It’s not every day that a composer gets to hear a score they’ve written being played by a live orchestra due to the coordination, studio space and budgets required. On February 5th, 28 classically trained musicians gathered in CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio to record a score that ace composer, Toronto’ Vikash Kohli had written.

“It’s mighty cool to hear an orchestra record something I’ve written. Thanks to the Screen Composers Guild of Canada for making this happen with the Canadian Film Centre and the Glenn Gould School,” Kohli commented; adding “The director, Samuel, had a clear vision of what we needed to do to support the film and it was great to draw upon fellow composers Christian Floisand, Tristan Capacchione, and Darren Fung to get the end result as well as have Josh Tidsbury doing the beautiful surround mix.”

Kohli scored the music to the film called Wild Goose Daddy, directed by filmmaker Samuel Kiehoon Lee, who is based in Seoul and Toronto and who flew in from Korea just ahead of the recording session. “All of our meetings before the actual recording were over Skype since Sam was in Korea while I was here in Canada. Fortunately, I’m used to working with people halfway across the world, so it was all really fun,” noted Kohli, who has produced music for Bollywood films as well as documentaries and art films all shot in India.

Wild Goose Daddy is an action buddy-comedy romp about a middle-aged Korean mobster who has to team up with a young drag queen in order to find his missing daughter in Toronto. The film will have a screening this Wednesday, February 8th at the Royal Theatre (608 College Street) in Toronto along with four other films also scored by members of the Screen Composers Guild of Canada.

Award-winning composer and music producer Vikas Kohli is known for his expertise at fusing together genres as varied as punk, hip-hop and Bollywood pop. He is the first composer to receive the Trailblazer Award from the ReelWorld Film Festival, the first composer to receive a Voice Achievers Award and he also received a MARTY award from the Mississauga Arts Council.

Born in Nepean (Ottawa), Kohli began playing guitar and painting at fine arts school before receiving his Honors Degree in Mathematics & Philosophy from the University of Toronto, his MBA from the Schulich School of Business and his CFA. Kohli now lives in Mississauga, Canada.

“Crime and gang-related violence are real issues here in Surrey, and across the country,” says MP Jasbir Sandhu.

SURREY – As part of a national discussion on preventing gang violence and building safer communities, New Democrat Public Safety Critic Jasbir Sandhu (Surrey North) will host a public forum on crime in partnership with SFU Surrey’s School of Criminology on February 21.
“Crime and gang-related violence are real issues here in Surrey, and across the country,” said Sandhu. “People are looking for leadership and solutions that will prevent crime and make our communities safer, that is what this discussion is about.”

Sandhu will be joined by Dr. Robert Gordon, director of SFU’s School of Criminology and representatives from the Surrey RCMP, Pathfinders Youth Centre Society and South Fraser Community Services Society.

“Currently there are an estimated 11,000 street gang members in Canada today, most are under the age of 30,” Sandhu said. “While other crimes are in decline, gang-related crime has been on the rise – that is a real problem, and we need real solutions.”

New Democrats have called for more investment in front line police officers and youth-gang prevention programs, but Stephen Harper has cut those programs across Canada and failed to fund new police officers.

“New Democrats want to move this country forward and invest in proven, cost-effective crime prevention strategies,” Sandhu said. “It’s time to move beyond the politicized bluster and failed Conservative prisons agenda.”

The forum called Crime and Our Community is to be held on Tuesday February 21. 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. SFU Surrey Campus, Room 3090

The government claims counting and tracking every long-gun in Canada has been costly and has placed undue burdens on law-abiding gun owners

OTTAWA – On Wednesday Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, issued the following statement after the success of the 3rd reading vote on Bill C-19, Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act.

“Ending the long-gun registry has been a priority for our Government. Today’s vote marks an important achievement, as we fulfill the promise we made to Canadians to eliminate the long-gun registry once and for all. Our Government continues to focus on efforts that tackle crime and make our communities safer.

Counting and tracking every long-gun in Canada has been costly and has placed undue burdens on law-abiding gun owners, such as farmers and duck hunters, rather than those who use firearms illegally. Our Government is taking the necessary steps to ensure that gun control in this country is focused on fighting crime, keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals and minimizing burdens on law-abiding gun owners. We have successfully introduced legislation that fights gang crime, drug crime, violent and repeat offenders. These are the reforms that Canadians need and deserve most, in order to tackle real crime and real criminals.

