WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS?
an ageless discussion, with links, comments and feedback...
"remove from friends"
A couple of my friends asked me if their kids were still facebook friends with me as they found themselves deleted and off their kids list! Having major abandonment issues myself I can imagine the fear, shame and hurt the parents feel and for anyone I guess who gets deleted or blocked as an online friend. I currently have over 2,300 friends on facebook and have not blocked or hidden any single one of them, just some of those dang games and applications like farmville! HA HA
Made me think about the many times I have encountered sensitive privileged information said by my friends kids and my younger friends on facebook. Or how do I deal with comments that possibly go way past the decency line on a public social networking blog like my facebook wall that has a huge demographic age spread, that might offend some people. I know a few times people take aim at what I say in my posts or the fan pages and groups I join.
IS VIRGIN APPROPRIATE?
Here is an example, one facebook friend said he was a "virgin" on my facebook wall, and wanted to WIN some of the 10 Vancouver Fashion Week tickets I was giving away in a contest. My alarm bells went off. You see, I have many great young friends on facebook AND their parents too! Was I over reacting? I mean its a Madonna song!
Another time, a friend innocently posted a humour story involving a young man with autism and I panicked cause I have a huge network of friends on facebook who struggle with the challenges of autism in their lives? Was I over reacting? It wasn't like they were saying hey faggot go die!
I decided to directly facebook email the persons involed to ask them their opinion given my circumstances. Not only do I have a huge spectrum of ages on my facebook profile, but also artists, musicians, business leaders, politicians and more. Surely someone is going to be offended!
WHEN TO STEP IN? OR NOT? Yikes....
I know I have often been privy to extremely confidential information from people of all ages and I keep it to myself, but sometimes, on rare blue moon occasions, when people start blogging messages that border on suicide and depression I have stepped in to alert family and friends, often finding myself the brunt of anger or greatly appreciated for giving a shit.
Other times I just offer the other person someone to vent with and yell at, or a friend who will listen and chat it out with. Sometimes I find a lot of friends and young people on facebook reaching out to me, who just want to chat and say hello and share what's on their mind. I have also noticed their is a certain number of people who are being bullied or are unique, creative talents, and so often find themselves as outcasts, and they reach out to me to talk and support each other. I couldn't be happier as I often feel that I am an outcast, so can maybe learn, grow, and share my experience and theirs.
A media website I subscribe too sent me an inquiry which I felt raised a good question which I often find myself in, and I decided to ask it on my facebook profile and see what kind of response I got.
TEENS, PARENTS & FACEBOOK??? What's your opinion?
Especially want to hear from young people!!! "Teens today are pouring their hearts out on Facebook. While they might friend their aunts, uncles and other adult relatives, chances are they haven't friended their parents. What should the "friended" adults do if they see a ...status update or photos that are concerning? Do they tell the parents or approach the kids or say nothing? Social media has introduced some gotchas that people have to navigate carefully," from helpareporter
2 likes 13 comments
Jennifer Rogers
It is pretty sad to see our teens not adding their parents as friends on FB. I am quite outspoken and if I found out that there was a serious problem with one of my son's peers and knew his parents did not know - I would contact them with my concerns, but I am sure this does not happen in most cases unfortunately.
Micha Bruecker
That is likely one of the reasons why teens use a bit of caution around befriending the FBI (FaceBook Inquisition) ;-)
However, I know many teens who are aware of the publicity of FB, use it accordingly and therefore have no problem being "friends" with their own parents or the parents of their peers. After all, the monitoring of FB by the "elders" can and does function as a safety net if done respectfully.
I would contact the person whom I'm concerned about instead of/before talking to their parents.
Jack Amble
My kids have me added as a FB friend. And I have seen status posts made by other younger FB members that prompted me to phone their moms. So far, everything has worked out.
Duane Burnett
Great comments Jennifer, Micah, and Jack... I often find myself reaching out to people who sound dangerously stressed, but I do it in private fb mail, but one example I had was someone blogging on my wall they were a virgin! I got a little sensitive and explained to them that I have a lot of young friends and their parents on fb. I put it on the "virgin" to tell me if they thought it was appropriate. They said they meant it as a joke. On the other extreme the term faggot homo gay kill are used frequently by kids and so is terminology bordering on suicidal despair. Your feedback to this question is super appreciated.
Duane Burnett
I notice this is a popular new fb page people are joining
Teenagers are either drunk, having sex, stressed, b*tching, or asleep
Trish Thompson
and? you don' t remember being a teenager???
Heather Pearce Lyons
actually when i was a teenager, you are right i was either high, having sex, stressed , bitching or asleep or seeking spiritual guidance from all the wrong places...i turned out good ha ha
Manuen Edwards
what you've got there is a real big onion subject !
it's a tricky one for sure ..... but i do think kids should fb friend parents like Micha said kids should use fb accordingly and if they cant do that well then they should be getting monitored !!!
Pammila Stew Ruth
My own kids not allowed until they are 15, and they will HAVE to Friend me, or NO Facebook. (yes, we DO have that power!) I do have some older teen friends and family members on FB, one who has not let his mother in. I see pix of him smoking up with his buddies, drinking etc... I also have the *ahem* honour of reading all the lovely break-up ... crap between himself and his girlfriend in their on-again-off-again relationship. Do I tell his mom? No. He would drop me from his friend list like a hot potato, and then if something seriously went wrong that he mentioned on FB, I would not know and could not help. The everyday 'normal' crap a teen goes through seems so foreign to us now. We may not relate to it, but we have to respect their choices. If there is a true cry for help, or if the status is dark and cryptic I have been known to message them personally to see if they are okay. Stayed up once messaging with one till 1:00 am... Girlfriend break up hit him hard. Bottom line: Yes. I would contact the parent if I felt the teen was in danger.
Duane Burnett
WOW these comments and feedback just keep getting better. Pammila... that's great that you make being friends on fb part of the family rules and that you are discreet with the privileged information and world young people bring you into. I think it is really important to respect privacy and really pick what you are going to say for emergencies. Well done!
Susan Davidson
Teens ???..my problem is with elementary school kids on fb...signing on as High School students...then maligning their teachers & each other ! Disgusting ! The RCMP worked it out.
Diana Gledhill-Park
Arggggg touchy subject..and I don't like to screw up trust.
BETTER LEFT UNSAID?
What I was really surprised by was the complete lack of any comments from "kids" (hate using that term), at least so far, not even from my close young friends on facebook, despite my direct appeal. I am confused especially given the opportunity this was for them to share what for them was appropriate for adults in these situations and friends who feel in the dark.
I was wondering where the parents were too? 13 comments seems to be a little low when social networking is so popular. Maybe this topic is just a non-starter, or maybe parents and youth are just not going there, and feel its better left unsaid?
I have, or hope I have been at least, respectful, confidential and equal in all aspects around deep discussions with my friends who are "younger" then me. I think they would back me on that.
What I do seem to feel is appropriate if you are friends with your kids online is you DON"T embarrass them, or yourself (although the line is really blurred these days on what exactly is embarrassing and over the top too much) AND don't stick you nose in where its not wanted, or you will be deleted as a friend quite quickly!
If you push the boundaries and become a control freak, rather then empowering your kids with their own integrity, .....I know that (I am spilling the beans sorry) the kids will create an alternate profile, one parent sanctioned and approved, the other, well.... not so much. I feel it is better for open behaviour rather then driving youth underground behind your back where they develop unhealthy substance misuse habits for a lifetime, rather then healthy habits for a lifetime.
What do you think? Maybe the question should be.. how would we like to be treated ourselves online and on social sites in general rather then being age specific.
I Googled the question and got a few websites for you to check out for more information on this subject...
I have pulled out a few things of note from this one particular link for you:
Walls: Exercise discretion. If you wouldn't say it in front of your child's peers, don't post it on his wall. Wishing someone "Happy Birthday" on his wall is fine. Commenting on his appearance, friends or embarrassing antics from the past? No.
