There are many things in life that you can figure out for yourself, meanwhile there are many others that it would be in your best interest to seek professional experience. The key to this whole process is to find people that know what they are doing and have many years of experience not just a certificate to teach.
 
A perfect example is golf. One of the hardest games in the world to master and play consistently is a game of hitting a small white ball with a stick into a hole 4 inches wide and 500 yards away. I know individuals that get paid $50/hour to teach beginers how to swing a club properly and make them a better golfer. The problem is that this person has been golfing for 5 years, is an average golfer, and is only teaching because he paid $1200 for a one month half classroom, half in the field course.
 
When you start in something, you’d like to learn anything you can and thus if someone is simply better than you at something they automatically are qualified to give you pointers. In a sport like golf though, it is very easy to pick up a bad habit which then turns into a lifetime slice or hook on the golf course.
 
Yesterday I got a lesson from a 65 year old man that is also a scratch golfer. He has been playing for over 35 years and basically told me to throw away everything that I have ever learned about golf. He told me that everything that I have learned is wrong and that the people that taught me are idiots. At first I looked at him like if he was a lunatic, but then hit a 310 yard drive straight down the first hole with 2 simple tips thats were the exact opposite of what was drilled into my brain as a young golfer.
 
Think about how much a teacher in a school can influence his or her students to beleive a certain thing because of a hatred for that issue, product, culture or individual. Think about a history teacher that teaches his class, but is 30 years old and go all his information about WW2 from his 4 years at SFU. His word is only as good as his opinion isn’t it? How about the 80 year old teacher that fought in WW2 who hates Russians, Germans, and any other country that was involved torturing “his” people.

Finally consider your childhood. If your parents are racist, there is a pretty good chance you will get sucked into it. If your parents grew up in a time where a certain lifestyle was popular, how will they teach you to live? When you are young, you are gulable and trusting of everything. But it’s amazing how this world tries to dumb us as a society down. I think its starts with extremely under qualified individuals who teach their objective one-sided bullshit.

 
Think about it.

There is something very obvious about Penticton that most people probably don’t notice and that’s the fact that housing here can only go up. Up as in apartments over houses but also up in price per square foot.

If you take a good look at this picture you will notice something that cannot be said about many other cities in Canada. Penticton is basically the divider that makes Skaha Lake possible. This also has a significant factor on how many citizens it can accommodate. There are really only two things that can happen now; either build up the mountains or build 15 story buildings. The common issue with both of these options is that a they both cost dramatically more money. Nowadays, looking on the east side of Penticton, bare land is selling for over 300k and that’s for just enough to lay a decent house and have room for 3 cars when they are parked bumper to bumper.

Another aspect that I love about Penticton which I mocked previously is that this town is heavily populated with citizens over 60 that will stick their canes and walkers up city councils ass before they make too much more development in this town. The city wants development but is doing it at a crawling pace because of the folks that “want to save Penticton”; and I applaud them. They don’t like traffic just the same as I don’t. They also don’t like crime, air pollution, lake pollution and crowded public areas just like I don’t.

The good news is that the economy is rolling much faster than people can afford and this at least means that the new residents of Penticton will be rich, smart and civilized people. They may be driving Hummer’s, but at least they have no intention of kidnapping kids or stabbing people. And maybe they’ll donate to the golf course, or build something for the homeless. The other positive thing here is that the people that buy homes and apartments are usually near or already retired couples from Alberta or Vancouver that are looking for the Florida closer to home.

And I don’t know about you, but other than driving habits, old people are great.

Think about it… 

 Author: Agnieszka

It all started about two years ago when I was accepted to University of Illinois in Chicago and decided to commute. This particular decision made me realize how stressful driving can be.

Every day it takes me about one and a half hours to commute. Sometimes it even exceeds to 2 hours of commute time depending on the traffic and train pattern. That is OVER 3 hours of my day wasted on driving and riding the train. (1 hour driving and 30 minuets riding the train.) I could only imagine how long my commute would be if I drove all the way to downtown Chicago from the Northwest Suburb which I commute from. That is about 30 miles (48.28 km)…and it takes me one hour to drive 15 miles(24.14 km) and once you start getting closer to the heart of the city the traffic only get worse. It is like a living nightmare. What is the point of having 5 lanes plus 2 express lanes when there is STILL traffic on the hwy? I guess the Chicago population has not heard the concept of carpooling or other types of transportation.