While Bill C-19 removes the need to hold a registration certificate for non-restricted firearms, it does not change the requirement for all individuals to hold a licence in order to possess a firearm, a background check, and pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course.

The introduction of this legislation is consistent with this Government’s efforts to ensure our firearms laws target real criminals and protect the safety of the public.”

Vancouver courts will not televise the trials of alleged rioter after a judge ruling

VICTORIA – Attorney General Shirley Bond has released this statement following Tuesday’s court decision on the application to broadcast a Stanley Cup riot sentencing:
“Making the justice system more transparent to British Columbians is an important public discussion.

“Last June, brazen crimes were committed in public during the Stanley Cup riot, and, since then, government has pursued the goal of having the sentencing of those found guilty broadcast to the public.

“While any member of the public can visit a courthouse in person and witness proceedings first hand, our government sought to broaden access so that more British Columbians could observe justice in action. That is why we directed the Crown to make applications and asked the court to apply its own broadcast policy to these riot trials.

“Today’s decision by the Provincial Court does not decide the merits of all riot broadcast applications, but does raise additional questions. The approach laid out by the judge in this decision is expected to consume more time than anticipated. That is why we are
taking a step back to ensure that ongoing trials are not delayed.

“The Province has had two goals – timely justice and greater transparency to the justice system. If we must choose between the two, we will pursue timely justice. Accordingly, the direction issued to Crown counsel has been rescinded.

“In the meantime, we will carefully consider Judge MacLean’s decision, and we will continue to look for opportunities to make the justice system more transparent to all British Columbians.”

February 12: South Asian Seniors – Keep good health by label reading

Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Seniors to attend a Workshop on Keep Good Health By Label Reading by Priti Suri Chief Consulting Dietitian with Diet Group on Feb. 12th 2012 from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321-140th street Surrey B.C for further information please call Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604-507-9945.

February 16: Celebrate Maharishi Dayanand’s birthday with Arya Samaj Society of British Columbia

Celebrates Maharishi Dayanand’s birthday on Thursday, February 16, 6-9 p.m. Gaurab Gaan of Maharishi Dayanand (Bahajans in Praise of Maharishi). Essay contest for children on: “Maharishi Dayanand”: participating children in two age groups: 9-11 years and 12-14 years. Essays should be a maximum of 200 words and type written. Deadline for submissions: February 12. Awards and certificates will be given on Arya Samaj Sthaapna Diwas (April to essay contest winners. Arya Samaj Hall, 6884 Jubilee Avenue, Burnaby.

February 17-18: Richmond: Children’s Arts Festival

Richmond’s creatively interactive festival connecting children of all ages with professional artists: Friday, February 17 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Saturday, February 18 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). For two days, the Richmond Cultural Centre will play host to dozens of 90-minute Creativity Classes with accomplished artists leading kids in dance, drama, puppet making, cartooning, guitar, hip hop and more. Pre-registration is essential for these workshops and for $10 / class, children will also get to experience performances and many fun, hands-on Imagination Stations to explore hand drumming, lantern making and other activities throughout the Cultural Centre. Full details including a schedule of Creativity Classes and list of artist instructors are available at www.richmond.ca/artscentre.

February 18; Information session – Volunteer with Sikh Research Institute

We are looking for volunteers in the following areas: *Sharing SikhRI’s mission to further education *Preparing and delivering workshops *Researching for specific project proposals *Coordinating events and marketing *Facilitating fundraising presentations and events *General administrative assistance. We encourage everyone from the elderly and working professionals to high school and college students to get involved. Free Information Session: Saturday, February 18, 2-4 p.m. at PICS Head Office #205 – 12725 80th Avenue, Surrey. Contact: info-canada@sikhri.org. Lali Pawa at 604-505-0502.

February 19: South Asian Seniors – Senior’s Integration Presentation

Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Seniors to attend a presentation on Seniors Integration by Archana Sharma Coordinator Diversecity resources society Surrey on 19th Febryary 2012 at 2.00pm to 3.00pm at Shanti Niketan of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321-140th Surrey B.C. Tea and snacks will be served after the presentation, for further information please call Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604-507-9945.

