Each week, BIV staff will share with you some of the interesting stories we have found from around the web.
Mark Falkenberg, deputy managing editor:
Science writer Kristina Jenel says the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in B.C. in recent weeks comes down to one factor: “The B.C. government approach of encouraging changes in individual behaviour with non-enforceable ‘recommendations’ is clearly not working.” To change that, Jenel, says, B.C. would have to get a lot tougher on travel, by imposing surcharges and other measures to limit visits to B.C. by residents of other provinces, and banning out-of-town bookings by B.C. residents. – The Tyee
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/04/12/BC-Tougher-Stopping-Travel/
Canadian post-secondary students are increasingly suffering from stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation as the pandemic lingers on. Simon Fraser University graduate student Kaelynn Shinkaruk offers a way to fight the problem with a strategy of mental-health literacy. – Georgia Straight
https://www.straight.com/news/covid-19-mental-health-crisis-impacting-postsecondary-students
Glen Korstrom, reporter:
It’s a fascinating thought that the secret to being productive is finding time to do nothing.
Go for a walk. Do dishes. Take a long shower. Daydream while listening to experimental jazz.
All help the brain recharge so you can better focus when required.
Here’s a good reminder. – Wall Street Journal
While thinking about finding time to do nothing, how about taking a vacation?
Some employees have hesitated to take vacations during the pandemic either because they can’t travel, or because they fear for job security, say some executives.
HR execs want employees to take allotted vacation time because that time is a liability on corporate books if it is not taken.
Google now offers an extra day off for employees who take vacation time.
PWC is doing one better: offering US250 for every full week of vacation taken, up to $1,000 per year.
With beautiful spring weather upon us, it might be a good time to take a vacation even if your employer doesn’t provide extra perks. – Wall Street Journal
It’s nearing a year since Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho died, at the age of 98.
I thought about him while on a walk, passing the iconic Stanley Lodge condominium he developed at the corner of West Georgia and Chilco Streets, by Lost Lagoon, on the site of the former Stuart Building.
The site’s name is a curious double entendre in that it is by Stanley Park while also having been developed by Stanley Ho.
Here’s a blog post on the old Stuart Building. – Eve Lazarus blog
And an obit of Stanley Ho from May 2020. – New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/business/stanley-ho-dead.html?searchResultPosition=2
Timothy Renshaw, managing editor:
Why you need to start worrying about the rapid rise in space junk – Scientific America
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/space-junk-removal-is-not-going-smoothly/
What's the wait time for a BCAA repair call on Mars? NASA and its Mars lander need to know. – Science Alert
A potential wind turbine technology breakthrough that could provide an efficient beer-barrel-sized renewable energy source in sun-starved regions and other locations with limited green energy alternatives. – Euronews