How does a traffic jam begin in Chicago or anywhere? Well, let me give you an idea…
1. Slow drivers.
2. Accidents.
3. Construction.
4. Weather.
5. Multitasking drivers.

1. It takes only ONE car to start a traffic jam. ONE. If one person drivers slow others will follow…that is how hwy wolf packs start at which point faster drivers like me get stuck behind. PEOPLE pay ATTENTION – if there is no one in front of you drive a bit faster …if you are not willing to take the risk move out the way for those who are taking that risk.

2. Chicago accidents. I once was stuck in traffic for 2 hours due to a little car crash on the side of the hwy. Why? It seems to me that the curiosity of individuals (not only Chicagoans) causes them to stare at the car accident to see if they could visually see what happened and thus slowing down to half the limit. It seems to me like a form of disturbing hwy entertainment for some drivers. A little advice…JUST DRIVE.

3. Yes, Chicago construction. One main reason for Chicago traffic jams. Why? Well lets see…there are four lanes on the hwy and the construction company decides to close off 3 of those lanes and keep one open. If you are ever driving in Chicago and there is a construction sign up ahead I advise you to get off the hwy and take the streets unless you have about 2-3 hours of time on your hands J Merging into one lane from 4 lanes…with ignorant drivers all around trying to get somewhere will only stress you out and make you want to rip your hair out. Trust me…I know.

4. Ever notice that when is snows or rains people tend to drive slow? I have. A little bit of precipitation makes some drivers freak out and slow down to BELOW the speed limit. Why? I ask myself the same question…if a driver doesn’t know how to handle weather changes at any time – don’t drive or at least move out of the way. Chicago weather can turn on you in a matter of an hour. Be prepared for sunny morning, rainy afternoon and snowy evening. You never know.

5. The famous multitasking drivers. I see them EVERY DAY. Drinking a beverage talking on the cell phone, texting, eating, reading the newspaper, putting on makeup, and I’ve even seen someone doing a crossword puzzle. Amazing, isn’t it? In Chicago…one in 20 of the 675 respondents tested said they had been involved in an accident or near miss while being distracted by a task other then driving. Multitasking = possible accident = traffic jam. When driving, pay attention to the road so that you as a driver don’t endanger yourself and others.

People of the Okanagan Valley consider yourself LUCKY that you are no where close to huge traffic jams like I have experienced in Chicago. These traffic jams have consistently added a huge amount of road rage, stress and the hate developed towards driving. I never look forward to it. I have visited the Okanagan area and it amazes me to this day how calm the drivers are and how there are rarely any traffic jams. Yes, there is the odd number of bad drivers but they are everywhere – however, not nearly as much as there is in Chicago.

I would give anything to have the view, fresh air and open highways which the Okanagan Valley provides. Enjoy the drive because trust me the road conditions that you have are heavenly compared to this hell hole.

If you are an Okanagan resident, feel free for now to keep your doors unlocked, your doors open at night and your bike laying against your front fence unchained. This may be a bit of a exaggeration, but watching CHBC news for the 11pm round up makes me giggle, laugh and feel good about my life. Yesterday, CHBC’s top story was one of a Hell’s Angel’s member being accused of drug trafficking. But in the end all charges were dropped because the man was not actually doing anything wrong, just merely a member. I can’t help laughing when I think that even when the news tries so hard to find something scary to share with its audience, the best they can do is this almost serious story. Just as a side note, their other top stories included a new psychology course for war veterans that get abusive, and another about two juveniles that accidentally set a house on fire while playing with a lighter. If you are in a good mood and want to stay that way, watch a comedy with a happy ending like CHBC. 

On the flip side, if you’re in the mood for a little drama and horror, turn to channel 20 in Penticton for twenty four hours of  news that makes you want to lock your doors, put your kids on a leash, not eat anything and bring your gun to the park when and if you’re brave enough to step outside. CNN scares the shit out of me. Finding one “feel good” story on CNN.com or CNN channel is merely impossible. Bombs dropped in Iraq, new disease discovered, tsunami warnings, mother kills her kids, economy crashing, people losing houses and entire life are just a few stories I came across from our neighbors down south. The cause of this may-ham only an hour south of us is any ones guess. But this wouldn’t be a blog if I didn’t get a piece of my mind into the reasons of why.

