July 23, 2012
23/07/2012 02:00
Welcome To SAP And Good Morning!
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa
hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur. Follow @mybirdietweets
A Tale Of Two St. Albert Newspapers:
Who Gets It, And Who Doesn't?
Last week saw St. Albert's two weekly newspapers espouse their views on the city of St. Albert's satisfaction survey, commissioned by the city to gauge the pulse of taxpayers on local services that affect them.
Some would go so far as to say the city has designed said survey to make itself look good.
The St. Albert Leader's publisher Rob LeLacheur put it this way last Thursday, while taking pot shots at the internet in general, and this site in particular, when he wrote:
"I believe it’s most likely these Negative Nellies have been dumped on for the majority of their day, their week, or even their life, and the Internet is their only chance to dump all over everything and everyone else for a change.
I’ve had my share of personal chirpings and jabs on these sites, calling me owner of the “St. Albert CheerLeader,” as an example.
I’m OK with that. I’d thank them personally, but they hide behind anonymous names, so unfortunately I’m unable to do so. The Leader is a reflection of me and I won’t apologize for that. For many years, I’ve worked hard with many other great folks in our community to try and improve things in our city on all fronts.
We provide facts in each story and will typically sway from the easy angle of heightening the negative, under the guise of big journalism.
The aforementioned community satisfaction survey provided a number that I’m sure has many up in arms. It found that 99 per cent of the community say that the quality of life in St. Albert is good (37 per cent) or very good (62 per cent).
Do I want those who like to chirp go away? No, I don’t. It’s important that they keep people’s feet to the fire.
But when those efforts are combined with taking constant anonymous over-the-top, exaggerated pot shots at everyone and everything, your message becomes lost, and lost quickly. At least in my view."
Read the entire article, "Complaints without solutions the easy out".
That from a newspaper given $50,000 of our tax dollars in advertising revenue, in its first year of publication by our city council via a special motion of support. Many would question just why city council saw fit to do such a thing as an add-on to its 2012 advertising budget.
The St. Albert Gazette on the other hand, saw it much differently, and correctly so, on Saturday when they wrote:
"It is called the Community Satisfaction Survey for a reason: to provide statistics that city council and administration can use to their advantage to show what a great job they are doing.
Not to dampen the high spirits of city hall, but to paraphrase Scottish poet Andrew Lang, statistics can be used “as a drunken man uses lampposts – for support rather than illumination.”
Statistics are like political polls: They are interpreted to shine the best light on whoever is paying for it.
So when the city trumpets 99 per cent of participating residents say the overall quality of life in St. Albert is very good or good, consider they neglect to mention the next question on the survey, which shows that 13 per cent say the quality of life has worsened in the last three years.
How do you have 99 per cent saying things are great, when 13 per cent say things have gotten worse?"
Read the entire article, "Surveys are like bikinis".
Not that we are "under the guise of big journalism" as LeLacheur claims, but we do know a cheerleader when we read one.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Gazette understands the city's survey is flawed on many fronts and is primarily designed to make the city look good. It takes exception to the facts contained in that survey, just like a group of citizens did on this site a few weeks back as possible propaganda designed by the city.
When over 2,000 local residents of just over 7,000 called while completing that survey refused to participate, the validity of the whole survey comes into question.
That basic flaw in the survey can be overlooked if your brand of journalism puts cheerleading over the growing discontent of many local taxpayers. We prefer to stick with our brand of journalism as some obvious facts fly right over the heads of some other brands. It's nice to know that the newspaper of record in this community sees it our way too.
And incidentally, my name is Don Sinclair and I wrote this article myself, Rob.
It is certainly no, "anonymous over-the-top, exaggerated pot shot."
It's simply a reflection of the growing unrest with yours and others utopian visions of the community.
The Photography Of Al Popil
Hi Don,
I was trying out my buddy's new Canon 1D-X camera out at Lois Hole park and snapped this quacker floating around.
Al Popil
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Al, it looks to me like that camera is working just fine. Nice shot!
__________________________________________________________________
BBC News Feed:
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Alberta dinosaur expert fears more vandalism - CBC
Penn State to be hit with fines in excess of $30 million - CNN
Aurora shooting suspect rejected from gun club - CTV
Steve Martin's bluegrass show simply swell - Edmonton Journal
Fish kill at Pigeon Lake - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
This could drive you crazy . . .
Geez,
Could You
Slow Down?