Don't Embarrass Your Kid: You've lectured your child on the dangers of posting pictures of keggers. Take the same advice yourself. Don't post humiliating or ill-advised photos. Don't post that adorable shot of junior, naked, on a bearskin rug at age 2. The moment you "tag" him - identify him - in a Facebook photo, his friends all get a note that says there's a new photo of him online. And when it comes to photos of yourself, remember it's not just your child's college administrators and prospective employers vetting online sites. Your boss may be looking too.
EVERYTHING'S AN OPEN BOOK THESE DAYS
Now-a-days people are way more open about stuff and a lot less judgmental so I don't think you need to be paranoid and paralyzed by social networking. Maybe the teachers who did the lap dance at a school function was not the appropriate venue for horse play like that. Use common sense. Famous last words. Remember women were not allowed to wear pants at one time, Elvis and the mini-skirt caused a few heart attacks in their time, online dating sites are the norm and a lot of people find true love, so society is always changing.
IS FACEBOOK HEALTHY?
And I am sure another big question is if all this fun on facebook, twitter, myspace, youtube and other social networks is healthy? Like everything in life, moderation is the of course the key. We all need to have exercise and a good diet. Seems that social networks help this by making it easier to communicate with friends, but if all you do is sit in front of the computer blogging how bored you are, its time to get out of the house and do something for your health, read a book, do anything... I know first hand how fun and addicting facebook is, my latest craze is Family Feud with my friends, not to forget Cafe World and Mafia World.
Here is a good link for you where they discuss the pros and cons of social networking and its effect. It basically concludes:
One of my facebook friends posted some horrific photos of absolutely terrible injuries inflicted on horses going to a slaughter house which enraged and disgusted me so much I threw caution and censorship to the wind and shared them on my own profile.
I can't understand why our species has lost reverence for Life and can be so cruel to other Life forms. Having always had a keen interest in the Earth, nature and the environment, combined with being bullied a lot by society it came to my understanding that people who are cruel to animals and their pets do the same to other animals in their life, like their wife, mother and kids!
These people often turn into serial killers and were often suffering from what I call the Abominable snow man effect in Rudolph... Really angry at the world and feeling unloved. I try to always remember that when people are mean these days so I remember to see to the heart of them and not judge them for their ego.
I must say, while this may be a bit "white man nostalgia" or perhaps too much Walt Disney as a kid, but for me and I hope my First Nation Native Friends and Family will back me on this one, what I respect a great deal in indigenous cultures was there was a ritual, thanks and blessing built into their culture when there was ever any killing of an animal, that gave thanks to its Spirit, Life and the Universe which showed Gratitude. Wow... we sure need more of that in this world!
Their are many groups out there raising awareness and a voice for the world's vulnerable animals and people: Dolphin's, rain forests, homeless, elephants, dogs and seals are just the tip of the iceberg. I am sure you have your own soft spots too. When I was a kid, one of my pet peeves was inhumane trapping like leg hold traps and snares where the animal eats its own paw off and dies a slow painful death...
But I digress off topic yet again....
What I found interesting from the discussion about animal cruelty I posted on my facebook profile, was how it quickly turned into a eating meat versus vegetarian discussion.
I often try to refrain from using over used WWII terminology to describe the horrific food factory torture farms of our modern society but its hard not to go there. To me Life, any Life, is worthy of respect and reverence, not a horrific existence where it lives in absolutely despicable conditions and a terrified ending. I can't help but think that that energy felt by this animal, becomes part of the food we eat!
I went to go see the movie Food Inc at our local theatre and I was just appalled and saddened by our species.
"In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment."
Shees, and that's a sanitized synopsis of what you see in the movie. I will never forget them taking a fork lift to the poor maimed cow crippled by its living conditions. Its scary people! Please wake up from your dream...
Below are some comments and feedback from my facebook page that I think you will enjoy reading and might spawn some thoughts, opinions, suggestions of your own...
Duane Burnett You have been warned. These photos are posted by the New Hope Horse Shelter (DoubleHP) and show horses and baby colts maimed and in tortured pain. Where is our reverence and respect for all Life? Someone please explain this. I can't comprehend what has happened to our species that this is even remotely acceptable!
Penny Berdahl Thats nasty :( Makes me cry ..poor thing :(
Duane Burnett makes one speechless. how can a conscious being be so cruel and disrespectful of Life.
Matt James McNab D'=
Diana Halter I cannot look. I will imagine them healed. Peace.
Roberto Kaplan Shocking perception of a destructive reality.
Zoe Barbaro i don't understand....what are horses slaughtered for????
Micha Bruecker Thank you Duane! Yes, horses are cute, right? What about the pigs, cows, chickens etc. etc. who are treated the same way or worse? We don't WANT to know how our meat is treated before we throw it on the BBQ. The only way to stop this is to become vegan, grow your own meat or camapign heavily e.g. buy only meat you know where it comes from.
Rob Thomson Animals are being bred for inhumane slaughter by humans who have an archaic and unnecessary taste for flesh. We don't need animal protein anymore. Our brains no longer need meat protein as they did in prehistoric times when we were developing a larger brain mass. We have options today.We humans are a sad and sorry lot indeed. Visit a slaughter house and you will - I guarantee it - never, never eat animal flesh again.
Duane Burnett I watched the movie Food Inc at the Raven's Cry.. and I was disgusted that our species condones such horrible concentration camps for food production. The worse for me was the lame horse, its front legs crippled by the conditions it lived in, so to move it they took a forklift to it. Absolutely no respect for Life! I can imagine that their tortured... See More Spirits are taken up in the meat we eat. Here in these photos of maimed horses, they are going to the factory for glue, dog food and make-up! Don't I feel pretty now?
Rob Thomson I was horrified when I visited a slaughter house first in my youth in Toronto at the Essex plant in Weston then later in life as an insurance broker insuring food production plants and farms in BC. The anxiety level in the animals was overwhelming - they sensed what was happening inside and the pens and stockyards were appalling. Commercial animal ... See Moreslaughter is nothing short of cruelty and we humans just ignore it so we can dig into or fat laden burgers. However revenge is nature's I guess as all that animal flesh combined with our lifestyle and lack of exercise is the main culprit for disease and death. I guess in a sense what you eat bits you back sooner or later.
Taylor Peterson that's so mean to do i woud help them if i could :((((((((((
Diana Gledhill-Park Ya why horses? What do they do with them? and Im not going to look at the clip...
Kathy McDougall Elson this is terrible!! I can't even watch this clip. I am a horse lover and if we ever do get property I want to get one but what can be done about this?! It's just wrong!!
Micha Bruecker Horses are meat. If you want to help, then STOP EATING MEAT. As simple as that. Whining won't do anything.
Trish Thompson so sorry but some of us need meat to live and what does that have to do with cruelty. Vegetables are alive too Micha
Duane Burnett thanks for all the great feed back everyone.... I go around saving the worms and slugs from harm in this world, seeing this cruelty towards animals gave this horrible nightmare about taking a chainsaw to a live animal to cut it into a better fitting size! Another typical night for me. Arghhh! I did take a moment to breath in the pain and breath out Peace... ♥
Rob Thomson We who live in the comfort of the 1st world do not need "meat" to live. Meat is the flesh of sentient animals including humans. We needed meat protein early in our evolution as humans in order to develop necessary brain mass but at this point in our evolution we can utilize less meat protein and consume sufficient quantities from alternate vegetable and fruit sources. In the west, our need for meat is simply a lifestyle choice not an essential as we have access to most alternate protein sources. Meat protein is a scarce commodity in the 3rd and 4th worlds and we would do better here to assist our fellow human beings by changing our consumption pattens, reducing our greed and looking to the future where food production is plant based and sustainable unlike animal husbandry.
Micha Bruecker Trish, have you ever been in a slaughter house? There's your answer regarding cruelty (not that it begins there). I have a lot of compassion for veggies, but I don't put them in the same category as mammals.
