Racism in Canada 2018: Getting Better or Worse?

Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these links are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. You may also support this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

Overview

At 150 years old, Canada is a rather young nation. Though young, and not as popular as the United States of America in terms global recognition and international tourism, it is internationally recognized for several attributes: longest coastline in world, largest supplier of quality maple syrup, sports, highly variable terrains across a gigantic land, stable economy, highly developed infrastructure, and a high tolerance of different races. The latter is something that many may not realize as one of the greatest strengths of the country: diversity. Some people still unfortunately, and very sadly, believe that multiculturalism is no good, when in fact it is. Canada, as is its southern neighbour, was and still is the land of opportunity for all: other North Americans, South Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians and Oceanians. With Canada’s successful multiculturalism, the country has been not only able to grow in terms of physical numbers, but in economics. Immigration has brought in new ideas, businesses, cuisine, music, clothes, arts and beyond. However, in order to have a functional multicultural society, it is important to fight for it, defend it, and keep minds thoroughly educated on it. Canada, as strong as it currently is, is not perfect in this regards, and has been atrocious historically. Times have since changed, and laws like the Canadian Multiculturalism Act passed in 1988, are one of the notable examples.

Is Canada Holding up Well in 2018 with Multiculturalism?

Is the majority kind to the minority? The minority kind to the majority? It takes two or more to come to an agreement. Respect is key. In Canada, racially motivated acts of hate is a crime. Criminal acts motivated by hate against an identifiable group are hate crimes. Section 318 of the Canadian Criminal Code defines an identifiable group as one distinguished by their colour, race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or mental or physical disability. Canada’s Criminal Code states that hate crime offences are conveyed in four ways: promoting genocide, public statements and gestures inciting hate, deliberately promoting hatred of a group, or vandalizing religious property with hateful mischief.

According to a Statistics Canada report published in November 2017, police reported 1,409 hate crimes in Canada, in 2016. This is up from 1,362 in 2015, 1,295 in 2014 and 1,167 in 2013. The 2013 year had seen a drop from 2012. There does not appear to be an official Canadian statistics report for the 2017 year at the moment. 2018 is only almost five months into itself, meaning that there will not be statistics available for quite some time. However, there have been numerous incidences in 2017 that are of concern: several Anti-Islamic attacks, racial vandalism, and several others.

Conclusion

Based on this reading, and the stories that come up in the media from time to time, it may sound like Canada is heading down a path of great concern. Thankfully, this is not truly the case. Canada still has some of the lowest crimes and corruption indexes in the world. Many of its immigrants and ethnic minorities still proudly call it their home. And much importantly, the government of Canada acknowledges and actively seeks to keep Canada a safe, diverse, prosperous country, as according to Canadian values.

Will America Eventually Ban All Chinese Smartphones?

Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these links are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. You may also support this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

May 22, 2018 Update: The American president is working on a deal with ZTE to allow them to use American products.

Chinese Smartphones

There are plenty of smartphone brands available for purchase online or in-store: Lenovo, Xiaomi, Meizu, ZTE, Huawei, OPPO, OnePlus and Vivo are among the most recognizable and commonly purchased Chinese brands. Despite the fact that some of them have a huge international market share and satisfied consumers, two are being heavily targeted in the United States: Huawei and ZTE. Why? For the case of Huawei, it was declared as a national security threat by the American government. ZTE on the other hand, violated rules, also much pertained to security.

Huawei is Spying On American Assets?

The American government is “deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that don’t share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks,”

Those were the words of Federal Bureau of Investigation director Christopher Wray, during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing back in February 2018. How and why do they have these concerns in the first place? It is because Huawei makes much of its own internals, chiefly their HiSilicon Kirin Socket-on-Chip in much of their flagship smartphones. Huawei chips can also be found in network routers, switches and transfer equipment they build for companies such as AT&T to operate their cellular network. Shortly put, all the components Huawei makes in its various products, can be very difficult to thoroughly investigate and understand. Not trusting China very much to make sensitive components, the government of the United States fears that these components can be commanded to eavesdrop on their digital communications and send it all back to the Chinese government. Why and what exactly would the Chinese government do with the data collected from the citizens of the United States, if such accusations are even true? Possibilities are virtually endless, from wanting to use it to be able to market products to America better, to the much dreaded fears of harmfully exploiting sensitive information.