Master Tradesmen At Work
Not exactly a how-to video, rather a how-not-to video.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB's Pub
July 24
Geraldine Harris
(Vocals)
Geraldine (Geri) Harris is a born and bred Edmontonian who has been dabbling in the blues/open stage scene in Edmonton for a quite some time. Geri grew up listening to her Dad sing and play the guitar, so she comes by her chops naturally. Her late father, Glen (Smoky) Harris was a blues singer and musician who travelled around the country singing in clubs back in the 1940's. He recorded a version of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" on a 78 record, that Geri still has! Geri and her father's family were very close friends of the former jazz/blues great Big Miller, so she got some good advice about the music business from Big Miller too! Geri eulogized Big Miller at The Yardbird Suite, at a memorial service that was held for him back in 1992, and was also asked to speak at a few years ago at the dedication service they had for the unveiling of the statue of Big Miller, they erected in his honor at the Yardbird Suite! Although she never had an opportunity to sing with Big Miller, she did get to listen to him sing at private family parties in the 1970's and 1980's. Geri has also performed two shows as the featured singer at the "Good Karma Cafe" in recent years based out of the Centre for Spiritual Living Metro and has also sang in the choir and has been the guest soloist many times at the Centre for Spiritual Living on the Southside. Over the last fifteen years Geri has volunteered many hours out at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, The Yardbird Suite and The Blues Society. She also volunteered many hours as the host for many S.I.R.E.N.S. events that her late brother-in-law "Gaye Delorme" was featured in for many years, until his death a year ago this month. Through her connection to the many shows she hosted, she has shared the stage and sang with some very well known player's such as Jack Semple, Dave Babcock, Jack De Keyzer to name a few. She has also shared the stage with some well known Edmonton musicians such as Gordie Matthews (Spruce Grove gig), Johnny Tornado (at Blues on Whyte), Rusty Reed (at Rusty Reed's Club), (Breezy) Brian Gregg (at Little Flower Open Stage, Andrew White (at O2's), Ron Mack & The Ransom Band (The Palace Casino at W.E.M) to name a few. The highlight of Geri's career was closing out one of the Saturday night shows at Blues on Whyte, for Chicago based bluesman, Sam Cockrell a few years ago. Most recently Geri has sung at the Saturday afternoon jam at the Hilltop Pub with some local blues talent, and then had an opportunity on June 23rd to sing at the Saturday afternoon jam and his evening show, with one of the great blues players, out of Vancouver singer and top notch base player "Russell Jackson" at Blues on Whyte! She is currently looking to be part of a duo or group sing with on an occasional basis. So if anyone is looking for a very versatile singer with a great voice, come on down and check her out on July 24th at L.B's!
The Tuesday
Moosehead/Barsnbands
Open Stage
Every Tuesday night from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Hosts Mark Ammar, Jim Dyck and Randy Forsberg
Moosehead Beer Specials and barsnbands prizes
Moosehead Beer
Barsnbands
hot coffee and spend 10 minutes to start your day with St. Albert's only daily news site.
Not from St. Albert? Not to worry, there's plenty for you too.
A great way to put a smile on your face before you begin your day.
Have an opinion, gripe or grin to share? Use our Live Chat feature below to share it with other readers. Try our frequent recipes. Give our puzzles a whirl or a game of hangman. Check out our outstanding linked photos. Got a story or photo to share? Want to wish someone happy birthday or anniversary? We love your stuff from any location. Go ahead, send it in. We dare you!
Best of all, it's all free thanks to our advertisers. Enjoy and please, tell your friends. And be sure to check back often each day as the site can be updated as events occur. Follow @mybirdietweets
A Tale Of Two St. Albert Newspapers:
Who Gets It, And Who Doesn't?
Some would go so far as to say the city has designed said survey to make itself look good.
The St. Albert Leader's publisher Rob LeLacheur put it this way last Thursday, while taking pot shots at the internet in general, and this site in particular, when he wrote:
"I believe it’s most likely these Negative Nellies have been dumped on for the majority of their day, their week, or even their life, and the Internet is their only chance to dump all over everything and everyone else for a change.
I’ve had my share of personal chirpings and jabs on these sites, calling me owner of the “St. Albert CheerLeader,” as an example.
I’m OK with that. I’d thank them personally, but they hide behind anonymous names, so unfortunately I’m unable to do so. The Leader is a reflection of me and I won’t apologize for that. For many years, I’ve worked hard with many other great folks in our community to try and improve things in our city on all fronts.
We provide facts in each story and will typically sway from the easy angle of heightening the negative, under the guise of big journalism.
The aforementioned community satisfaction survey provided a number that I’m sure has many up in arms. It found that 99 per cent of the community say that the quality of life in St. Albert is good (37 per cent) or very good (62 per cent).
Do I want those who like to chirp go away? No, I don’t. It’s important that they keep people’s feet to the fire.
But when those efforts are combined with taking constant anonymous over-the-top, exaggerated pot shots at everyone and everything, your message becomes lost, and lost quickly. At least in my view."
Read the entire article, "Complaints without solutions the easy out".
That from a newspaper given $50,000 of our tax dollars in advertising revenue, in its first year of publication by our city council via a special motion of support. Many would question just why city council saw fit to do such a thing as an add-on to its 2012 advertising budget.
The St. Albert Gazette on the other hand, saw it much differently, and correctly so, on Saturday when they wrote:
"It is called the Community Satisfaction Survey for a reason: to provide statistics that city council and administration can use to their advantage to show what a great job they are doing.
Not to dampen the high spirits of city hall, but to paraphrase Scottish poet Andrew Lang, statistics can be used “as a drunken man uses lampposts – for support rather than illumination.”