New Hope Horse Shelter (DoubleHP) Duane, that is a great uproar! Way to go! you might want to visit http://www.animals-angels.com. They are the ones who got the photos from USDA. And gave us permission to use them to help show the truth. They are interesting. They go on the road too, following trucks around and taking pictures in livestock auction facilities. Showing us the truth.
Micha Bruecker DUANE, I COULD NOT AGREE MORE with everything you said! Yes, food has become a huge strictly for-profit industry without much regard for the suffering of the sentient beings it "produces". That is just part of the story: In fact, every single human on this planet could be fed well, we have enoughagrculturally viable land to do this. However, the ... See Morebig companies who hold the near-monopoly on food production are not interested in fair distribution (not to mention nutritional content or safety), only in satisfying their shareholders. When I was a kid most neighbours grew the majority of their food in their backyard and kept some chickens and rabbits - most of the latter in fairly good conditions. Having a garden patch to grow some of the food we consume helps. We try and help out the neighbours who cannot (or do not want to) harvest their fruit etc. by doing it for them and sharing the crop. Each of us can greatly improve matters and our own life by becoming more independent of BIG FOOD INC. Thank you for starting this.
Nichole Lagasse Thanks for sharing this Duane! Hard to swallow those photos....while humans are omnivores and have the enzymes in our intestinal tracts to digest "meat". Biologically, we absorb both Vit B12 and iron easier and more efficiently from "meat" but to subject a sentient being, be our food source, offspring or a companion, to abject misery? how healthy ... is that gonna be to consume? Holy shit...it is unforgivable! Evolution gave us free will, but our digestive enzymes follow. Not digesting heme sources shuts down the production of enzymes in the gut to no longer seek meat for B12 and iron. Hell...give a lifelong veggie a bacon cheeseburger and you might just kill her! Tough fence to sit on. 'specially since I love meat. Again, thanks for the food for thought! I wish for warm open loving pastures for those who suffered!
David F Devo Faber I cut up a fresh carrot today and it screamed and bled beta-carotene all over the cutting board. I then had a glass of water and some bacteria yelled "please not into that hole". So I took my last breath of air as the microbes cried. It is all bad. Us humans have got to go, we are just a blight on the planet.
NUTRITION-LESS FOOD What is sad is most everything in the supermarket these days is just plain garbage, how can fruit juice not have any nutrition in it but take up an entire aisle? The food that is healthy is almost non-existent or too costly for families too afford or riddled with pesticides and toxins.
What is going on out there people? Have we gone mad? Seems a bag of potato chips and an aisle of 100 different types of shampoo bottles has more value then Life itself. Kids think that beef comes from the store and many of us are in a collective denial.
Food is produced with one thing in mind, the cheapest way possible, forcing our farmers to live in poverty, while corporations make big bucks, our democracy becomes more and more of a capitalist dictatorship, our farmlands are paved, our animals tortured for a steak, chicken breast, bacon and eggs, and our fish kept in pig pens that kill our oceans.
GOOD GRIEF! Thanks for reading my lament this far.... appreciate that. I think I am realizing as I blog in this online journal, that standing up for the rights of other Life forms, whether that be wildlife, animals, pets or people, has always been in my blood since I was a kid.
If you have comments or information you would like to add, please share them with me.
... and please remember, It's always a good day on the Sunshine Coast!
THE DEATH AND LIFE OF CHARLIE ST. CLOUD
Photos Links News Fans by Duane Burnett
Lots of LINKS... so scroll all the way down
Nov 13, 2010
RENTED IT on DVD... Hollywood Gibsons
Can totally feel where Charlie St. Cloud is coming from. Rented it tonight from Sid's Vids. I know that heart ♥ Amanda Crew is just damn fabulous with Zac! Gibsons, British Columbia looked fab, cinematography was sweet. Was fun to see how a movie is put together. LOT of cable!
Sept 21, 2010
Charlie St Cloud release on DVD video Tuesday, November 09, 2010.
Check out other movies filmed in Gibsons, BC CLICK HERE
July 31, 2010
THANK U. I am in CharlieSt_Cloud, The Georgia Straight, Vancouver Sun, The Province & Oil BP Naughty to Nature hip hop parody all at same time! http://ht.ly/2ji6T
Last Night was the big world premiere of Charlie St Cloud. I watched facebook and twitter to get a sense of what people were saying. The stats from BoxOffice.com sum it up. 4th place showing, earning a mere $15 million and a rating of 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Based on facebook fan base, the movie Harry Potter is at 1st place with 1,313,853 fans and Charlie St Cloud with 732,374. Zac's movie placed 9th on the most discussed movies. Doesn't even rate in the top ten for most viewed trailers but experienced a strong growth in online fans this weekend with the release of the movie according to Box Office.
I have to say, that locally here on the Sunshine Coast, the stats are similarly reflected in the poor analytics showing of Zac Efron and Charlie St Cloud on my blogspot, flickr and facebook stats. Compared to a last September when the photo gallery had 20,000 views in one day, this weekend it is barely scratching 1,000 views.
A Mandala painting sending healing to the world's oceans had 5 times more views then Zac Efron's Charlie St Cloud. !,000 views of the blog in one day.
And trust me I promoted the heck out of Charlie St Cloud being it was filmed in my home town, even though I never got any support or help from the people making the movie. Didn't even reply to requests or emails to have a special premiere locally. In fact both theatres in Gibsons and Sechelt weren't even going to run the movie until the very last minute.
Fans of Zac Efron LOVE him even more and think he is the "most gorgeous" thing ever on the planet, saying the movie was a great human tearful experience making them love him even more earning an 85 to 95% positive buzz on the internet.
July 20, 2010
Duane Burnett & Raven's Cry Theatre are giving away 4 tickets to one lucky winner & their friends to see Zac Efron's Charlie St Cloud. PLAYING July 30-Aug 5. Contest Ends July 28th. Read Contest RULES.
July 19, 2010
A Charlie St Cloud facebook event page was created for the movie premiere July 30th so you can add it to your profile events listings and share/invite friends.
July 18, 2010
Wow the count down to July 30th. Saw a TV Commercial for Charlie St Cloud so sent a tweet out to my awesome twitter friends asking them to RT re-tweet if they were looking forward to the movie.
July 12, 2010
Twilight Eclipse mania dies down. Will all eyes turn from Taylor Lautner to Zac Efron now? The movie premieres July 30th. Still pretty bummed they are not doing a special screening for the town of Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast, BC.
July 7, 2010
The grand prize winner of the “Hometown Screening with Zac Efron” is:
Emily J., St. Louis, MO
July 6, 2010
Spoke to Gibsons & Sechelt Theatres. Sounds like NO Zac Efron-Charlie St Cloud special screening for the town. Sorry everyone. Duane
I've earned 100 points and qualified for a chance to win a Hometown Screening with Zac Efron!
Add me as a friend! www.charliestcloudfans.com
I am wondering out loud if the Producers of Charlie St Cloud will have a special screening here in Gibsons, BC? The town was used for some of the stunning boat harbour scenery you see (harbor in U.S.). I have people already wanting me to go to the premiere night, so I have started to see if the local theatres would like to do something for all the local actors, crew and fans. Will let you know. I haven't heard back from the movie's publicist at all yet.
My sources tell me that the latest word on Charlie St Cloud is they didn't like the way the ending turned out so they are re-shooting in West Vancouver right now. However, on May 19th the official blog mentions the re shoots and stars but not the reason why? A completely new ending is a really big change for a movie. They must have made some screen tests and audiences wanted a different ending. I wonder when the DVD comes out if they will offer both versions? http://www.charliestcloud.net/blog/2010/05/19/reshoots-for-charlie-st-cloud-begin/
With the working title shortened, Charlie St. Cloud is schedule to premier at US Movie Theatres on July 30th, 2010. The movie starring Zaz Efron, Ray Liota, Kim Basinger, Amanda Crew, Augustus Prew and Charlie Tahan was filmed around Vancouver, British Columbia.
Charlie Tahan co-stars as Zac Efron's younger brother...