ZTE’s Blatant Guilt

Unlike the situation with Huawei where there is no absolute certainty on the matter, ZTE’s problem is different. ZTE has been caught, and it admitted to selling American-made goods to Iran and North Korea last year. These two nations are enemies with the United States. Though some of the reasons for this are long or complex, it largely boils to down the constant hostility, threats and uncivilized practices these two countries engage in towards the United States.  As part of the disciplinary actions given by America, ZTE agreed to fire four senior employees, discipline 35 other employees, and pay a $1.19 billion fine. However, the United States claims that it did not discipline the 35 employees properly. ZTE disagrees about this, and as a result they can no longer use American software for the next 7 years. While they can still use the open-source Android operating system, they will not get access to Google Mobile Services. How will this fare for future ZTE smartphones? Will they develop their own innovative operating system during the time frame of this ban? Time will tell.

Canada’s Take On Chinese Smartphones

With the exception of Best Buy Canada, which has halted the sales of Huawei smartphones, the Canadian government and carriers have not raised the same concerns over Chinese technology as their American counterparts. In fact, no other nations have  come out publicly at this point, over fears about the Chinese potentially using their electronics as a median to gain sensitive data.

Who is Next?

Who will it be? Xiaomi? Coolpad? Lenovo? There is no definite answer at the moment. If there is one thing that is certain, is that Chinese smartphone makers must very careful and compliant with American software, if they wish to have a market share in that country. Most of the major operating systems on desktops and smartphones come out of America: iOS, Windows, Windows 10 Mobile, Mac OS and Android. If all consumer devices powered by these operating systems were to suddenly turn off, it is safe to say that 95% or more would turn off.

Wrap up

Is the American government being paranoid? Overly cautious? Unjustified? Overly controlling with technological advancements and market share? Or are they doing the right thing by eliminating electronics from a country that they believe can potentially harvest and misuse sensitive information? No one has enough concrete information on the matter at the present. China may or may not be guilty of eavesdropping on the United States of America. At present, American wireless carriers have not stopped Huawei and ZTE handsets from functioning on their networks. This means that consumers that strongly desire to have a particular Huawei or ZTE device can import them from another country. eBay and Amazon are popular options for Huawei’s latest flagship. For now…

Alto Clef: Does It Have Any Real Use?

Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these links are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. You may also support this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

Understanding Clefs

Before determining whether or not the alto clef is redundant in modern music, it is important to go over the reason why there are different clefs in the first place. Music is most commonly notated using a staff in which consists of five horizontal lines. These lines are where the notes are placed. Clefts are used to determine which pitch and notes are placed on the lines. Higher pitched instruments that predominantly play above C4 (also known as middle C) are notated in the treble clef. Instruments that predominantly play well below C4 are notated in the bass clef. Where does this leave C clefs such as the tenor and alto? In the intermediate range of C3 – C4 generally. Why is there not a single clef for this purpose, rather than making matters more complicated with two? Diving further into the nature and history of the clefs is required to find the answer.

Diving Further

Historically, several clefs used to exist: bass, baritone, tenor, alto, mezzo-soprano and soprano. These clefs were used to correspond with the range of various singing voices. As time went on, much of clefs have become obsolete due to their redundancy and complexity not needed for modern music. It would seem reasonable to discard the alto and tenor clefs for the reasons the others were, though they have not faced this fate. The violoncello, tenor trombone and bassoon are three instruments that primarily use the bass clef to notate most of their notes. These three also happen to use the tenor clef a fair bit for their upper ranges. Why? They are commonly used instruments in the modern orchestra. Additionally, composers have continued to stick with using the tenor clef for the tenor ranges of these instruments, even though the modern tenor voice has moved to the treble clef, sounding an octave lower than notated. A similar thing has happened with the alto voice which is now notated in the treble clef, though sounds as written. Today, the only widely recognized instrument that uses the alto clef is the viola. Is that really true though?

Awkward Alto

Many people widely believe that because the viola is seemingly the only instrument that predominately uses alto, that the clef is largely useless, making it a pain to learn for the sake of one instrument. This makes the viola itself overshadowed by its more common counterparts, the violin and violoncello. The truth? The viola is not the only one. Yes, it is the most readily available and familiar instrument that uses it. However, there is another moderately familiar instrument that utilizes it: alto trombone; a brass instrument keyed in e-flat. Then there is the tenor viola da gamba. This partially fretted, bowed, upright instrument is uncommon, and also predominantly uses the alto clef. Though uncommon, it can still be easily bought online, in-store in some locations, or even watched live in some places. The larger bass gamba, though predominately written in bass, utilizes alto for its mid-upper range, as opposed to tenor the way a violoncello would. Why? One would have to ask composers why they insisted on going this route for it. It makes sense considering that the alto saves more ledger lines than tenor within a certain upper range. The mandola, known as tenor mandola in some areas, uses alto clef for concert pitch pieces, especially orchestral works.

Why Not Transpose?