Statistics are like political polls: They are interpreted to shine the best light on whoever is paying for it.
So when the city trumpets 99 per cent of participating residents say the overall quality of life in St. Albert is very good or good, consider they neglect to mention the next question on the survey, which shows that 13 per cent say the quality of life has worsened in the last three years.
How do you have 99 per cent saying things are great, when 13 per cent say things have gotten worse?"
Read the entire article, "Surveys are like bikinis".
Not that we are "under the guise of big journalism" as LeLacheur claims, but we do know a cheerleader when we read one.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Gazette understands the city's survey is flawed on many fronts and is primarily designed to make the city look good. It takes exception to the facts contained in that survey, just like a group of citizens did on this site a few weeks back as possible propaganda designed by the city.
When over 2,000 local residents of just over 7,000 called while completing that survey refused to participate, the validity of the whole survey comes into question.
That basic flaw in the survey can be overlooked if your brand of journalism puts cheerleading over the growing discontent of many local taxpayers. We prefer to stick with our brand of journalism as some obvious facts fly right over the heads of some other brands. It's nice to know that the newspaper of record in this community sees it our way too.
It is certainly no, "anonymous over-the-top, exaggerated pot shot."
It's simply a reflection of the growing unrest with yours and others utopian visions of the community.
The Photography Of Al Popil
Hi Don,
I was trying out my buddy's new Canon 1D-X camera out at Lois Hole park and snapped this quacker floating around.
Al Popil
St. Albert
SINC SAYS:
Al, it looks to me like that camera is working just fine. Nice shot!
__________________________________________________________________
BBC News Feed:
Welcome To St. Albert's Place Live Chat
Links To Other Stories In The News:
Alberta dinosaur expert fears more vandalism - CBC
Penn State to be hit with fines in excess of $30 million - CNN
Aurora shooting suspect rejected from gun club - CTV
Steve Martin's bluegrass show simply swell - Edmonton Journal
Fish kill at Pigeon Lake - Edmonton Sun
__________________________________________________________________
The Things That People Send Us
This could drive you crazy . . .
Geez,
Could You
Slow Down?
Master Tradesmen At Work
Not exactly a how-to video, rather a how-not-to video.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Playing Tomorrow Night At LB's Pub
Geraldine Harris
(Vocals)
Geraldine (Geri) Harris is a born and bred Edmontonian who has been dabbling in the blues/open stage scene in Edmonton for a quite some time. Geri grew up listening to her Dad sing and play the guitar, so she comes by her chops naturally. Her late father, Glen (Smoky) Harris was a blues singer and musician who travelled around the country singing in clubs back in the 1940's. He recorded a version of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" on a 78 record, that Geri still has! Geri and her father's family were very close friends of the former jazz/blues great Big Miller, so she got some good advice about the music business from Big Miller too! Geri eulogized Big Miller at The Yardbird Suite, at a memorial service that was held for him back in 1992, and was also asked to speak at a few years ago at the dedication service they had for the unveiling of the statue of Big Miller, they erected in his honor at the Yardbird Suite! Although she never had an opportunity to sing with Big Miller, she did get to listen to him sing at private family parties in the 1970's and 1980's. Geri has also performed two shows as the featured singer at the "Good Karma Cafe" in recent years based out of the Centre for Spiritual Living Metro and has also sang in the choir and has been the guest soloist many times at the Centre for Spiritual Living on the Southside. Over the last fifteen years Geri has volunteered many hours out at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, The Yardbird Suite and The Blues Society. She also volunteered many hours as the host for many S.I.R.E.N.S. events that her late brother-in-law "Gaye Delorme" was featured in for many years, until his death a year ago this month. Through her connection to the many shows she hosted, she has shared the stage and sang with some very well known player's such as Jack Semple, Dave Babcock, Jack De Keyzer to name a few. She has also shared the stage with some well known Edmonton musicians such as Gordie Matthews (Spruce Grove gig), Johnny Tornado (at Blues on Whyte), Rusty Reed (at Rusty Reed's Club), (Breezy) Brian Gregg (at Little Flower Open Stage, Andrew White (at O2's), Ron Mack & The Ransom Band (The Palace Casino at W.E.M) to name a few. The highlight of Geri's career was closing out one of the Saturday night shows at Blues on Whyte, for Chicago based bluesman, Sam Cockrell a few years ago. Most recently Geri has sung at the Saturday afternoon jam at the Hilltop Pub with some local blues talent, and then had an opportunity on June 23rd to sing at the Saturday afternoon jam and his evening show, with one of the great blues players, out of Vancouver singer and top notch base player "Russell Jackson" at Blues on Whyte! She is currently looking to be part of a duo or group sing with on an occasional basis. So if anyone is looking for a very versatile singer with a great voice, come on down and check her out on July 24th at L.B's!
Moosehead/Barsnbands
Open Stage
Every Tuesday night from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Hosts Mark Ammar, Jim Dyck and Randy Forsberg
Moosehead Beer Specials and barsnbands prizes
Moosehead Beer
Barsnbands