Charlie St Cloud star Charlie Tahan was kind enough to pose with the fans and let me takes some photos with him. He is definitely going to be a household name after this movie comes out. No that is not "real" blood you can see in the numerous photos I took with him when he came up during a break in filming to meet the hundreds of fans outside and sign autogrpahs. He was filming a scene for the movie in a mock up ambulance inside a sound stage which doubles as our local curling rink. You can see more photos of Charlie at my flickr PHOTO site. He has numerous movies under his belt already and I think he will be a rising star for sure. I don't want to spoil the movie, but Tahan is killed in a car accident and comes back as a ghost that only Zac Efron's character can see.
Many locals got parts as extra's including myself, when filming shifted to the gorgeous harbour setting of Gibsons Landing, BC. I have always loved movie making magic so went crazy on the photo front. Please forgive me! Ha Ha....
What got me started on compiling this story was the Province Newspaper asked me what movies I was looking forward to this Summer and I said none, axcept for Charlie St. Cloud this fall. So I did a Google of my name and the movie to see what was out there and was surprised to see how popular my photos were, how many shout outs there were to me in connection to the movie, and well let's be real, the star Zac Efron! So hence I started compiling all the fan page, blog, photo, video links for all of you. smile
There was an incredible 20,000 views of my Movie Set photos in one day!
I have brought together the different links to see photos and websites, fan pages and some background on Gibsons, BC
What amazes me is how my Flickr PHOTO Gallery of all the movie set action filtered onto other peoples sites. I would like to thank those who used my photos that were kind enough to give me a photo credit link back to my site! Much appreciated. Duane
Zac Efron, Amanda Crew & Director Burr Steers wrap up filming in Hopkins Landing, near Gibsons, BC. Amanda plays Zac's love interest who comes between him and the ghost of his younger brother played by Charlie Tahan.
THESE PHOTOS ARE on my facebook FAN PAGE as well. Tag you're It! Duane Burnett
I was all over reporting the breaking news and fan sightings with all the Zac Efron and movie fans, and found facebook to be an amazing tool to share information quickly!
I actually found myself naturally gently pushed to know what was happening by the community itself so they could see their star Zaz Efron!
Even the Vancouver Sun reporter Randy Shore who lives on the Sunshine Coast noticed all the excitement. Read his story further down.....
One thing I quickly learned was a bit of a generation meld potential for this movie, as there was a distinct crowd of Zac Efron Fans's and another for Kim Basinger and Ray Liota. If I had a chance to interview them I was going to delicately ask how this movie would enhance each other's careers by bringing a whole generation of fans that might not have known them before. Unfortunately the Publicist denied me even a photo op or interview.
Most of all it was great to have the crew choose Gibsons for a location so I thanked them on facebook and here were some of the responses from our community.
It was also pretty awesome to not only have an extra part in the movie but to also be interviewed by the documentary team archiving the movie behind the scenes.
FACEBOOK STORY & COMMENTS
Thank you to ALL the Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud film crew and actors like Zac Efron for being so awesome and putting Gibsons on the world map! Over 20,000 views of my site in last few days alone!!! That's got to be GOOD for tourism and business! The movie crew have told me the Sunshine Coast has been FANTASTIC! Thanks for ALL your understanding patience with the film making process in our community!!!!
Cheers Duane Burnett http://www.duaneburnett.com
COMMENTS:
Laurie McConnell
Thanks for bringing the energy and business to the Sunshine Coast. Our community appreciates it very much, and if there's anything we can/should do to get the word out in your industry to improve upon the welcome, please let us know! bigpacific.com
Penny Berdahl
Hi Duane...Was great to see you at lunch today. Many people talked about the pictures you had taken. I know because of the person that you are..You took the pictures of the movie excitement, to share with the local people; to capture their excitement by taking the pictures of them around town. Many might never experience this kinda of magical event again in their lives. Our small town was accepted and; appreciated the the movie crew...They were all wonderful people allowing all of Us to enjoy this movie making......As I believe they did......I'm thankful......to have experienced being in this movie, with so many nice people......I seen old; met new friends . I feel it brought our community closer ...because of the magical feeling of Hollywood in *Our Home Town* .
Lynette Legault
Huge thumbs up to the 2 guys that always came out and told the fans if, and when they could see their heartthrob, and to all of the crew for bringing Gibsons to life! We enjoyed you all:)
Kera Mchugh
and to Duane for documenting it all so thoroughly... and tirelessly serving the community as always.
Carole Carlton
You Rock Duane!!
Denise Whiting-Gregorchuk
Kudos to the crew and cast of the movie you guys are all very personable people with huge hearts! you guys did a great job, cant wait to see the movie now~
Sue Booth
You did such an amazing job..great ambassador for the Town!!
Jade Ontheocean
.you looked so cute with all the kidz xo
CoCo LeGault
Thank-you to ALL the Death and Life of Charlie st .Cloud film crew, and actors like Zac for being so nice and kind to all your fans and taking time to sign autographs and get picture's you all made Gibsons a well 2 weeks and thank-you Zac &... Kim even though no one i don't think got a chance to see her. Zac said to me and a couple other people that its B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L here and he's going to come back to Gibsons with Vanessa next :D Should be awesome :D Thank-you Duane as well ! WE LOVE YOU ZAC EFRON AND KIM BASSINGER :)
Sue Booth
going to miss all this!! sad face (don't know how to do the emoticon)
Ashley Benner
tell zac thanks for coming out and signing autographs even when he wasn't suppose too!!!
Andrea Kenez
Thanks for letting me to be a background extra; on the set. It was a great experience! love to do it again! Hope to see you again!
Monica Stachoski-Messier
To everyone involved in the production of the movie ,, my girls and I thank you for leaving us lasting memories :) ! Hope you come back the coast sometime :)!
Debbie DeWolff
Go Duane....you are the real superstar:)
Kim Tournat
I love the pics of you, Duane, signing autographs!!
Terra Daniels
Fantastic pics!
Marlene Toth
a few Duane fans too i c...:) WELL DONE
Siobhán Smith
"I had great fun working as an extra and really appreciated the professionalism and positive attitudes of all those involved in making the film! thanks again for the opportunity to work "behind the scenes"!"
Penny Berdahl
"Thank you to everyone that was involved with making the movie.....you all were wonderful.....with you kindness & welcoming smiles & laughter. It was an awesome experience & I will carry it the wonderful memories of the magicial feeling of Hollywood in **our home Town** Thank you all again to all the nice ladies that guided us in our exciting journey . :) Come back & visit anytime.....you have my number ;)"
Carole Carlton
"Thank you to the crew for the great connection they made with the Sunshine Coast especially the way things were handled with the locals who still had to navigate through their days - the traffic coordination was excellent, the crew were always pleasant and friendly. A soft footprint and care taken to ensure us regulars that our interests were important. Cheers!!!!"
Carole Sauve
I look forward to seeing the movie. Thanks.
Yvette Fleming:
"I think it was great having you guys here and I hope more movies get done on the Sunshine Coast. Come again."
PLOT SUMMARY for
The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud
Charlie St. Cloud is a young man overcome by grief at the death of his younger brother. So much so that he takes a job as caretaker of the cemetery in which his brother is buried. Charlie has a special lasting bond with his brother though, as he can see him. Charlie meets up with his brother (Sam) each night to play catch and talk. Then, a girl comes into Charlie's life and he must choose between keeping a promise he made to Sam, or going after the girl he loves
Starring in the movie are
Zac Efron ... Charlie St. Cloud
Kim Basinger
Ray Liota
Donal Logue
Amanda Crew ... Tess Carroll
Charlie Tahan ... Sam St. Cloud
Augustus Prew ... Alistair Wooley
Paul Duchart ... Reverend Polk
OTHER MOVIES FILMED IN GIBSONS
1. "The Beachcombers" (1972) TV Series ...aka "Beachcombers" (1988) (Canada: English title: last season title)
2. A Beachcombers Christmas (2004) (TV)
3. The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud
4. The New Beachcombers (2002) (TV)
5. The Seamstress (2009)
6. Needful Things, Stephen King
7. Sewn aka The Seamstress (horror)
Movie Magic... I was invited on to a very spooky set to take a photo with the Stars and Director of this movie in Roberts Creek, BC INFO/Movie Trailer www.imdb.com/title/tt1326260/news#ni0993 910 Working title was "Sewn" and released on DVD for Halloween 2009 as the "Seamstress" Genre HORROR!
Vancouver goes cRaZy for STARS!
CANWEST NEWS ARTICLE
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner drive Vancouver crazy â Twilight hysteria spills over into Zac attack; Vancouverites used to be indifferent to film stars â then came the Twilhards Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 | 2:40 pm
Canwest News Service
VANCOUVER Hollywood North is on the verge of losing its reputation for cool.
Vancouver has seen stars aplenty since the city graduated into one of North Americaâs film and television centres. A-listers such as Sean Penn and Robert De Niro are seen walking down the street and dining without bodyguards. Heck, Goldie and Kurt felt so comfortable they bought a house here some years ago.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were molested by paparazzi, but they had a new baby and the public had a right to know what the little tyke looks like. They werenât mobbed by fans, only the working press.
"Celebrities have always felt quite comfortable in Vancouver and thatâs part of our charm and our competitive advantage," said B.C. Film Commissioner Susan Croome.
History will record that 2009 was the year that everything changed. When filming started last spring on New Moon, the second story in the Twilight saga by author Stephenie Meyer, fans flocked to filming locations in the hundreds, creating unprecedented security headaches for the producers.
Twilight stars Rob Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart are back in Vancouver making the third film, Eclipse, until the end of October and the hysteria shows no sign of letting up. The young stars are tracked by fans to their hotel and favourite restaurants and any bars and clubs where they might try to sneak a drink or see a band.
Fans travel from all over North America and as far away as New Zealand to track their vampire heroes in the hope of getting a picture or an autograph. Some have succeeded, many more failed.
Maybe it's a virus. Even little Gibsons Landing goes ga-ga over a Zac Efron sighting. The High School Musical star is filming The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud on the Sunshine Coast and attracting some Twilightesque fan attention of his own.
When Zac Efron stopped by the shopping mall on the town's main drag, he probably didn't know the local high school was right next door. He was mobbed.
Girls from Elphinstone Secondary gather daily near the waterfront after school and on evenings and weekends for a chance to see Efron. The camera crane on the pier is a clear indication that filming will eventually take place here, but today,s crowd doesn,t know when.
Holly Carter and Courtney Dionne are back after spending three hours waiting for something to happen the day before.
"Today I saw [Efron] drive by me and I was having a freak-out, I was screaming," said Carter.
"I wasn't there," said a dejected Dionne.
Carterâs Facebook status that day read "ZAC EFRON LOOKED AT ME, LIFE = COMPLETE."
"It's all anyone at school is talking about," said Grace Burns. "He's a big celebrity in a small town and you don't see that very often.
"You look around and you see younger girls prowling the street," said Burns, who was sitting with three friends outside The Beachcombers' iconic cafe Molly's Reach hoping for a Zac sighting. "I heard a dad ask his kids if they had seen Zac yet, so even the parents know."
The Facebook status of nearly every girl in school reads "Out prowling for Zac" or words to that effect, Burns said.
The sets for Charlie St. Cloud and Eclipse are closed to the media, so little information is available for fans. The demand for pictures of the stars and any little tidbits of information that can be gleaned by stealth is substantial. Twilight-related stories are huge traffic booster for news and entertainment websites.
Eclipse producers are begging newspaper websites and radio stations outlets in Vancouver not to disclose the filming locations, citing security and safety concerns for both the cast and crew and the fans. For the most part, New Moon and Eclipse have used locations on dead-end streets or remote single access properties that are easily defended. But when urban locations are required, fans are quick to pounce.
Twitter, Facebook and Twilight fansites are constantly updating every rumoured location and star sighting to thousands of hungry Twi-hards at a pace the mainstream media cannot match.
Croome isn't convinced Hollywood North has completely lost its cool.
"I'm not sure that Charlie St. Cloud is quite the same thing as Twilight, not to the point that they have real safety concerns," said Croome. "Twilight is the phenomenon the like of which we have never seen before."
"People aren't flying in to see a star like Zac Efron," she said.
Randy Shore, Vancouver Sun newspaper, rshore@vancouversun.com
"Over the past few days, crew members have been working around Gibsons, BC on the Sunshine Coast preparing several locations for filming. Photographer and local celebrity Duane Burnett has been photographing the activities.
"Some pics from Gibsons by Duane Burnett
From Duane Burnett's facebook page. I am only posting some of them, the ones that seem more relevant to shooting. If you'd like to see his other shots, click on the source at the bottom of the post.
Molly's Reach is most recognizable as a part of the long-running Canadian show The Beachcombers. According to his FB page, the side was repainted, presumably to be less recognizable in this film... that gives us an idea of the angles that are being shot here. http://ehs-wildcats.livejournal.com/198389.html
"Zac Efron in The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. Gibsons BC film set with Duane Burnett" As a side note, this twitter pic posted by a fan of Zac's was made by a friend who created this split image to show Zac and I's "resemblance" she went on to say that I am the real star of the Sunshine Coast. Thanks Melina, I was quite flattered! http://twitpic.com/hnrwu
http://www.charliestcloud.net/blog/tag/amanda-crew/ 19 May 2010 "Re-shoots for Charlie St Cloud Begin" Zac Efron and Amanda Crew were back on the set on Tuesday to film their first scenes for the Charlie St. Cloud reshoots taking place this week in Vancouver. Kim Basinger was also seen arriving in town yesterday although she was not part of these scenes. Zac and Amanda arrived already on Sunday and Zac had was photographed on Monday freshening up his sailing skills for the upcoming filming.
ABOUT GIBSONS
Gibsons, on the Sunshine Coast, BC Canada was used for the film set. Gibsons became infamous for the long running CBC TV Series the Beachcombers seen in dozens of countries around the world.
Well there you have it, my attempt at bringing together some Zac Efron, Charlie St. Cloud excitement together. If you have something to add let me know! Thanks Duane
While all this movie excitement was going on, winning best town in the world was the icing on the cake for locals!
GIBSONS WINS MOST LIVEABLE TOWN!
www.globaltvbc.com/Gibsons named most liveable community under/2097306/story.html
Gibsons named most liveable community under 20,000 by UN-backed body
Randy Shore , Vancouver Sun: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Sunshine Coast town of Gibsons has earned a Gold Award for liveability from the United Nations-backed International Awards for Liveable Communities.
Gibsons - pop. 4,200 - won in the Whole City category for towns with a population under 20,000 for best practice and leadership in creating a socially and environmentally sound community.
A 40-minute ferry ride from West Vancouver, Gibsons consists of the quaint fishing village of Gibsons Landing and the commercial-industrial hub of Upper Gibsons on Highway 101.
The award recognizes the town’s aggressive program of guidelines to encourage development that conserves enery, water and land as well as the first-in-North-America Geo-exchange District Energy System, which will capture thermal energy with underground heat-exchangers on municipal greenspace and supply heat to up to 900 residential and commercial buildings.
“We’re feeling fantastic,” said Gibsons Chief Administrative Officer Paul Gipps. “We weren’t sure how we were going to do against towns that are up to 20,000 people.”
Mayor Barry Janyk and two city staffers attended the 13th annual LivCom Awards over the weekend in the Czech Republic to present the town’s achievements.
Gibsons is committed to managing the community’s growth without disturbing the natural environment, a theme team Gibsons emphasized in their pitch to the conference, said Gipps.
“It wasn’t so much a matter of doing things to win,” said Gipps. “We just needed to tell the story of what we have already done.”
Other winners in the Whole City category include Newark, England (pop. under 75,000), Melville, Australia (pop. up to 200,000), Shilong, China (pop. up to 750,000) and Dailin, China (pop. over 750,000)
Randy Shore, Vancouver Sun newspaper
rshore@vancouversun.com
***
There are many holidays and official days like Mother's Day and of course Valentines Day. But what about the annual 420 Day on April 20th; Also known as Pot or Weed Day.