February 20: Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Surrey

Invites you to Maha Shivratri Utsav on Monday, February 20 from 6 a.m. to midnight. 7-foot-high ice Shiv Lingham. Experience Gufa Darshan like Baba Amarnath Yatra in India. Pooja and upasana. Live Bhajan Kirtan by famous singers. Free foodstalls. Contact Vinay Sharma at 604-596-4977. Register yourself for pooja or any sewa. Email: surreymandir@gmail.com

February 20- 25: Shree Mahalakshmi Temple Programs

Monday, February 20: 7: 30 p.m. – Mahashivaratri. Puja begins with chanting and bhajans at 7:30 p.m., followed by Rudrabhisheka. Devotees can offer Jaladhara to Lord Shiva after the puja. Aarati will be performed at midnight. *Saturday, February 25: 6 p.m. – Shree Hanuman Japa, Shree Lakshmi Vinayaka Japa. At 467 E 11 Avenue, Vancouver. Phone: 604-874-0175. Email: shreemahalakshmi@gmail.com. Website: www.shreemahalakshmitemple.ca.

February 23: SFU Lecture ‘The Happy Traitor: Tales of a Translator from Arabic.’

The Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures (SFU) and World Literature (SFU) present Dr. Roger Allen, the Sascha Jane Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics, and Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Allen will be speaking on ‘The Happy Traitor: Tales of a Translator from Arabic.’

This lecture is free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended and can be made through www.websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/96831036 or by emailing ccsmsc@sfu.ca
For more information, please email ccsmsc@sfu.ca or go to our website www.ccsmsc.sfu.ca
February 23rd, 2012, 7:00pm
Simon Fraser University, Surrey Campus
Room 2600
250- 13450- 102nd Avenue, Surrey

February 24: Delhiites Get-together

If you belong to Delhi or have lived there before moving to Canada, then get ready to meet and greet Delhiites as we all celebrate Delhi and its uniqueness at a Dinner / Dance on Friday, February 24 at Fraserview Banquet Hall, Vancouver. For more information about Delhiites, contact Kamal Sharma at 604-592-9777 or e-mail him at kamal@kamalvideopalace.com.

February 25: Surrey Reads & Writes 2012: Discover, Connect, Be Inspired

Surrey’s City Centre Library at 10350 University Drive plays host to the city’s 3rd “Surrey Reads & Writes” on Saturday, February 25th from 11 am until 3 pm. Readers and writers of all ages are invited to this free celebration of the written word in Surrey.

Our 2012 program features 34 writers and authors in a day packed with activities including workshops, stories, mini-readings, displays and a panel presentation. This large gathering draws novelists, poets, authors of children’s and adult books, journalists, writing clubs and readers together in a festival which will fill our award-winning new library.

Register for the following events by calling 604-598-7426

February 28: Cultural differences in the workplace seminar

Are you an immigrant? Join us on Tues. February 28, 7 – 8:30 pm at Surrey City Centre Library (10350 University Dr) to discuss strategies for overcoming cultural differences in the workplace. Discuss how your culture can enhance the Canadian workplace. Learn about diversity and how to overcome misunderstandings in the workplace and the resources available for immigrants. Please register at 604-598-7426. If you would like more information, contact Immigrant Youth Outreach Program at iyop@pcrs.ca or 604-592-6201.

February 28: Tax Strategies for Canadians –free program in Richmond

Want to save money and reduce your taxes? If so, then come to a free program called “Tax Strategies for Canadians – Preparing Your Tax Return” on February 28th from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Brighouse (Main) Branch of Richmond Public Library in the performance hall. The library is located at 7700 Minoru Gate. Register by visiting any branch of Richmond Public Library, by calling 604-231-6413 or online at www.yourlibrary.ca/whatson.cfm. Quote program number 217.

Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara free parenting support workshops

To assist parents in raising children during these times, the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey is offering a free 6-week drop-in program for parents to learn more about these challenges and what they can do as a parent to further develop positive parenting skills. Workshops will run every Wednesday in February from 6-8 p.m. at GNSG Seniors Center (7050-120th Street, at the opposite parking lot entrance of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara) and can be attended by parents on a drop-in basis – registration is not required. Workshops topics will be determined through open discussions on current concerns of parents and on topics such as communication, drugs, gangs, bullying, peer influences, internet and parenting styles. The program is conducted in English and Punjabi and facilitated by Karen Sekhon, a Youth Diversity Liaison Coordinator. To learn more, visit www.gnsg.ca or call (604) 598-1300.

Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Program (for parents of children new born to 5 years.)

Every Saturday, starting from February 4 and running until March 3. Time: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Fee: Free. Language: Punjabi / Hindi / Urdu. Venue: Room # 201, South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, 6470 Victoria Drive, Vancouver. Information will be provided on: * Parenting Skills * Different developmental stages of a child * Health and safety for children * Child behaviour and discipline. Light refreshments, free child care and bus tickets will be provided. Admission is free but registration is required. For registrations, call Humaira: 604-324-6212, ext. 120.

February story times to help learn English: Newton Family Place

Hear stories, sing songs, laugh with puppets & meet new people while practicing English.ESL Storytimes are for children of all ages and their caregivers. Registration is not required, just drop-in. Free.
• at Newton Family Place: The Early Years Centre, 6878 King George Blvd. 604-572-8032 (local 227)
Wednesdays from 1:30 – 2:30 pm
February 15, 22, March 7, 28, April 4, 11, 18
September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24, November 7, 14, 21
At Newton Library: 13795 – 70th Ave
Wednesdays from 1:30 – 2:30 pm: April 25, November 28

If you need more information, please contact Surinder: 604-598-7379 or skrandhawa@surrey.ca

Surrey Libraries Answers Questions Online for Free

Have a burning question? Just Ask at Surrey Libraries will answer your question live and online for free. Ask us a question from home, a coffee shop, or even from the bus via your smartphone. We will help you get quick and reliable answers to your questions instantly using more than just the Internet. It’s convenient, free and you won’t have to sift through thousands of results and advertisements to find your answer. Professionals from libraries in Greater Vancouver are online to help you from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. Go to www.surreylibraries.ca and click on Ask a Librarian or Just Ask.

Punjabi, English and Hindi computer classes at George Mackie Library

Individual help is available for basic computer, Internet
and email questions at George Mackie Library, 8440 –
112 Street, North Delta. Internet One-to-One is offered
in English, Punjabi or Hindi on Fridays and Saturdays
beginning January 13th. Book your appointment by
visiting or calling the Information Desk at 604-594-8155.

Free settlement services for new immigrants

Are you a new immigrant from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or
Fiji? Do you have questions on your mind? South Vancouver Neighbourhood House
Settlement services can help.

We are a non- profit organization offering support and settlement services to
youths, families, adults and seniors in a number of languages. Our South Asian staff
speaks Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English. We offer services in employment, PR card
and citizenship applications, all kinds of form filling, information on Super visa, SIN
card, MSP, accommodation, ELSA, etc. For more information and a complete list of our services, please call Humaira: 604-324-6212 ext 120 or drop in at 6470 Victoria Dr (At 49th), Vancouver.

Punjabi speaking settlement worker at Delta’s George Mackie Library

A Punjabi speaking settlement worker will be at the George Mackie Library every Tuesday from 4 – 8 pm. She will assist newcomer’s who need assistance in their settlement process in Canada. She can help you with your immigration questions, renew your PR Card, and help to fill out applications for Citizenship, MSP Premium, Child Care Subsidy, Child Tax Benefits, and BC Housing programs, such as, Rental Assistant Program. She can also help with your job search by helping you create resume and cover letter. Her assistance is free of charge.

Please call and make an appointment with Harvinder at 604-572-4060.

George Mackie Library is at the corner of 112 St and 82 Avenue.

Khalsa Diwan Society New Westminster

Friday Youth Darbar program encourages youth from all ages to take part in the Gurdwara Seva each Friday and learn more about the different types of Seva involved. Call 604-537-8300. Classes are ongoing at the Gurdwara Sukh Sagar Punjabi School – learn Punjabi in a fun environment. Call 604-537-8300.

