Independent News

The real Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme haven't seen each other in decades. Not since the '50s: permanent separation was one of the conditions that had them spend only five years in a New Zealand jail for the murder of Pauline's mother, a sensational crime that had all sorts of accusations being levied at the pair of then-teenagers: their unusually close relationship was called out as lesbian, their fanciful imaginations were seen as hints of insanity and it was suggested that, when together, their mutual willingness to chase down a shred of fantasy allowed both of them to commit murder.

The man who brought us Alberta's official mushroom now believes the key to attracting investment is an international beauty pageant. Carl Benito, MLA for Edmonton-Millwoods, has decided the best way to reinvigorate Alberta's economy is to bring home an international competition for who looks best in a bathing suit. Unfortunately, Benito's suggestion is not too far off what finance minister Ted Morton will be proposing this week with the release of the Alberta competitiveness plan—a way to look pretty to his hard line right wing critics and corporate business friends who may have been worried they've been forgotten.

Population boom

The realization of human rights for the Lubicon Cree has suffered a major setback. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada's (INAC) recent imposition of third-party management on the Lubicon has Amnesty International and other local and international organizations expressing serious concern. The recent move by INAC comes after more than 35 years of conflict between the Lubicon Cree and the federal and provincial government, which has brought international attention to this Indigenous community of Northern Alberta and their fight for the recognition of their land rights.

Now, imagine that your jurisdiction, the province of Alberta, has recently exited from the biggest boom period it has ever experienced. 

In response to an increase in reports of sexual assault in Edmonton, Police Chief Mike Boyd announced on March 4 that the Edmonton Police Service has partnered with organizations in the community to create a group called Sexual Assault Voices of Edmonton, or SAVE, to work toward preventing sexual assault in the city. EPS superintendent Danielle Campbell calls the increase a disturbing trend and notes the increase is significant among 18 – 24 year olds.

'Aboriginal women have always been in a care-giving role in our communities, but it has never been recognized or acknowledged, because we haven't received formal education to take on those roles."

With the increasing shift from analogue to digital, some election officials are unsurprisingly chomping at the bit to move toward Internet-based voting. Last year, Elections Canada officials mused about the possibility of online voting trials, noting the potential benefits of increasing voter participation, particularly among younger demographics.

There are some bombs going off, but apart from that the election in Iraq on  March 7 is a model of its kind. There are more than 6000 candidates for the 352 seats in parliament, and the country is flooded with foreign observers who will monitor the process. Unlike last time, no major group is boycotting the election—and nobody knows who is going to win it.

It turns out I didn't get an inch past the shoreline when I dipped my toes into the Andrew Wakefield Lancet paper retraction story a few weeks ago, so I decided to revisit it. To give the man at the centre of the controversy the opportunity to respond to media statements being made about his ethics and integrity, I contacted him.

The Oilers spent last week looking somewhat like a real NHL team again with two wins and a loss. The Oilers beat Minnesota 2-1 and shut out New Jersey 2-0 here at Rexall. But just when it looked like a return to the heady days of early December 2009 when the Oilers last won some games, the Oilers dropped a 4-1 decision to Ottawa.

In June of 2009, the High Line Park opened in New York City. Built upon the long-defunct High Line train tracks running down the west side of Manhattan for 22 blocks, from 1934 to 1980, trains on the High Line helped deliver goods to the meat market or "meatpacking district"—a neighbourhood recently designated by NYC as the "Gansevoort Historic District." The tracks perch above street-level at a distance of 29 feet, a feature meant to curb the train-related deaths associated with mixing train traffic and foot traffic.

For those of you who are still firmly ensconced on the carb-o-phobic bandwagon and have cut out pasta as a result, Ernesto Rizzi wants you to know something: "Pasta has gotten a bad rap. Good pasta is made with semolina flour. It's not processed like your typical white flour. It's high in protein and easy to digest."

Decadence and indulgence are two words that instantaneously come to mind when salivating over thoughts of the savoury, spicy world of Indian food. But what to drink to temper and complement the food? Decades of tradition has held that beer is the better pairing with Indian food and, in many corners, the opinion still holds sway, judging by last Fall's Flavours Magazine article "Sour Grapes," which stated, "Sorry wine, but Indian food is best when paired with beer." Many a critic of pairing wine with Indian Food is out there, not quite ready to embrace the newfound meshing between the winos and ethnic kitchens. Tradition and beer aside, sample a few of the suggested pairings, as wine can be a delicious option to enhance your Indian food experience.

The merging of two distinct entities to create a new one is widespread among many disciplines. In linguistics, it's a portmanteau, the blending of two words and meanings. In biology, it's a hybrid, the offspring that result from the breeding of two distinct species. The gastronomical equivalent is fusion cuisine, which combines aspects of at least two specific regions or culinary traditions. A popular dyad is Mediterranean and Asian; both regions are home to highly refined and renowned techniques and ingredients and share quarters in the kitchen of Lazia.

It's not surprising that many parties might claim to have invented the world's number-one fast food. Some culinary historians say it began with the Mongols, who stashed raw beef under their saddles as they endeavored to conquer the known world.

Fat flakes fall on my neck as vapour clouds rise from the centre of our nine-person huddle. I'm one of eight students in this Avalanche Skills Training 1 class now linking arms in what instructor Harry Allard calls "The circle of knowledge."

Whitewater Ski Resort, Arc'teryx and Mountain Gear hosted skiers and boarders from every snow-bearing continent this past weekend at the fourth annual Kootenay Cold Smoke Powder Fest.

Paralympics take up torch