Here on the Sunshine Coast hundreds of people have attended a public celebration or thousands privately in their homes. In the city of Vancouver thousands celebrate right in the downtown core and attract a media frenzy!
First of all, here is some background on what 420 Day is from Wikipedia.
420, 4:20 or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) refers to consumption of cannabis and, by extension, a way to identify oneself with cannabis subculture. The date 4/20 is sometimes referred to as "Weed Day" or "Pot Day".[1]
The term was coined from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California, United States in 1971.[2][3] The teens would meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke marijuana outside the school.[4]
In America, aka the U.S., the government spends trillions and billions on War, including the War on Drugs, such as marijuana, and of course the War on Oil, but that's a whole new topic!
Apparently the experts say the biggest drug abuse problem in the United States is prescription drugs which are killing the nation, and soft drugs, even when combined with nasty hard drugs like cocaine or meth, pales in comparison and are merely a blip on the radar. The War on Drugs is a futile misdirected waste of money that could be going to better things like a War on Hunger or Homelessness.
This is a good time to insert: you get more of what you put your attention on, so a War on Anything, even bullying, just get's more of the same. Mother Tersa once turned down an invite to join a March Against War, saying if you they had a March for Peace she would be there! Ok, back to our regular topic of discussion.
One website, SAFER http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/24/53/ has a graph they say shows marijuana is way safer then alcohol, which is legal in some countries, like Canada and the US.
They expand on 11 points they argue including:
1. Marijuana is far less addictive than alcohol.
2. Deaths from the two substances. There are hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths each year, yet there has never been a marijuana overdose death in history. The consumption of alcohol is also the direct cause of tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year.
3. Alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs, and using just 10 times what one would use to get the desired effect can lead to death. Marijuana is one of – if not the – least toxic drugs, requiring thousands times the dose one would use to get the desired effect to lead to death. This “thousands times” is actually theoretical, since there has never been a recorded case of marijuana overdose.
4. Long-term marijuana use is far less harmful than long-term alcohol use.
5. The United Kingdom's Science and Technology Select Committee considers alcohol far more harmful than marijuana.
6. There has never been a documented case of lung cancer in a marijuana-only smoker, and recent studies find that marijuana use is not associated with any type of cancer. The same cannot be said for alcohol, which has been found to contribute to a variety of long-term negative health effects, including cancers and cirrhosis of the liver.
7. Studies find alcohol use contributes to the likelihood of domestic violence and sexual assault and marijuana use does not.
8. Studies find alcohol use contributes to aggressive behavior and acts of violence, whereas marijuana use reduces the likelihood of violent behavior.
9. Alcohol use is highly associated with violent crime, whereas marijuana use is not.
10. Alcohol use is a catalyst for domestic violence in Denver.
11. Alcohol use is prevalent in cases of sexual assault and date rape on college campuses. Marijuana use is not considered a contributing factor in cases of sexual assault and date rape, as judged by the lack of discussion of marijuana in sexual assault and date rape educational materials.
FACEBOOK BLOG So I blogged 420 on my facebook profile to see what people thought and got a great number of opinions and comments that varied from legalize it, that it should be regarded as medicine only, if it is legalized it will be legislated to death, it should be kept away from children, alcohol is way worse then pot, and the War on Drugs is a waste of money. Read for yourself below...
IT"S JUST A PLANT? Curious what everyone's opinion is on smoking marijuana and the War on Drugs? Tuesday April 20th is 420 day, and I have seen hundreds of people gather at 4:20pm on the Roberts Creek Pier on the Sunshine Coast BC Canada to spark up a fatty and joint in celebration.
19 "Likes" 22 Comments
Pam Copan So that's where its happening...
Duane Burnett hope that wasn't top secret. Its an annual location. I was flabbergasted how many were there when I went to cover it as a photo journalist. Most people were quite open too and not afraid of having their pics taken with spliffs the size of a banana! Very peaceful. Very chilled, kind group of easy going people was my experience. Always a few who ruin it but what can you do?
PinkSaphire BlackDiamond So, I guess that means you shouldn't happen to be out for a walk with your kids, your mother or your grandpa?
Greg Lightbourn 420's ok in some ways but I've been down to the Vancouver rally several times now for the photo op and found it somewhat disturbing to see the young age of some of the children down there fully participating in the smokathon- see the human beings album on my GSL Photography fb page. Would you let your eight to ten year olds participate? They seem to be drawn by the glorification of the weed and the organizers and vendors don't seem to have any problem promoting and selling to the very young.
Kim Kerr Fenton legalize it.
Julia Hill Ya Ya and I'll advertise it.
PinkSaphire BlackDiamond 8 - 10 y/o's Greg??
Janet Panic Pot is a medicine and should be used accordingly . It has now become narcotic in strength and purity . I have seen many many lives go nowhere and a three of my former wake and bake buddies have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Kids in general should not smoke...they should wait until their brains are formed.. or it can be the fiery fumes of failure....
Greg Lightbourn I agree with Janet; and yes there are many kids who attend and take part in the Vancouver rally- very young- something about that makes me very uncomfortable
Cassandra Langlois it should be legal... it causes way less probs than alcohol ,which our society encourages... However i have to agree that kids shouldn't be smoking(chronically anyway) until their brain is finished really forming.. and as a nurse... i have to say.. DON"T SMOKE.. All burning plant material inhaled, harms your lungs,,, consider vaporizing.... (Harm reduction)
Tawha Barboza It's just a herb.. let people decide if they want to use it.. freedom of choice.
Tawha Barboza yes, i agree, until maturity - kids stay out of it
Grant Olsen If it were legalized, like tobacco or alcohol, there would likely be age restrictions...while it is completely outlawed it is equally illegal for a 40 year old to puff one after a day's work as it is for a 10-year old between classes, as it is for an 80 year old with chronic pain. Laws can be written that supports one scenario but not another. Without such a legal framework it's pretty much the wild west out there as far as the status quo is concerned.
Cassandra Langlois Prohibition is foolish, costly, ineffective and actually incredibly counterproductive.. It has never worked with humans.. Ever! Why keep on doing what doesn't work?
Martin Nichols You can get an idea of what a fantastic drug it is by reading the array of intelligent and insightful comments posted on the 420 Wall.
James Shaw I agree with Grant and Cassandra. the "war on drugs" is a costly, futile expenditure. I think the Netherlands are far ahead of us in this aspect: they have a system of drug control wherein drugs are grouped into levels, and controlled according to those levels (for example, I think pot is level 1, making it virtually legal, and meth is like level 5... See More, very illegal). Besides decreasing gang activity, legalizing marijuana would allow it to be taxable, thus making the government money - everybody wins!!
Amerval Degodart Duplanty Ridiculous rules and laws - you can't govern every aspect of peoples lives - these laws are specifically a revenue source and mechanism of imposing fear and power/control over individual rights and freedoms. All our current laws are from Admiralty law. Starting with our birth (certificate) we are enslaved as a corporate entity to the corporate entity of our government and its collaborating corporations. Interestingly enough within this law is the mechanism of our freedom which some people have started to discover. I suggest you search Mary Croft on You Tube and see what she has to say about it ( at least one 6 part series) plus her book is also available in computer voice translation - a little difficult to listen to but well worth the struggle
Greg Lightbourn The marijuana growing and distribution industry (yes industry) is big business. Check out the doc Cannibiz on CBC Doc Zone. The "gangs", organized criminal element, growers, exporters and government- yes government- all profit from the illegality of pot. Some say that this industry injects more money into the BC economy than than any other natural resource here. The truth of that statement is difficult to verify but what it means is that the only ones who don't benefit from it's illegal status are the users, the small time distributors and the police. Many members of the police forces would rather not bust pot smokers and small time dealers because they don't see them as a harmful or dangerous element of society. We all know that more harm comes from the abuse of alcohol than pot. If pot was legalized, the bureaucratic cost would far exceed any financial gain the government could hope to procure. As it is, the government, while it doesn't get to tax the income of the growing and distribution element, it benefits greatly from the consumer taxes paid by this very high spending faction in our economy. Those who profit from illegal means must convert money into hard goods all of which are taxed. These facts and truths also have been part of our neighbor's economy to the south for a long time and will not change soon. While legalization makes perfect sense from a humanistic and compassionate point of view, it unfortunately doesn't make sense from an economic point of view and in this capitalistically structured society the bottom line still seems to determine what is and what will be.