So what my reasoning is rooted to are a few simple things that started a long time ago which have now perpetuated into a long multiplying strand of “shitiots”. Two things were put together in this world that shouldn’t have been; guns and egos. Imagine a line up of individuals from each representing country on the planet; who thinks they are the biggest hero? America! The land of the free. Which over the years seems to have translated for them as “everything we want is free and we will take it”.

Don’t get me wrong, I know some smart Americans. But no matter how hard those smart ones work, the dumb ones will out populate the smart ones 10 to 1. This is exactly what has happened, and thus the status of the U.S.

Being rude, arrogant, pushy, violent and egotistical will eventually drive America into being a hated, uncontrollable spiral of shit which will lead to conditions worse than many African countries.

Think about it.

 I’m not making up this Ego.

You know you’re from Penticton when…

1. You can play golf and ski in the same day.

2. You are proud to say that when MC Hammer performed in Penticton many years ago his concert started a riot that rolled the Peach into Okanagan Lake.

3. You know what a ‘loser lap’ is and you have done many, probably too many, in your life.

4. You have gotten drunk on the beach, either one, and gotten busted and told to leave by the cops, and you know everytime you go to the beach to do this this is going to happen.

5. You know who Wally Taylor is.

6.  You hate our mall, and frequently drive to Kelowna to shop at theirs.

7. You either love the Ironman, or hate it.

8.  Everytime you drive along Sunset Strip, you curse at the assholes in the 4-person
streetbikes..then contemplate renting one yourself.

9. You go to Westbank for movies because you really dont want to go to the  Pen-Mar.

 10. You know what the Mustangs and the Lakers are because you were one at one time.

 11. You never miss August long weekend. The population pretty much quadruples, all your friends are in town to camp and party, its hot as hell and all three night clubs are open till 4am.

12. You always have your iPod or CDs with you so you’re not forced to listen to > the one and only SunFM and get sick of the “new” songs they seem to keep > playing over and over.

13.When seeing a giant peach on the sidewalk no longer phases you, its just >
there!

15.  You know its called the Channel, not ‘the Canal’.

16. You know about Tickleberry’s, and travel to Okanagan Falls a ton during the summer for some kick-ass, unbelievable ice cream. 

17. The res does not mean university residence

18. In Penticton, you know that Parrots bark and mules are blue.

19.You get annoyed taking more than 10 minutes to drive anywhere in town.

20. You remember the Game Farm and how fun it was to go there on class trips or on a sunny Saturday afternoon.>

Since I was younger, I noticed that there are a lot of older folks in Penticton that have the shakes real bad. I was once told by a very smart woman who is also a natural therapist/naturopath that people generate parkinson’s from pesticides. This includes pesticides in food, on food and around food. The problem is that in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s nobody ever heard of organic pesticides, or the word organic. In those days crop dusters would swoop down and cover an entire parcel of land with a chemical so strong, it would kill every living thing in the vacinity. That includes the bugs, birds, and the fish which are influenced by the run-off.

When fruit for example is sprayed it is expected that the exterior will be coated enough to either kill bugs that try to eat them or simply repel them. Unfortunatly when the product goes to market and is hosed down prior to hitting the shelf, not everything is cleaned and disinfected. Then people obviously would chow an entire apple; skin, core, and pesticide traces included. 

Now the proof I found was taken from when I worked in retail and found old people coming in with shakes so bad they couldn’t read the labels on the sides of product boxes. And I would see this on a nearly daily basis. So much so infact that I wanted to do my own little experiment to see if what I learned was true.

When I would see someone like this come into the store, I would walk up and offer to help them and then make small chat and eventually ”pop” the question: Do you or have you lived in an orchard in the valley? (pretending like I knew them from somewhere) And sure enough, every single person that was shaking like this gave me a response something like this: “I live in Kaleden in an apple and pear orchard, have lived there since I was 12″. Another man and wife had the same story but from Naramata and both had the shakes SUPER bad.

