Cougar Punching and the Wild

Human punches cougar, and wins

 A crazy true story & tips for wilderness expeditions

July 2015
 
Welcome back!

This article is merely here to comment on how awesome people can be, especially when facing the beasts that inhabit nature.  This little digression is brought to you by Shawn Hanson, the guy who punched a cougar in the face when it attacked his dog! 

There’s no other way to make that sound more awesome, so please follow the link provided to learn more about this exciting news story.
 

Cougar Puncher!

The incident took place on Vancouver Island while, during a fishing trip, a cougar attacked Shawn’s faithful daschund (Bailey).  Giving chase, Shawn caught up with the wild beast and gave it a what for, then grabbed his gun in an attempt to scare it off (which didn’t work) and then had to end the cougars life.

Yes, it is sad that the cougar didn’t get away, and in retrospect it’s possible that Shawn could have fended off the animal without blood-shed.  But damn, he’s still a bad ass in our books.  So let’s look past Shawn’s use of arms, and applaud his awesome feat!

This feature is a little on the short side.  We wanted to offer our readers a variety of stories of awesome animal attacks where people win, but truthfully most news stories were not that inspirational.  We did however find a post from the UK that has a bunch of pretty incredible stories of animal attacks. 

A sneak peak of some of the stories included in the Independent UK article:


-          people surviving elephant stampedes

-          people surviving shark attacks

-          people surviving lion attacks

-          people surviving hippogriff attacks

-          the last one was a joke

-          people surviving dolphin attacks

-          the last one was true


Have we interested you? Hopefully!  This was a fun article for us to put out, albeit not on the cutting edge of news, but Ron Burgandy would likely be proud. 

This brings up a few things the Buzz team would like to remind readers of if you plan on taking a stroll through the wilderness.  Remember, animals are lower than us, we are supreme! BUT you should always be cautious and aware of the creatures that inhabit the environment you are about to walk into.

1.    Be loud.  A peaceful stroll through the woods is nice, but don’t forget to make some noise every now and then.  If you’re by yourself, bring a whistle or harmonica, and try not to use headphones.  Not only does this help let hunters know of your presence, but animals will be more likely to keep their distance too!
2.   Learn the area.  Don’t walk into a known animal habitat without learning about it, that’s like wilderness trekking 101.  If a bear has been known to hibernate in the area, be on your guard.  Only you can stop yourself from walking into something’s home.
3. Tell people you’re gone.  Tweet, snapchat, facebook post, telegram; do something.  If you’re not one to post all of your happenings for the world to see, at least let some people know you’re going for a walk. It’s possible they might wonder where you are in case you get lost or attacked by a ferocious wild beast.
4.   Enjoy yourself.  Be cautious, but don’t fret or be scared if you do come across some wildlife.  Seeing animals in their natural environment is one of the greatest rushes we mere humans can experience.  Respect the beast and it will respect you.

Link as promised:

Vancouverite saves his pooch from a cougar attack- http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/man-punches-cougar-saves-pet-daschund-1.2457149

Other Animal VS Human Stories- http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/survival-stories-when-animals-attack-and-humans-survive-433828.html

Looking at the Party

Looking at the Party

Freelance views on Canada’s Federal Candidates

The time is approaching yet again, Canadian Federal Election.  That’s right; the 42nd Canadian general election to elect members of Parliament will soon be here.  Get the torches ready, assemble a posse, and paint your signs.  The PS Buzz wants to see a full turn out (or at least more than 75% of the voting population.)  Let us remind you that the 2008 federal election saw a record low of 58% voter turnout, 2011 saw a slight increase with a meager 61%.  We are not happy with this and it seemed pertinent that a piece be compiled to give our readership a freelance look at 2015’s candidates.

The election campaign buzz has been surrounding Parliament Hill for quite some time now (albeit some candidates may have rallied slightly too early, but we tend to encourage politicians that are committed here at the Buzz.)

Here is a list of the potential MP’s we are expecting to see in the coming months: Stephen Harper (Returning Grande Poo-Bah), Thomas Mulcair (WTF NDP is still rated highly in the polls? Sweet!) Justin Trudeau (The guy who’s a year older than the Grande Poo-Bah when he was elected).  Of course there is also the Honorable Elizabeth May who will receive mention in this article however the buzz may save another article for the Green Party leader.

He just looks creepy in our opinion

Now we don’t want to bore you with too lengthy of an article, so it’s possible that election tracking could just become a regular addition to the PS Buzz.  If that is the case, then expect to see more tid bits on your political representatives!

Starting in the Blue corner, weighing in at 192lbs in a towering frame of 6’ 2”, we have the Grande Poo-Bah returning champ Mr. Stephen Harper! (Qu: Air Horns and turn light on saying crowd cheers.)  Satire aside, the Hon. Stephen Harper is back in the running as our Prime Minister Elect.  He has headed fan favourite Bills such as Bill-C51, boosted the budget by cutting environmental funding, and freed the press by telling scientists not to publish their work.  Honest, we did try to find a way to paint him in a good light. He’s good with money? We’ll just leave it there and dive in later if need be.

