Category Archives: bad news

Mark Glaser obituary

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My friend Mark Glaser’s funeral will be held Friday 2pm.

Calgary Herald:

GLASER, Mark 1956 – 2011 Mark Anthony Warren Glaser, born July 13, 1956 to Jack and Beppie Glaser, passed away on Saturday, January 15, 2011.

Mark is survived by his wife of twenty-eight years Mary-Jane, his son Cody, his daughter Brooklyn, his stepdaughter Trisha, his father Jack and his brothers Ed and Carl.

Mark had many interests and excelled at everything he did, including his career. Mark began working in the Oil & Gas Industry twenty-five years ago on the rigs. He obtained his degree in Petroleum Engineering from the U of A and advanced his career in the industry through a number of positions, including V.P. and C.O.O. of Enco Gas Ltd. and most recently in management at Murphy Oil Co.

Mark loved God, his wife, his kids, his family and his friends. He loved exploring and adventuring in the Rocky Mountains and expressed his love of nature through his incredible water colour paintings and photography.

Mark’s brother Rob shared his love of life and was his companion in many outdoor adventures. They were two of four extraordinary brothers, whose passion and respect for nature was instilled by their proud father Jack. Mark truly did live by the words of his favourite song “”Live Like You Were Dying”" and appreciated all of the adventures life had to offer. Among hiking and skiing at every chance, he recently picked up fly-fishing and kite skiing. Mark loved his annual “”guy”" trips which included hiking, skiing and horseback riding.

Mark made it his priority to protect and provide for his family and was a compassionate teacher and counsellor to his children. He was a proud father, and a loving and supportive husband. He and Mary-Jane looked forward to growing old together in Canmore. Anyone that knew Mark, knew that he was a strong and caring man of integrity, selflessness, generosity and humility. Mark would help anyone…anytime.

Mark Glaser has touched so many lives and will be indescribably missed by the many who love him dearly. A Celebration of Mark’s Life will be held at The Bow Valley Christian Church (5300 – 53 Avenue N.W.) on Friday, January 21, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Calgary Dream Centre (Telephone 403-243-5598). In living memory of Mark Glaser, a tree will be planted at Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, Cochrane, AB by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Park Memorial Chapel, 5008 ELBOW DRIVE S.W. Telephone: 403-243-8200.

Calgary Herald

His brother’s funeral will be the following day at 1:30pm.

The two were killed doing what they loved, adventuring in the outdoors.

rest in peace Mark and Rob

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Terrible terrible news. I’m still bewildered, angry and in denial.

Lifelong friends, Rob and Mark Glaser, were killed in an avalanche on Saturday, January 15, 2011 in the area of Burstall Pass, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta.

Here’s the official notice:

The families of Mark and Rob Glaser are in deep shock at the news of their tragic passing. Both were loving husbands and fathers and will be greatly missed by their families and legions of friends. Both were seasoned back country hikers and skiers who shared a deep passion for the outdoors.

Mark lived in Calgary and was in the oil and gas industry for over 25 years including senior management positions in recent years. Rob lived in Bragg Creek and was a captain in the Calgary Fire Department.

The family respectfully requests privacy at this time. Please direct all media contacts through Ed Glaser (brother) at 403-470-3904.

Phone Ed or contact me. I’ll post updates here.

Mark Glaser

On this trip a few years ago Mark and Rob trained me in snow rescue techniques.

Saskatchewan Glacier

Over 30 years (1978–2007), avalanches have been responsible for 329 deaths in Canada, with a recent rate of 14 deaths per year. …

Avalanche accounts for over 90% of outdoor recreation deaths, most of those in Alberta or B.C.

Damn.

Stop The Meter On Your Internet Use

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… this post for Canadians who want good internet service at a fair market price …

Atop my least trusted and most hated corporations list are the Telecos.

(There’s a special circle of Hell reserved for TELUS employees.)

An enemy of my enemy is my friend … these guys:
Stop The Meter On Your Internet Use

I like their strident hyperbole:

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are about to impose usage-based billing on YOU.

This means we’re looking at a future where ISPs will charge per byte, the way they do with smart phones. If we allow this to happen Canadians will have no choice but to pay MUCH more for less Internet. Big Telecom companies are obviously trying to gouge consumers, control the Internet market, and ensure that consumers continue to subscribe to their television services.

These Big Telecom companies are forcing small ISP competitors to adopt the same pricing scheme. So we have no choice but to pay these punitive fees.

This will crush innovative services, Canada’s digital competitiveness, and your wallet.

This will bring you up to speed.

Click PLAY or watch a CBC news summary on YouTube.

PROPOSED Great Bear Rainforest PIPELINE

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I’m all for developing the Oil Sands. But it sounds like this is not the best way to sell it to China.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… International League of Conservation photographers in the Great Bear Rainforest.

… now threatened by a proposal from Enbridge to bring an oil pipeline from the Tar Sands and supertankers to BC’s wild coast. …

related – The Adventure Blog – Update On Great Bear Rainforest Expedition

DOH – car breakdown in Montana

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My car is fixed, for now. About $500 total. The guys finished the repair just before closing.

____ original post:

I was half hoping my old Honda would break down in Vegas. … Have it towed to the auto wrecker. Fly home to Calgary. Simple.

For my $1600 initial cost, I didn’t expect it to last forever.

Worst case scenario → break down in the middle of nowhere.

Honda breakdown - not funny

From Livingston, I still need to get home to Calgary. How do I do that without the Honda?

I gambled. About $500 (so far) to replace the fuel pump and filter, same day.

Livingston, I presume.

death at Idaho Triathlon

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I was a last minute volunteer at the Hayden View Triathlon. We arrived before dawn.

Adlard's 2010 - Triathlon at dawn

Jeni and I manned a “rescue kayak”.

One of the last swimmers to finish the half mile lake course looked to all the rescue boats to be disoriented. He waved off help, then tried to swim directly into another of the kayaks offering to assist.

60-year-old Leslie Chariton died in front of our eyes, it seems. He had a history of heart attacks. This was to be his last.

I was impressed with the medical. If I’m ever to have a heart attack, I hope it’s at the transition in a Triathlon. A dozen first responders were there instantly, including Jeni. The ambulance was standing by.

Adlard's 2010 - Triathlon

Jeni and I had talked about the surprisingly high number of Triathlon deaths in advance of the race. Read a NY Times article on the topic from 2008 – Deaths Draw Attention to Triathlon Swim

Rest in peace Leslie Chariton.

Man suffers heart attack during Hayden Triathlon

will humans go extinct?

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Eventually, certainly.

But will we go extinct in the next 100yrs?

Professor Frank Fenner thinks we will:

… in an interview with The Australian, the well-respected microbiologist expressed his pessimism for our future. “We’re going to become extinct,” he said. “Whatever we do now is too late.” …

I’m inclined to disagree. Even after reading The Road, a horror story of post-apocalyptic nuclear winter.

In the same article (forwarded me by Dave Adlard) …

In a paper published in the journal Futures last year, researchers approached the question: “Human Extinction: How Could It Happen?”

… “The human race is unlikely to become extinct without a combination of difficult, severe and catastrophic events,” Tobin Lopes, of the University of Colorado at Denver, said in an interview with Discovery News. He added that his team “were very surprised about how difficult it was to come up with plausible scenarios in which the entire human race would become extinct.” …

details on MSNBC – Will humans go extinct within 100 years?

The world might look like this “soon”. …

But some humans will survive.