PICS Vancouver
The Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) Society, Vancouver Branch: Our Group Job Search Workshops are a flexible, 5-module rotating program, running weekly, with 16 sessions each month. Call 604-324-7733, go to www.pics.bc.ca, or visit at 200-8161 Main Street, Vancouver.

Canadian Immigrant Community Services Society

Offers the following free services: filling up of Permanent Resident and Canadian Citizenship applications. Preparation of Citizenship Test in Punjabi, Making Resume: New Immigrant. Open Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. For more information, contact Ravi at 604-301-0360.

SEEDS: Self Employment Program

Self-employment is the fastest growing area of employment in North America. The odds of being successful in a small business are one in ten. Information sessions are every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. For more information or registration contact SEEDS: 604-590-4144 or online at www.seedsbdc.com.

PICS Volunteer Program

The program is designed to help clients gain valuable experience in Canadian labor market. The selected candidates will get an opportunity to volunteer with PICS or with other suitable organizations in the region. For information call 604-596-7722

Fraud Marriages

Are you now or have you been or do you know someone who is a victim of marriage fraud or marriage of convenience? Feel free to email your story at victims@stopmarriagefraud.ca. For more information visit our website at www.stopmarriagefraud.ca.

Rape Relief Shelter

Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter: Women are needed for the volunteer training program. Support your local 24-hour rape crisis line and shelter for battered women. Join us to stop rape and end woman abuse. Volunteer training is free. Booking interviews now: 604-872-8212. Website: www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca.

Women against Violence

And Rape Crisis Center strives to end violence in women’s lives. WAVAW offers: 24-hour Crisis Line and referrals, Outreach and Public Education, Accompaniments to hospital, police and courts. All services are free, confidential and private. Crisis Line – 24 hours, 7 days a week: (604) 255 – 6228. Free long distance: 1-877-392-7583.

Whoever heard of co-workers allowed to give gifts to each other for “good work” at the expense of the employer who happens to be paid by the tax payers!
This is just absolutely outrageous. If this is logical then should not doctors, nurses and firemen be given gifts for saving lives? Should not the garbage men be given gifts because they pick up trash and stop disease from spreading? Where does it end or even begin?
The Liberals in B.C have grown fat and complacent in govt and we need to get rid of them asap at the next election. They give each other gifts, yet poor people die of cold and suffer in our streets while B.C Stadium gets a new roof.
We live in a crazy province!

JJ Ramnathathan
Burnaby

Too many rules for young people

Right now, I am 19 years old. That means I am 19. I’m not 18, and I’m not 20. When I turn 21, I will able to buy alcohol. I don’t have to wait until I turn 22. When I turned 18, I was able to buy cigarettes and get a tattoo. I didn’t have to wait until I turned 19. And you know what? When I turn 20, I’m no longer a teenager!

Michael Khatkar
Vancouver

Snobby people

I absolutely hate people, especially rich ones that think they are God’s gift to retailers and that they can boss employees around just because they have more money than most of us lowly workers! I once overheard a co-worker say (after a horrible episode of expecting us to cater to their every whim, including carrying their stuff out to their car in the rain) “if they stuck their noses up any higher, they’d drown!”

Valkita Raja
Surrey

You won’t find love in a bar or club

People that think they’ve found Mr. or Mrs. Right in a bar. There’s only one thing they’re after, and it’s NOT love. This is especially true for women. What woman hasn’t had that experience? If you want true love find it in places where people are not thinking of the wrong things all the time.

Asha Khan
Burnaby

So sick of no-talent kid celebrities

I am so sick of the no-talent teenage wannabe stars (that includes the men-hos) that I see every time I turn on the TV!
Justin Bieber + no talent. Selena Gomez + no talent.
If they didn’t look the way they did they would not be anywhere. And to any of you teenage brat fans reading this, wait a few years. Your kids will be asking, “Who were these people. Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder were singing at the age of seven. They had more talent than any of these new kids combined.

Erin Southward
Surrey

Strange women

Why do women who act all peed off are asked ‘what’s wrong”, they look away and say “Oh…nothing.” and then get even more annoyed at me because I didn’t push the issue.

