa/story?id=25225036

Waters of the United States proposed rule  Open for public comment until October 20, 2014  Link to the rule at http://www2.epa.gov/uswaters


http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1186  September 3, 2014  On this date in 301, San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, was founded by Saint Marinus.  On this date in 1802, William Wordsworth composed the sonnet Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802.

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