Jennifer Rogers My opinion is that whatever you want to do as an adult on your leisure time is ok, but for a teenager marijuana use is NOT ok. David Suzuki did a very informative documentary on this subject. Marijuana is not like it use to be in the 60's - 80's. The THC in one joint now is so much more than before and does have multiple negative effects on a young person's brain. I do not agree with adults smoking pot in public around our young impressionable kids / teens. There are however good effects of marijuana for some adults, which I am totally ok with.
'Linda' Diane Taylor ...as far as the whole pot issue.. This is what i feel.. Medicinal Marijuana has its place and saw how it assisted my own father during his long term illness and that was way back in 1980.
Long term use has it's drawbacks and that too I have witnessed.. forgetfullness to outright paranoia.
From an energetic point of view, it can muck up your etheric and give one a false beliefs that all is so wonderful. There are a couple of areas in California that I lived for several months. In one of the areas everyone is smoking and everyone is very happy and responsible. In the other everyone is smoking and there is a lot of insanity and lack of responsibility. So for me the jury is still out.
Personally I avoid it like the plague. And no I don't want a day ..
Heather Pearce Lyons i quit smokin 39 years ago, but i still realize it should be legal....ah duh...who doesn't
Allen Snowdon Sure, and once your kids get used to losing reality with pot they can move on to cocaine, meth, heroine. Mind you the population could use a bit of thinning...
Marc Desaulniers People like to sell drugs to kids because they know for sure they are not cops, a regulated establishment is needed in my opinion.
llen Snowdon And by the way, for all intents and purposes it is sort of legal, unless someone out there can quote me some latest statistics on Possession (other than for the purpose of trafficking). I doubt there have been many charges recently, let alone convictions. So what is your point, anyway. Running for politics, perchance?
Tasha Djuretic yes it should be legal. i think they should be more concerned about the iv drug users instead if giving them safe injections sites paid with our taxes and they arrest someone for wee. total b.s.
Monique Turgeon My vote is "No". Enough spaced out people in the world already. about an hour ago ·
GREAT COMMENTS! Lots of awesome comments as you can see!
Thanks Everyone for their feedback. I think it is through open discussion that we grow as a community. I am thrilled that my little piece of the world can help with dialogue and better understanding of this important issue.
I have been running a couple of contests with Darkhorse Athletics and Boarwalk Men's Wear and gave away a total of $500. today in clothing! I want to thank the local Sunshine Coast businesses who generously provided the prizes for my facebook friends, everyone who participated, posted the contests to their profiles, and of course the winners too!
The contests are not only fun for my facebook friends and kewl prizes but they also help out local businesses by creating a social network buzz and increasing their facebook fan page base.
I have just recently started Duane's Mother of A Contest to give away 15 prizes from local businesses ranging from massages to prime rib dinners on May 9th!
Please contact me if you have a prize contest idea!
Christina Foster, Manager of Darkhorse Athletics said "Thank you Duane for making our contest and everyone's contest a huge success! We really appreciate all your hard work. and Congrats to all the winners! hugs :)"
Jill-Marie Wilson, one of our big winners said "Wowwza! That is so exciting! Thanks so much for making things a little brighter one day at atime Duane, you rock! And thanks also to your wondeful sponsors, they are great! This is sooo cool! It will be a fabulous Father's Day giftie!"
Penny Berdahl said "Thank you ! Thank you Duane ..Thats awesome!!! My son is going to love this :) Big Hugssssssss... I bet your Momma is very proud of the wonderful Son she has 2 in you Duane....I'm very lucky to have such a wonderful Son ... I Have been blessed :) Big Hugsssss my friend :) & God Bless!
AND THE WINNERS ARE:
WIN $200 from Darkhorse Athletics "fight" wear in Gibsons!
We had a draw every Friday with escalating amounts plus if you posted the contest to your profile you could win an extra $50 prize.
$25 <>> Fri, April 9th $50 <>> Fri, April 16th $75 <>> Fri, April 23rd, 2010
WINNERS! Congrats Brynn Moss wins a $75 gift card and Ecko Aleck wins the bonus $50 prize for posting contest to her profile. Previous Winners were Allyscia Reimer $50. & Marcy Solis de Ovando $25. THANK YOU everyone and best wishes from Darkhorse Athletics in Molly's Lane and Duane Burnett.
DARKHORSE ATHLETICS is the #1 place to shop for fight apparel.
Darkhorse has the Biggest selection on the Sunshine Coast! Silver Star, TapouT, Hostility, Cage Fighter, Kill-It, Jaco, Dethrone, Punishment, Tokyo Five, Warrior, UFC. Mens and Womens shirts, hoodies, shorts and more.
WIN $300 at Boardwalk Men's Wear in Sechelt. Boardwalk and Duane Burnett gave away a $200. gift card PLUS 2 additional random $50 gift cards just for posting the contest to their facebook profiles.
CONGRATS! $200 Winner is Jill-Marie Wilson; $50 Winner is Jeremy Gray & Penny Berdahl. Thank you everone on behalf of the fabulous BOARDWALK clothing store in Trail Bay Mall and Duane Burnett.
Thank you so much to Darkhorse Athletics and Boardwalk for adding some fun to facebook for all of us and congrats to all our amazing winners! Thank you everyone who participated.
Congrats to all our winners. Hope everyone enjoyed the contests and had fun. We have some amazing local businesses who made this possible, and helped make facebook a little bit more fun for all of us!
Best Wishes. Support your local businesses and shop local.
Seems bullying and depression are 2 common factors throughout my life. So I went crazy promoting Pink Shirt Anti-bullying Day on the Sunshine Coast this year. One young man sent me a note not to "harass" him about pink shirt day next year!
Maybe I got a little to exuberant? We did have almost 600 people join the event page I created on facebook though and the local newspapers and businesses picked up on press releases I sent expressing the important of promoting tolerance and kindness. Just the other night a couple of drunk teen boys chatted with me on facebook using some pretty cruel and threatening comments.
When I saw the post and video about Bullycide it struck a nerve so I shared it with my facebook friends. I am still struggling with years of an emotional abusive bullying relationship, and worse, how many people still stand by the bully!
Secretly I have been feeling that at least one of them will have an EXCLUSIVE headline that their actions killed Duane.
Here is the text, comments and posts from the facebook conversation:
Duane Burnett Suicide by bullying. Pink Shirt Day Anti-Bullying Sunshine Coast, BC I know these kids pain. I have lost decades of my life from severe depression caused by bullying in school, from my former employer, the work place, society and here on facebook too. "Studies show that youth who are bullied are five times more likely to be depressed and to report suicidal thoughts. LGBT children and those who are perceived to be gay, lesbian or challenge traditional gender roles are among those most likely to be targeted by bullies. In this look at the most tragic outcome for kids tormented by kids, we meet heartbroken families fighting for federal legislation to protect their children."
Kristina Civitarese i don't even understand bullying - who are these kids' parents? what are we teaching our kids? how sad!!
Duane Burnett If you watch MuchMusic for example, they have entire shows based solely on trashing people. A fine example of gladiator entertainment 4 the kids.
Christina Foster That is one of the reasons why I dont watch tv anymore! Its complete trash!!
Joy Thomson Don't watch shows like Springer or Maury and a host of other ones like them 'cause they are toxic.
Ian MacLeod bullies and abusers - both usually have had it done to them - bravo to those that 'break the chain'.
Melanie Rose you are awsome Duane...I love how you have turned your past into the present...in a good way! Using your voice helps everyone! xo
Julia Hill Huge percentage of abusers are people in our communities in positions of authority and trust which makes the victim more vulnerable and un-believed. These bullies are actually showing future perpetrators the "how-to's" of bullying. A terrible vicious circle.
Cheryl McNevin Baron Now who would want to bully you? Lucky for them I wasn't around....
Darlene L Nelson well I was bully by kids in school and I know what it feel like to be bully kids in Schools I think it should be stop mean kids to bully more kids in School and it is not right for bully kids in School at all
PinkSaphire BlackDiamond I was bullied in school... :/
Terri Bissett-Page here here baby...
Heather Doré It often starts in the schoolyard, then once your self-confidence is totally stripped, it enters your relationships, then as an adult, you find it, once again in the workplace ...only the victims understand how devastating bullying truly is to all aspects of your life. It makes me sick thinking about the lack of parenting and discipline - what kind... See More of parents could possibly breed such hatred ? You can forgive, but you never forget the taunting words, the insults, the physical abuse ... and you feel as though you may never look in the mirror in your whole life and like what you see. People may compliment you, but you can't believe them - it's very sad.
Duane Burnett thanks for everyone's comments. just the other night a few drunk teen boys took some cruel verbal swipes at me on fb. The years of bullying and emotional abuse just seems to make me more compassionate, more forgiving, giving, caring, and understanding of people and to see through to their hearts and past their ego's. But I can't lie that my days ... See Moreare often filled with depression that I try to fill with the light of the universe and balance through helping the community and being of service and purpose. Wishing all of you Love, Peace, Joy and Abundance in every moment of your being.
PinkSaphire BlackDiamond Duane, you're both sweet and strong for sharing your own personal experiences. ♥
Marcy Solis de Ovando True that! Bullying is a curse handed down by broken people to breaking people. I suffered much bullying at the hands of my brother and cousin in a Latin country where boys could do no wrong, till this day there's been no apology or even acknowledgment of any of it... It was terrible and took a lot of work on my behalf to get over it and learn from... See More it but that process has made me all the things you mention above Duane and much more. I don't wish it on anyone but in the end it's sad but true to say that in my case it turned out to be a gift in knowledge and strength.
Carole Sauve Wow! All this info is quite impressive to me. I used to be bullied in elementary school (Gr. 1 to be in fact) by my husband's cousin. Nowadays, it's way worse than in those days. I've had one of my kids being bulllied throughout school both elementary and secondary. My child used to be bullied by people who were being bullied. In August, ... See More1999, he attended this retreat on Gambier Island that helped him a lot. He would tell me that the kids weren't bulllying him anymore, they were just bugging him. After they were gone to university and away from home, I started studying why young people act the way they act and it gave me a lot of self-confidence and self-esteem. What we need to do is to build up self-esteem in the victims of bullying so it could hopefully stop the bullying. Would be great if we could start a pilot project that would help those young people since the parents don't know what to do to help them. There is so much information in this world that can really help them, but most people are unaware. I love this kind of stuff. How would you feel if we can save those youngsters? Are they worth our attention? Frankly, they are the people of tomorrow who will be taking care of us when we're seniors. Let me know what you think. Take care, love you's all. ♥
Allen Snowdon The sad truth is that "bullies" are themselves driven by fear.
Marcy Solis de Ovando Education is the answer for sure.
Marianthi Cassidy Education must sometimes be in the form of TOUGH punishment. Those that drive others to despair should be made accountable for it and the message of never-do-it-again has to be driven deep.
Rob Thomson More than just education is needed. The message is only as effective as is the reception.We need a societal overhaul to eliminate gender prejudice in any form.
Marcy Solis de Ovando Practiced education.
Sandy Sjollema very important issues raised here....people who are mean and degrading are seen as "cool" somehow in the popular culture....bullies have a way of persuading others to side with them... and other people who witness bullying don't interfere because they want to protect themselves....
Rob Thomson Duane - exuberance is you. Keep it so my friend.
Tom Talarico a good read! thanks for sharing!
Jill-Marie Wilson If everyone stayed silent then how would anything change? We have a problem right here in regards to this very issue, many of the kids you support have suffered at the hands of others... staying silent is only a way for people to turn their backs and pretend it isn't happening. SPEAK OUT AND SPEAK UP, don't ever let anyone make you feel like you shouldn't stand up for what is right Duane. You are an angel... keep your wings spread!
Terra Daniels My daughter is bullied everyday and it breaks my heart. We have been left feeling like we don't have support in the schools even though we have had countless meetings with them. What can we do? It is a major issue here on the coast, seemingly more so than anywhere else we have lived. It's so frustrating to feel like we do.
Jill-Marie Wilson People have no idea how true this is and how close to home it happens...
Christine Moore At least he is now aware of pink shirt day!I think you do a great job!!!Thanks!
Jill-Marie Wilson I am with you all the way Terra... been there and I agree, there is no support, even with all of the so-called 'no bulling' policies they say they have in place. It is all crap and they turn a blind eye for some stupid reason. I feel like I am supposed to start some sort of coalition of some kind...
Alicia Chandler What a great idea! Bullying hurts so many people, it really frustrates me when parents encourage their kids to bully others!
Feral Sage People are bullied for so many different reasons. Any difference can make you a target. I was bullied in school, oddly because I had different idea about how the world should be. Because I started reading when I was three years old and was reading books with "big ideas" at a very early age, I perceived the world differently than most other people ... See Morein school, and even than my teachers. (I had a bigger vocabulary than most of them, and loved the power of words to convey complex and nuanced ideas.) In grade eight, a girl started bullying me. It started with "little" things, like throwing my gym clothes out the window. It hurt a lot to be targeted, but I couldn't change who I was. I didn't hate her, and couldn't understand why she hated me
The following year I went to another school in my city, and had a pretty good year. Then, when I was 14, I went to a private school in a neighbouring city. Later in the year, that same girl was sent there because of what school administrators termed "adjustment problems." Because she needed help with reading, my teacher asked me to help her to catch up. I thought it might be a chance to make things right with her; but she resented me, and one day she and her gang (four girls and a boy) dragged me out of a store and beat me severely. She told me that if I told anyone, I would get an even worse beating.
My parents wanted to phone the police. I begged them not to. Instead I spoke to the boyfriend of a girl I had known in the previous school. He was already considered a "delinquent" (and is now serving a life sentence, with no possibility of parole until 2017, because of the infamous "three strikes" law in the States); but he liked me and had considerable influence among the crowd that the bully belonged to. He put out the word that anyone who bothered me would have to answer to him.
It worked, but school had become such an unpleasant thing for me that I ended up quitting school before graduation. I got married at 17 and had my first child seven months later. :-) I got my GED (without studying) and wished I could have taken the test when I was 14. It was only when I went to university (when I was 30) that I felt comfortable in an educational environment.
I think that school environments can be good for children who fit within the norms and expectations of those who set educational policy and the teachers who implement them. But they can be emotionally devastating for the "outliers," those who are different in certain ways ("too small," "too big," "too smart," "not smart enough," "shy or just perceiving the world differently). For some, home-schooling can be the answer. For others, perhaps an alternative school can provide a more supportive environment.
Ultimately, though, I think the solution lies in teaching children from the very start to respect everyone and to appreciate our differences. This will not happen in the context of "dog-eat-dog" competitiveness. No child should feel the need to prove himself or herself better or more powerful than others; but in today's world "excelling" is the underlying theme. If you're not the "best," you'll end up with a crappy, poorly-paid job and be disrespected. If you don't suck up to those with power, and look down of those "beneath" you in the hierarchy, you'll be pushed to the outside (and end up with a crappy, poorly-paid job and be disrespected). We need to get our priorities straight and work together to make the kind of world we want to live in.
THANK YOU EVERYONE! Duane Burnett Much appreciate everyone for participating in this discussion. I struggled hard with the message of Pink Shirt Day, in particular the "anti-bullying" part. I think its far better to be for something then against it. That is the best way for us to learn and society to grow.
.JPG)