Confused man
Surrey

People with loud rap music in the car

People who drive around with their stupid rap music cranked up in their car so loud that I can hear it from inside my house. This is not cool, people. No one likes to hear that, and whatever excuse you make up for it just sounds totally lame (my favorite of these is “It’s just a form of expression”. No it’s not. It’s a form of annoying people.
Grow up please.

Vandana Mishra
Newton

Charity begins with yourself

Charities at work are always asking me for money. I am not working to support other people with my take home pay. The government already takes enough of my check to support the public’s deadweight. Given the amount of taxes we pay I wonder what the hell they are spending my money on. Possibly the broken social security program I will never benefit from while I am alive. I will probably have to live to 90 to get social security.

Harpreet Happi
Delta

Rotten kids meal to bratty children

I cannot stand people who bring their kids to your house and then just let them run wild. I have kids and think that it is most irresponsible of the parent to do this. I have nice stuff that I would rather your little monster didn’t touch or destroy. No, I won’t move everything so they can’t get it. How about you instill some discipline in your kid instead of taking all temptations away and avoiding the issue that they don’t listen.

Sukhi Taylor
White Rock

Don’t understand beaten up designer wear

I hate it when people buy expensive clothes that come beat up and raggedy. Like the clothes from Abercrombie and Fitch or American Eagle. I don’t get why people would want to do this. I thought that the reason that people bought expensive clothes was so they looked nice and new, obviously not though. The way that I look at it is if someone wants a beat up pear of jeans or a torn up hat, go buy a cheaper one and tear it up yourself.

Jennifer Kaur Singh
Vancouver

People who equate money and power with personal worth
I realize that people have the right to spend their money any way they choose, but I cannot help but be secretly annoyed by people who spend outlandish amounts of money on plain-brown-wrapper-type clothing (like a t-shirt) because of the store or brand when they could get it so much cheaper. Weird!

K.C

Men’s cologne smells like tuna fish

Men’s cologne…I hate almost all of them, Most smell like canned tuna. I have nothing against men, but I don’t want their whole body smelling that way. (I haven’t noticed any women’s cologne that smells like tuna…).

All men need to do to smell good is take a bath or shower every day, wear clean clothes and use some light deodorant.

Guys leave the perfume to the ladies!

Amrita K. Mahawari
Surrey

Wannabe gangsters

Wanna be gang bangers! I am so sick and tired of these little idiots moving to Surrey. They come to our neighborhood and try and claim territory on the kids who have lived here all their lives. Why don’t they get a life? Go back where you came from and trash your own hood. We don’t want you here. Most of us moved here to get away from their ignorance. They say they want respect eh! Get a life.

R.G.

Spoiled kids with parents credit cards

I hate teenagers with their parent’s credit cards that buy more stuff than I do. That’s the way to teach them financial responsibility, use the card and it is magically paid each month by the bank of Mom and Dad. I work at a place where a girl direct from college asked during orientation that if you have a balance on a credit card does it mean you owe money. How moronic is that?

Spoiled kids grow up to be irresponsible adults who think the world owes them a living.

Kiran Bhatti
Newton

Commonwealth wrestling gold medal winner Arjun Bhullar has many years of a professional career in sport ahead of him

A new study co-authored by Simon Fraser University Beedie assistant professor Yupin Yang says professional athletes need to monitor the evolution of their star status to successfully maximize their earnings and endorsements.

Basketball fans in Cleveland may disagree; say the study’s researchers, but two-time NBA MVP LeBron James’s decision to play with a higher-profile Miami Heat team and all-star teammate’s shows sound marketing and career-management acumen.

The study, “Investigating the Evolution of Star Status in Professional Team Sports”, focused on the evolution and importance of celebrity status for today’s professional athletes, ranging from James to David Beckham to Peyton Manning. It describes the rise and fall of celebrated athletes using data from the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1987 to 2008.

Published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing, the study was authored by Yang and colleague Mengze Shi from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. To determine star status, they measured the number and share of votes received by pro basketball players for the annual NBA all-star game.

So what makes a star shine even brighter in the world of pro sports? It’s a combination of not only personal performances and team records, but also includes the markets that athletes play in and the star caliber of the athletes they compete with.