 Point is, people in Penticton and I’m guessing other places were exposed to pesticides when they were younger and now suffer. It’s noticable in Penticton probably because its 65% seniors. The chemical gets into your bloodstream and destroys your nervous system including the myelin sheath which is the insulation around the fibers in your brain that allow for motor movement. This in turn creates a form of “short circut” in the brain that creates that involuntary action of parkinsons.

ADVICE: Watch what your kids eat! Clean your Mexican veggies and fruits! I don’t eat nothing but organic, cause what is an extra dollar when you could be reducing something as horrible as parkinsons for yourself in the future.

Think about it!
  

The good news today is that a guy I know was right about the fastest way to get your website on Google.

Total time: 7 Hours
Page Rank: 1
Page Position: 6th
Keyword: Okanagan Blog

I won’t say what it is, because people pay a lot of money for something so technical. But support your local SEO expert, it will make your online business double or triple in month if done properly.

All I can say, is thank you Matt Cutts. (The head of Search Engine Optimization at Google)

NOTE: This is what proper SEO does.

When you consider the population of this earth, I think that there is only a small handful of individuals and companies that realize the true potential that the internet offers to a income statements bottom line. How many companies do you see out there that get cut down to size because the area they are in doesn’t produce enough traffic?

Who is your target market? Are you sure it’s the people between Skaha lake and Okanagan lake? If you say yes, that’s why your the sales associate, secretary and cashier at your company.

Suppose you’re a local company that sells T-shirts custom ordered for companies, events or just personal use. You have invested in this nice piece of technology that can print out basically whatever you want on a T-shirt, hoody, sweatpants, or even a man ginch.

Now get creative, find a website that sells blank cotton t-shirts in China for 40Cents each and buy a box of assorted colors. Trust me, this place does exsist. Then go on ebay and search for the most popular things people are bidding on regarding to funny slogans on t-shirts or even things that are patented like brand name logo’s. Make a site or get one made or sell on ebay, and supplement your income. And if you don’t want to do it, give me 30 points and I’ll make a killing myself.

 Point is, you don’t have to be a genius to sell online.

 Secondly, every company needs a website! If you don’t have one, get one, if you don’t know where, I got a great place; ME. I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember the last time I picked up my telephone book. Do you? What about a map? So if you use these services online like yellowpages online and mapquest, don’t you think everyone else does too?

And if you can afford it, which basically any business can if they understand what a tax write-off is, make a professional looking site. Nothing worse to look at than sites made in Frontpage.

Well I’m no marketing expert, but you know there is a problem at Apex when the parking lot is basically empty during spring break and nearly 20CM fell in the last 7 days! And who suffers from the blunder in marketing; the season ticket holders. They pay a tremendous amount of cash upfront to get a full ski season in and they get cut off early when more snow is falling, the temperature is perfect and the sun is out. This past season is probably one of the best seasons in 10 years and season pass holders are told that their season is over this weekend. BS!

Let me give Apex a little objective advice:

1. Give some tickets away as promotions, and not just 50. What exactly does it cost the ski hill for one extra person on the hill? What you get from this is people that get addicted to boarding or skiing and decide to buy a seasons pass the following year or even better can’t afford to buy a season pass but buy 2 or 3 or more individual passes.

2. Spend some money on your website! Yes, it does the job for locals, but type in “BC ski hills” and what ranking does it come up? Big White is on the first page, is it not important to compete?

3. So you made this beautiful hotel, bar, restaurant and cafeteria…. and…. how are they doing? What do you think would happen if you got 2 or 3 known  bands to play during the course of the season in that huge bar you have. And if you want to go crazy, try marketing these events prior to launching.

4. Maybe hold a local or regional snowboarding terrain park trick contest and bring in a few semi-famous judges and give them a free ski pass for the follow year or maybe a weekend at the hotel.

Results:
Your booze sales: UP
Your ticket sales: UP
Hotel vacancy: DOWN
Restaurant food sales: UP 

All this would probably generate traffic up like the woodstock concert of ’69. If money is what your after, get your shit together! Give me a call, I’ll run you up a list of quality ideas so long that you won’t be able to fold your wallet back in half.

I would love to meet the nice people that run this establishment and ask them a few mind stimulating questions…