Because all the alto clef instruments are less popular than their treble or bass counterparts, some musicians say that instruments like the viola, could be easily notated in treble sounding an octave down. A similar thing could be done for it in bass, only sounding an octave up, which would allow it to be notated exactly like a violoncello. This would seem like a logical, convenient solution on paper. Doing this would also bring up an obvious problem: notating an instrument with notes other than its sounding pitch causes it to become transposing. Therefore, if a violoncellist and violist wanted to play a sounding C3 in such a setup, the viola part would have to be notated with a written C2, while the violoncellist plays the real note as normal. While there are many instruments that do transpose, transposition has been avoided historically for others. The reason? It was not part of their history and nature to play sheet music that does not sound as written. Truthfully, and ideally, all instruments that currently do transpose, could have been notated in concert pitch to keep music as real as possible. However, many have gone the route of transposing in order to make the fingerings the same for all members of their family. Saxophones and clarinets are an excellent example of this. For some, such as the piccolo or contrabassoon, their extreme ranges would cause much of their notes to be in ledger lines, if they were to be notated exactly the way they sound. However, there is a way to fix the problem with extreme pitched instruments: new, familiarly written clefs. In the case of extraordinarily high-pitched instruments, create a new cleft where the first ledger line below the staff begins on C5. That way, this “sopranino” clef would have the exact same pattern with the note names in the same spaces and throughout. The only difference, of course, is that the clefs are an octave apart. For the “contrabass” clef a similar setup would be used, only the note that has one ledger line going through it below the clef, would be E1 in order to give it the exact same pattern as the bass clef. While this may sound extremely confusing to read through and think about, mapping it out visually on a staff will show the clarity and point with this idea. Would musicians and composers ever embrace this? It is highly unlikely, given that most would rather stay with what the system they are comfortable and familiar with. That could change if the masses unexpectedly find much appeal with such a proposal, however.

Wrap up

The alto clef has plenty of use in modern music. The stigma behind it being useless is the result of people not having enough awareness of the instruments that use it, besides the viola. They may be uncommon, but are far from extinct. In fact, if anyone is looking to broaden their horizon and try something different, an alto instrument may be a good choice for their portfolio. Musician’s Friend, Woodwind & Brasswind, Pro Winds, Long & McQuade and The Horn Guys are all excellent examples of online stores that not only offer alto clef-reading instruments, but plenty of others as well.

2018 All-electric Cars Canada

Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these links are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. You may also support this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

What Are They?

With it being 2018, most people, especially in places like Canada, should be aware of what an electric vehicle is. What most may, or may not be aware of is the fact that there are actually four different types of electric vehicles: battery electric vehicle (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV). The Tesla Model X, Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, Lexus RX Hybrid and Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell are examples of each category respectively. Out of the four categories, only battery electric and fuel-cell vehicles are the true all-electric vehicles that do not produce any tailpipe emissions. The focus of this post will be on all-electric vehicles as given by the title.

How Do They Work?

Battery electric vehicles run wholly on a battery and electric drive drain, without an internal combustion engine in place. They are powered by electricity from an external source, often the public power grid. Nuclear, coal, solar, wind, hydroelectricity are examples of some of the sources where electricity is generated from. Once plugged in and fueled, electricity is stored in the onboard battery(ies) that turn the vehicle’s wheels using one or more electric motors.

What Makes 2018 a Significant Year For Electric Vehicles in Canada?

The number of all-electric vehicles being offered in Canada is growing each year. The following are currently offered: BMW i3, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Focus Electric, Hyundai IONIQ Electric, Kia Soul EV, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, and the Volkswagen e-Golf. The Jaguar I-Pace, Tesla Model 3, Audi e-tron Quattro SUV and Mercedes-Benz EQ C are fantastic examples of cars that are set to be available this year, or the next. These are carrying luxury European badges and promising high-end specifications and refinement. This makes the electric car market much more exciting for consumers that want something more than a simple, mainstream, front-wheel drive hatchback or sedan. Longtime General Motors has announced plans to bring and electrify a number of electric vehicles to the market in the foreseeable future. Could this mean that an all-electric Chevrolet Corvette, Camaro, pickup trucks, or Cadillacs are on the radar? Time will tell.

Benefits Offered Over Traditional Internal Combustion Engines?

The first benefit that should be discussed is government, provincial, state or territorial benefits. Not all countries or regions will offer such incentives, rebates or discounts. For those that do, this can help entice buyers to purchase electric cars. The second, and perhaps the largest, benefit would be maintenance. All-electric vehicles do not have exhaust systems, starter motors, fuel injection systems, radiators or anything else important for an internal combustion engine to function. Because they have so little mechanical parts, minimal servicing is required. This allows for a significant savings advantage, and even more personal time. All-electric vehicles do not have gears, allowing for full torque upon pushing the power pedal. This can make driving more thrilling for sports enthusiasts, or useful for the times where quick acceleration is needed. The lack of an engine also means a quieter ride. Android and iOS also offer applications for select makes. Numerous accessories can also be bought.

Disadvantages of Electric Vehicles

In Canada, as well as in many other countries, people primarily view electric cars as prohibitively expensive and having a very limited range. While some electric vehicles do command very high prices, chiefly Tesla at the moment, there are plenty of offerings that range from $28,000 to $45,000. This is a bit more expensive than their gasoline equivalents, though remains affordable. The fact that Ontario, British Columbia and Québec offer incentives for not only battery electrics, but also fuel-cell and plug-in hybrids is something that should not be ignored. This can help take the upfront expense off a vehicle.

Range. For many, this may be the true biggest problem with electric vehicles: range anxiety. The majority of battery electric vehicles in Canada have ranges of less than 200 kilometres on a full charge. When compared to diesel for instance, there are some vehicles that exceed 900 kilometres per range. An example is the Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 engine. Even a medium sized family car such as the 2018 Toyota Corolla, can get 700 kilometres of range. That said, there are electric cars that do have proper ranges: Tesla Models S, X and 3, Chevrolet Bolt, and the 2018 Nissan Leaf. And the best part about it is that Tesla has a dedicated supercharging network across the country,  making charging its vehicles even faster and easier. For the manufacturers that do not currently have such an infrastructure in place, Canada has been doing much more in recent years to up the number of public charging stations available. This will help reduce the range anxiety stigma associated with electric cars.

Lastly, it is important to mention the criticism that cites electric vehicles as not being as environmentally friendly as they tout themselves to be. The accusation behind this comes from the statements that they produce more pollution to initally make, thanks to their huge, expensive, lithium battery packs. Research has conflicting views on the matter: some insist they do, while others insist that the results are no more or less than other cars. What remains a fact, is that if the primary source of electric generation in a region uses a source that generates plenty of pollution such as coal, then this does put more pressure on them to burn more, thus creating more pollutants. This problem can be fixed or minimized by mixing sources of cleaner electric generation with more traditional ones. If possible and feasible, they could even be eliminated entirely and replaced with greener sources.

Wrap up

Canada is a very exciting market for electric vehicles. With the infrastructure actively improving, and the number of electric vehicles arriving in the future, 2018 and beyond will bring much excitement.

Uropygial Gland: What is it?

Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these links are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. You may also support this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

What is it?

Pronounced “Yer-uh-pij-ee-ull”. The uropygial gland, better known as the oil or preen gland, is an bilobed holocrince gland present in most birds. As the name suggests, this gland responsible for producing oily, waxy secretions that birds use to preen themselves.

Physical Appearance and Purpose

The uropygial gland is generally a nipple-like structure that will vary in size and appearance depending on the species. However, not all birds possess an oil gland, as it notably absent in Anodorhynchus, Amazona, Atruthio, Casuarius, and several others. In species that possess one, the gland can be found at the base of the tail, on the lower back, in front of the tail feathers. This area is often featherless, save for a tuft of down at the bird’s tip. This is called the uropygial wick. The gland is usually not visible, except when the feathers are parted, or when it becomes enlarged from health related problems. Birds retrieve the oil by rubbing their heads or beaks against the gland, and then spreading it over various parts of their body. Though many would easily assume that the purpose of the oil is to simply gloss up a bird’s plumage, ornithologists believe that the function can vary among different species of birds. Feather structural maintenance, waterproofing, pheromone production, antiparasitics, vitamin D production and cosmetics are examples of the various reasons why birds preen themselves.

Composition

The preen secretion is a complex mixture of ester waxes, extruded cells, fatty acids, and other lipids. Depending on the diet, species, season and sex of the bird, the composition of the secrection may vary.

Diseases and Treament of the Uropygial Gland

Blockages,  tumors, infections, neoplasia and excessive excretions are all recognized abnormalities of the uropygial gland. Hypovitaminosis A (vitamin A deficiency) is a notable cause of uropygial problems, as are immunosuppressive diseases and trauma. For captive birds, treatment will depend on the diagnosis of the disease. Tumors or abnormal growth, will possibly require surgical excision. Cases related to vitamin A deficiency will be treated by supplementation of vitamin A and additional recommended corrections for the bird’s lifestyle. Veterinary checkups, exercise, and healthier food options are key to preventing and minimizing the problems associated with a captive bird’s uropygial gland. ZuPreem, Tropican and Kaytee are some examples of reputable brands that offer nutritious food for captive birds.