The Beard!

In the Orange corner, standing at an unannounced height and weight, the official opposition of attrition, Mr. Thomas Mulcair!  Willing to call out anyone he wants, capable of standing up for Canadian citizenship, and quite dashing with that beard we have to say.  Mr. Mulcair has so far opposed Bill C-51, pushed a Bill addressing the stupid tradition of taxing feminine hygiene products (seriously, how/why is that still a thing?) And let’s not forget he’s pledged to open a national public inquiry into missing aboriginal women within 100 days of being in office.  Wow, no wonder he doesn’t have time to answer polls about his weight!  Oh, and he also believes marijuana laws are extremely unfair, but that’s enough for now.

We couldn't find a picture that didn't make him look dreamy...

And weighing in at 180lbs and also standing at 6’ 2”, we have Mr. Justin Trudeau, the Red sharp shooter himself.  We don’t really have a catchy title, mainly because there isn’t a heck of a lot to paint this guy with.  Mr. Trudeau earned his sharp shooter mantle as he has a knack for saying the right things in the right mediums.  Speak out about marijuana legalization and education funding on social media, he’s there!  Vote on Bill C-51 without bringing much attention to it, he’s there!  While Mr. T (hey, that’s actually a pretty good title) is being sold to us as “too young” and “inexperienced” we would like to remind our readership that he is 44 freaking years old.  We think campaign managers are too old and only know how to create smear campaigns.

She looks so sweet!

Finally our honorable Green candidate, the most entertaining candidate in the House of Commons since Danny Williams, Ms. Elizabeth May!  Ms. May is known for speaking out on just about any issue she feels passionate about, sometimes even if they have no place in the Canadian political spectrum.  But hey, we here at the Buzz kind of have a soft spot for the current (we’ll see if she holds her ground in the coming months) Green Party leader.  She’s pro-life and proud (we admire pride, not necessarily her stance) and is willing to oppose Bill C-51.  Above all, she’s the only one that gives a hoot about the environment, at least enough to focus on that instead of BS politics.

Perhaps you noticed a theme, the PS Buzz HATES Bill C-51.  Yes, hate is a strong word.  However, it fits this case perfectly. We made it a point to notify our readers of one of the most ridiculous things our government has passed since- well we’re still trying to research what was a bigger screw up, so perhaps that will be a separate article.

We hope you feel slightly more informed, or at the very least interested enough to wonder what ya-hoos are currently fighting for the title of Supreme Ruler of Can- sorry- the position of Right Honorable Prime Minister of Canada.  The fact is that we as voters need to focus on all levels of the arena.  That means finding out what your local ridings are supporting and educate others if you support it, or speak up if you see something happening that just doesn’t seem Canadian (nationalism makes us nauseous, but it fits in this article.)

Safe, Nutritious, Active and Healthy. Always.

Safe, Nutritious, Active and Healthy. Always.

 A look at options for better food security

Author: Kawlin Rolfe 2015

Historically Canada has seen a wide range of agricultural accomplishments with proud communities developing around common goals.  Canada as a country is unfortunately limited in its growing seasons (the amount of time in a year available for farming.)  This means proper food production and storage has been critical in the development of provincial connections.

A large goal in most communities was originally food production, however it has become far too easy to rely on a big-box solution to the daily question of most Canadians: What should I eat tonight?

According to a study by PROOF, an organization dedicated to education on the reduction of food insecurity, 17.5% of Nova Scotian households experience food insecurity at some point.  This isn’t very surprising as our climate and geography isn’t necessarily one for prosperous food production.  However that doesn’t mean we can’t try and make something work in our environment.

In countries like Canada it is common to experience a variety of seasonal extremes, in order to adapt to this we have developed a strong relationships within our many isolated communities.  Perhaps it’s time- or the time has always been ripe- to bring back local food security.  This will require many different contributions, from various levels of public and private interest groups.

The consumerist approach to food shouldn’t be ignored, or looked down upon, however it should be evaluated and understood.  As an example; going to the store and choosing to buy a head of lettuce in February has become an average occurrence to many Nova Scotia families.  Sure, you might have to pay an extra few cents on the kilo because it’s out of season, but this head of lettuce will be a nice addition to the sandwiches that you’re taking to lunch for the remainder of the week.

What if that lettuce could be grown and harvested twenty minutes away and delivered to your local supermarket, farmers market, or perhaps directly to your front step-year round?  This would solve a large number of issues many Nova Scotia and Canadian households experience as a result of food isolation.

