Author Archives: Al Smith

About Al Smith

-a passionate teacher-librarian, flyfisher, hiker, paddler, photographer and reader. "No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as your dog does."

fearlessness and open-hearted vision… -Lennon

Posted on May 5, 2013

There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Family | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Be kind…Plato

Posted on April 30, 2013

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” -Plato Greek author & philosopher in Athens (427 BC – 347 BC) -Al Smith, 2009 CC NCSA

Posted in Society | Tagged | Leave a comment

Talk about a terror- stop rape, abuse…RAINN.ORG

Posted on April 24, 2013

http://rainn.org/get-information/sexual-assault-prevention 15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12.3 29% are age 12-17. 44% are under age 18.3 80% are under age 30.3 12-34 are the highest risk years. Girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Social Policy | Tagged ,

Tweet from Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) don’t become a teacher…

Posted on April 11, 2013

Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) 2013-04-11 9:30 AM A Warning to Young People: Don’t Become a Teacher huff.to/16NR29L via @HuffPostPol This is a huge issue! Without strong talented supported public educators we set up a climate for fascism. Democracy requires literate thoughtful … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogosphere

Rate My Hospital: Kelowna General Hospital – CBC News

Posted on April 11, 2013

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/features/ratemyhospital/profiles/kelowna-general-hospital/ Type of hospital: Large Community Number of patients: 21,203 Average length of stay: 6.66 days C. difficile infections: 8.5 MRSA infections: 2.8 ER wait time: Not available Single-bed rooms: Unknown Care provided by registered nurses: Unknown Use of electronic … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogosphere | Tagged , ,

Rehtaeh rape case: Why do these keep happening? – Slate Magazine

Posted on April 11, 2013

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/04/rehtaeh_parsons_rape_case_why_do_these_keep_happening.2.html It’s not a question with a short answer, but in a case like this, law enforcement and the signals it sends matter. In Canada, as in many states in the U.S., posting a photo of an alleged rape of … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogosphere