Hands down, Bishop’s is my favourite restaurant. Consummate hospitality, understated elegance, sterling service, and not least, an ongoing devotion to local, organic, sustainable foods.

In April, Douglas & McIntyre will be publishing John Bishop’s and Dennis Green’s new cookbook, entitled “Fresh: Seasonal Recipes Made with Local Foods.”

Described as a veritable cook’s tour of the very best seasonal cooking inspired by fresh ingredients from local farms, forests, and oceans, Fresh brings together over 100 recipes, 75 colour photos, and stories behind some of the ingredients.

This segment of Deborah Koons Garcia’s film focuses on Canadian farmer, Percy Schmeiser’s, patent infringement woes with Monsanto corporation, but also touches on other farmers’ experiences.

Theoretically, farmers are independent business people. For centuries, farmers like Percy Schmeiser have developed and saved their own seeds. Now, transnational agribusiness companies seem hellbent to create a feudalistic system in which they control the seeds and farmers are actively discouraged from their attempts to maintain their independence from companies like Monsanto, Dow, and DuPont.

Some say that Deborah Koons Garcia and Lily Films’ documentary, The Future of Food, is preaching to the choir. It’s clear there is nothing in this film in favour of genetically-modified foods.

The Future of Food is an overview of biotechnology and agribusiness that raises the questions we need to ask about cultivating and eating the GM foods, including corn, canola, and soy, that have surreptitiously slipped into our food supply. It also examines the complex interweaving of market and political forces as multinational corporations seek increasing control over the world food system.

This 88-minute film has been in limited distribution since 2004. Recently it was posted on YouTube, broken down into seven parts. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the first part:

Charmingly predictable boy-meets-girl tale that never gets too deep, though it appears, occasionally, to want to. Very good ensemble cast, including lovely leading lady, Jessica Biel, plus Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, and a suitably over-the-top Rufus Sewell. Philip Glass’ score and Dick Pope’s cinematography are both notable. Worth renting if you are looking for an evening of light entertainment.

And girls just want to beat the crap out of them?

Vancouver chef, Mark Hillson, has founded a new company, that aims to sell pack-and-go, stress-free fishing, poker, and beer-guzzling getaways to guys. Although his site, www.mancations.ca hasn’t gotten around to posting any vacation packages yet, Hillson is feeling positive about his new venture.

Best of luck, Mark. PS, great theme music!

Meanwhile in Vancouver, the New Bionic Woman pilot has announced its casting call in Vancouver.

Ian Garshore, president of the non-profit Energy Solutions for Vancouver Island, says that B.C. is in the enviable position of having as much potential power in the tides running between Vancouver Island and the mainland as we generate from all the hydro-electric dams.

Source: Black Newspaper Group.

From the press release:

Computer donations and recycling. ERA announces grand opening of its first of a kind in British Columbia, Computer and Electronics Depot, located downtown Vancouver. The Electronic Recycling Association of Alberta and British Columbia, is proud to bring the system currently in place in Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto to British Columbia’s Vancouver. This new depot will enable residents and businesses to donate their old laptops, computers, and servers, and at the same time, recycle any unusable equipment.

Companies and individuals from Vancouver and area can already contact ERA to donate, remarket or recycle your surplus, excess, or obsolete computer equipment at www.era.ca or toll free at 1-877-9-ewaste or locally at 604-215-4483.

more from my Outlook inbox:

SEE BEYOND
Women engaged in the Arts, Vision & Empowerment (WEAVE) and Business Objects
presents a gallery exhibition of Downtown Eastside artists.

Join us in celebration of the accomplishments of artists whose creativity
and talent transcend their struggles with poverty, violence and addiction.
This exhibit will expand your definition of community, hope and the human
spirit.

Thursday, February 22, 5-8pm

Business Objects building

211 Nelson St. (Corner of Cambie St.), Vancouver

Free admission & refreshments

There will be appetizers, music and a special elder ceremony to open the
event. Come support local artists and your community!

More information at

604.681.8480 x 226

www.weavearts.org

in my Outlook inbox today:
Come to the EcoDensity Fair on March 3 and 4!

How would you make Vancouver more green, livable and affordable? The EcoDensity process is underway and looking for ideas to make it happen.

EcoDensity is about facing the challenge of growth and change in Vancouver in a way that reduces our impact on the environment – while fostering livability and promoting greater affordability.

Bring your ideas about density, livability and affordability in Vancouver to the EcoDensity Fair on March 3 and 4th, 10:00 - 4:00 at Riley Park Community Centre. For more information visit the EcoDensity website at: www.vancouver.ca/ecodensity

Hear one of the world’s leading housing innovators, Avi Freedman, March 3, 7:00 p.m., at Library Square as part of the Speaker Series. Free. Registration required. 604-873-7707 or ecodensity@vancouver.ca.

Visit the EcoDensity website to learn more about the Initiative, to submit your ideas, and to get involved in the process.

By now you’ve probably heard that Justin Trudeau will be running in  seeking the Liberal nomination to run in the next federal election in the Bloc-held Montreal riding of Papineau. Young Mr. Trudeau is a man of many talents, having been a teacher, outdoorsman, engineering student, and now grad student in Environmental Geography. Plus he manages to fit in a career as a speaker. Most recently he addressed the Chamber of Commerce in London, Ontario about the need to reform capitalism. His fee: $10,000. His insights: priceless.