It turns out that the careers of star athletes have a natural life cycle. In the early years, individual performance is more important – but as time passes, winning a team championship becomes more imperative than personal statistics or accolades.

The results of the research, which arguably vindicate James for managing his career so deliberately, show that stars should play for a winning team – which not only helps an athlete rise up to being a star, but also extends a star athlete’s playing career. Also in James’ favour, Yang and Shi maintain that star teammates can help each other. An athlete’s popularity is strongly associated with the popularity of teammates, and explains some of the blockbuster deals in recent years that have brought stars together to form all-star teams.

There is risk associated with this kind of career movement, as the researchers point out: Stars who move to star-laden teams could be eclipsed by more popular star teammates and eventually lose star status.

Another week has passed in which horrific car crashes—one in Ontario and one in British Columbia—have captured national media attention. Rightly so. The loss of life has been horrendous. Both appear to be what Road Rules has taken to calling ‘textbook cases’ that should never have happened.

The Ontario crash claimed the lives of 11 people on Monday, February 6th,when a 15-passenger van carrying 13 migrant farm workers driven by a 45-year-old farm worker who regularly served as the driver of the passenger van, and a flatbed truck driven by a 38-year-old, professional owner-operator collided in a rural intersection near the hamlet of Hampstead, Ontario at 4:45 pm.

The intersection has been described as “home to a cow pasture, a small home and a large industrial garage.” Reportedly, the passenger van rolled past the stop sign into the truck’s path. The collision launched the van into the side of the small home where it came to rest on its side The truck driver and 10 of the 13 people in the van including, Mr. Hernandez, were killed. The three other van passengers were hospitalized with critical injuries.

Ontario police have called it one of the worst traffic collisions in that province’s history, a case of “driver error” and a crash that “did not have to happen” involving lives that “did not need to be lost.” A vexing detail: one of the first witnesses reported that while attempting to find, extract, and comfort the survivors he worked alone while other later-arriving witnesses took videos of the scene.

The BC crash claimed the lives of five people on Thursday, February 9th, around 8:30 am when an SUV carrying five passengers reportedly crossed the centre line of Highway 97, 60 kilometers north of Williams Lake into the path of an oncoming semitrailer truck. Both vehicles came to rest in the roadside ditch and burst into flames. The SUV driver, a 40 year old systems manager, his wife and their two children, and his sister died. The SUV driver was a big tennis fan, and was driving the family to Vancouver to attend an international tennis match.

The truck driver was not injured. Emergency response was somewhat delayed because the nearest small town has no RCMP detachment or volunteer fire department. The RCMP were
quoted as saying the cause of the crash may never be determined: “That’s fairly common where there’s a significant fire and the vehicles are basically totally destroyed. …If there is a mechanical issue with the vehicle, we’ll never know that.” Road conditions were described as bare but wet. A witness driving behind the SUV has been quoted as saying the SUV driver was not driving erratically or irresponsibly.

Recitation of the basic details of these crashes is an attempt to reconcile what happened with the idea that they need not have. ‘Careful drivers’ know that stop signs, centre lines, and big trucks need to be respected. By all accounts, all of the above-described drivers would normally have been so described. But it only takes a momentary lapse in a good driver’s attention to create a highway catastrophe.

Losing weight has become a matter of life or death and counting calories, Weight Watcher points and fat grams hasn’t lessened the numbers of people affected. In 2010, more than 25 percent of Americans had pre-diabetes and another 1.9 million got a diabetes diagnosis, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The single most effective way for people to avoid the disease? Losing weight.

“The current obesity epidemic proves that the typical low-fat diet recommendations and low-calorie diets have not worked,” says Physician Don Ochs.
To drop the weight and keep it off, people need to get rid of their stored fat by eating fewer processed carbohydrates and the correct amount of protein and by doing both high and low- intensity exercises, Ochs says.

Here are some of his suggestions for getting started:

• Eat the right kind of fat – it’s good for you! Bad fats include trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils. Look for these on labels. . Use olive oil for cooking, as salad dressing or on vegetables. Eat avocados, whole olives, nuts and seeds, and don’t be afraid to jazz up meals with a little butter or cheese.