Instead of purchasing that head of lettuce in February, perhaps something else could be packed into your lunch that fits the season.  This doesn’t mean limiting your nutritional intake, it would simply mean identifying how to maintain a healthy lifestyle when the essential vegetables are covered with snow.

A movement known as ‘urban-farming’ has taken hold in many high density communities across the globe.  It is essentially when farming starts taking place close to its consumption point.  Detroit is an excellent example of this, having turned many abandoned buildings into green house and food production centers.  This type of development will undoubtedly become more frequent as transportation costs continue to increase.

This transition doesn’t mean Canada must change its array of produce and available goods.  (However, the sustainability of coconut availability should probably be addressed) It would simply require rethinking our current production and development of food industries- particularly where our food is produced.

The take away is that, Canada has the potential to continue its long history of community development, and food security will be a fore runner for assisting in this development.

Food Insecurity in Canada, CBC News Online:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/food-insecurity-in-canada-growing-worse-1.2525300
Ground Transportation Rise in Cost, Canadian Shipper Online:
http://www.canadianshipper.com/transportation-and-logistics/ground-transportation-costs-rise-for-tenth-straight-month-cgfi/1000949714/
Detroit gets Growing, The Guardian Online:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/11/detroit-urban-renewal-city-farms-paul-harris

How it Began

November 2012

Hello again faithful subscribers and readers!

I have come to you today to inform you that we are currently fully independent!  It is unfortunate that the powers at be are too large and sparse to understand the benefit of a locally developed and maintained newsletter.
A few days after our inception date it was brought to the attention of our editing staff that the name of our quaint organization may have to change. With the Gazette being merely experimental, this was not a surprise. There was no permission gathered in the creation of this page (Or news letter, or organization.)  It was created by an employee of a Parts retailer in Atlantic Canada.  The name of the corporation that owned this retailer, in the original post similar to this, has been omitted from our site due to legality issues.

Luckily, corporate ideals have interfered with the intended plans of this experiment, we have changed our name and re-worked our mission statement to add a little tongue and cheek.  The need to apply administration to an independent organization that simply wants to put a name on something is, well a little ridiculous. (Did you know they were conversing about this topic on company time? A few members of our staff have to sell herbs and spices in their spare time to put food on the table and we manage to have time to do this. Can you imagine what degrading things Corporate Management has to do to make ends meet?  We really do feel sorry for executives sometimes.)

We will be expanding to one copy a week as of December- after all we should start this thing at the end of the world right? We will of course still be looking for volunteer editors and collaborators, this is after all a non-profit organization (that's right none of the PS staff are being paid for this!)

I would now like to delve a little deeper into what it is we wish to accomplish.  We sit here through sheer enjoyment of wanting to create something beneficial, and not merely another place for an ad to appear. So we've decided to sell our community's brand instead! (*note the editors of this organization do not endorse brands- in the long run, they just tend to be more expensive)

Originally, we had meant to hold a temporary, and constantly changing, editing team. The intention of this page was simply to offer CORPORATE NAME OMITTED a format or platform for employees to communicate on and after five months total control would be handed over. It was created by employees and was meant to offer a better look into their regional work environment.

As an added bonus, through Facebook, our editors had hoped to provide transparency to the public on the life and times of a major local employer- Okay, CORPORATE NAME OMITTED isn't technically a 'major' employer for the area, but the UMBRELLA CORPORATION is, however they're also not very local...Okay wait.. the workers are local, there! At least something originated here...We are still able to offer this transparency and now with more freedom.  Keep in mind the original intent of this platform was within a business was to help connect and create a communal conversation amongst employees and customers.  Now we will do it without a big name to wave around.  (Banners can be made if a fan of the PS Buzz wins speaks forward, but you'd have to read pretty deep!)

In their always soaring ambition, it seems CORPORATE NAME OMITTED wish to create their own page (admin located west of Quebec) within the next couple of weeks. As a duty to our readership, we must keep updating and promoting our own 'buzz'.  The intention is to keep rolling forward, this is after all a minor bump in the road.

"I personally want to wish CORPORATE NAME OMITTED the best in their endeavors for creating awareness online. It's really cutting edge stuff. Some of the higher ups mentioned a telegraph line they've been developing to finally connect us sea to sea. It's a shame we couldn't work with them but our team knows when we must appease the masses. Sometimes shit happens right?"
Kawlin Rolfe Chief editor

Above is a quote from our chief editor Kawlin Rolfe speaking in regards to CORPORATE NAME OMITTED handling on the organization.
(Note, we were able to put in 'shit' but not CORPORATE NAME OMITTED.)

We will of course be posting online and treating Facebook as our temporary blog space.  There are a few paths our team is considering on where to take our local conversation.  A website is possible however for the time being, Facebook will suffice.

At the moment we address only a few people, and with hope, people will eventually find our place on the internet. We hope you await the next issue of the news letter with much anticipation! 

Sincerely,
The PS Buzz team.