• Eat the proper amount of lean protein to maintain muscle mass and increase your metabolism. Also, anyone trying to lose weight should limit non-animal proteins, such as legumes, because they contribute to higher blood sugar levels and increased fat storage.

• Vary your workouts to speed up fat loss. Both high-intensity and low-intensity exercises play a role in maximum fat loss. Low-intensity exercise, like walking, is effective for reducing insulin resistance so you store less fat. Alternate walking with high-intensity interval training to build lean muscle mass and increase your metabolism. Interval training can be cardio blasts such as running up stairs on some days and lifting weights on others. This type of exercise forces your body to burn up its glycogen – a readily accessible fuel for your muscles – faster than an equivalent amount of cardio exercise. When you’re done, your body will replenish that fuel by converting stored fat back into glycogen and you’ll lose weight.

“Healthy weight loss isn’t about picking a popular diet and trying to stick to it,” Ochs says. “It’s about discovering the right diet for your unique body. For each person, the optimal amount of carbohydrates, proteins and exercise to burn the most stored body fat will be different. And that’s why one-size-fits-all diets just don’t work.”

Immigration Consultant predicts the two-year break in PR applications could become permanent

By Surbhi Bhatia

In one more move to make immigration tougher, the Tory government has introduced a new legislation to crack down on refugee claimants and make fingerprinting mandatory for all the temporary visa applicants.

The new bill, Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, will fast track the refugee cases process on average, in 45 days compared to more than 1,000 days under the current system, or 171 days under the Balanced Refugee Reform Act. Claimants from a designated country of origin (DCO) — countries with strong human rights records and a high rate of rejected or abandoned refugee claims — would be processed the quickest.

That toughens up a raft of toned-down changes that the then-minority Conservative government passed in 2010 with the help of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois, but didn’t implement.

Instead, Kenney has gone back to his original proposal.

The new bill goes back to giving the immigration minister the discretion to name DCOs, instead of waiting for a recommendation from a panel of experts, while also taking away the right to appeal a rejected claim for anyone from a DCO.

Immigration minister Jason Kenney claims that the “proposed measures would provide faster protection to those who genuinely need refuge, and faster removal for those who don’t.” Calling it part of Tories ideology to be biased against visible minorities, NDP MP Jinny Sims said, “Canada has a great track record of protecting human rights. Refugees have been given a place in Canada but now the government wants to limit them. Also the new bill gives too much power in the hands of immigration minister. They throw up legislation out of the blue without even discussing it.”

Sims is of the view that instead of doing any good the new bill will discourage genuine refugees.

The new move, according to Sims, adds one more false promise to the Tories’ list – promises that look favourable at the time of introduction but make life tough at the time of implementation.

Super Visa is another example

Sims, in order to discuss these issues held a forum to listen to the immigration concerns of the South Asian community. “People are fed up and disturbed because the simple tourist visa applications are getting rejected. Going forward the laws are going to be tougher for spouse visa too,” she said.

One of the biggest concerns raised in the forum was about super visa. Many people think that the super visa was just introduced to distract people from the government’s decision of not taking PR applications for parent and grandparents for two years.

If one looks at the requirements of Super Visa, they are not only expensive but sometimes hard to meet. Explaining these requirements, Rakesh Sharma, an immigration consultant, said, “You have to take minimum of $100,000 insurance from a Canadian insurance company. It also demands that the hospitalization and repatriation cost, in case the person dies, has to be incurred by the insurance company.”

Sharma thinks that the rejection rate is high because of the incomplete paper work. “The super visa application also makes it mandatory to show a particular annual income. Many people try to ‘hoodwink’ visa officers by showing current assets and the income. But what they do not understand that the visa office looks at the continuous transaction of money in the account and not just the current statement,” he said.

The immigration consultants are also of the view that super visa does not serve any purpose except extending the stay of parents for two years. “It does not make sense to apply for super visa if your parents are only coming for two or three months,” said Malhotra, another immigration consultant based in Surrey.

One who did not wish to be named even predicted that the government’s move to stop PR application for two years for parents and grandparents could become a permanent norm. “Going forward the government might even stop taking any application for parents and grandparents,” he said. “Super visa was just a carrot and stick policy and the minister definitely tried his best to divert attention of the people from this two year break,” he added.