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 PHOTO ESSAY  BORDER LINES MINI-SITE
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 THE [QUEBEC] PONTIAC'S
REALITY OPTIONS?Posted 05.24.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We do have a sovereigntist government at the helm in Quebec City. | Pontiac being one big chrome-plated municipality or eighteen | independent fiefdoms won't mean much to us if we are thrown into | another independence referendum. Kiss investment | goodbye. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
OH, THOSE OKLAHOMA
SENATORSPosted 05.23.13 FRANK BERNHEISEL The people of Oklahoma are known for being very conservative and adverse to big government and government spending. Nonetheless, in 2010 the federal government spent $38.5 billion in Oklahoma or $10,256 for each resident in the state (U.S. Census Bureau). Frank Bernheisel's column archives: Click Here IT'S A MOM'S MOM'S MOM'S
WORLDPosted 05.11.13 ROSS MURRAY And so it came to pass that the mothers of the world, fed up with the strife, the misery, the dirty dishes left in the sink, rose up as one and said, "We got this." Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca Ross Murray's column archives: Click Here GENEALOGY: YOUR ANCESTRY Posted 05.08.13 DAVE LEPITRE Dave's latest Your Ancestry column and history photographs are posted regularly on the LCC. BOSTON MARATHON: A RUNNER REPORTS HER EXPERIENCE Posted 04.17.13 DR. ALISON SEELY BEACHBURG, ONTARIO | Dr. Alison Seely, a veterinarian from Beachburg, Ontario, had a close encounter with the terror explosion -- the bombs went off 50 meters behind her not long after she had crossed the finish line. Her husband, Dr. Kevin Mahoney, a chiropractor, was in Boston with her, although not at the finish line. [Full disclosure: Kevin is my son, Ali my daughter-in-law.) JOHNNY MUSN'T GRUMBLE Posted 03.08.13 JOHN MAHONEY 1/3rd of Americans want to feed the poor A GOOD DAY FOR PENGUINS IN NEWPORT, VERMONT Posted 02.11.13 GORDON ALEXANDER NEWPORT, VERMONT | Some 150 adrenalin-pumped bathers of all ages and sizes dashed on February 9 into the frigid waters of Lake Memphremagog at the Gateway pier here through a hole in the ice provided with the City Fire Department. On the sidelines, dozens of spectators struggled against the bone-chilling 12 degree winds blowing off the ice-covered lake. POEM: THE MOTHER WAS OLD Posted 01.28.13 ROBERT SEARLES the mother was old and dying... Robert Searles runs and writes in Hyde Park, Vermont HOW DOING/EATING THE "RIGHT THING" CAN COME BACK AND BITE YOU IN THE ASS Posted 01.21.13 JOHN MAHONEY COBDEN, ONTARIO | We added quinoa -- a cereal-like grain -- to our food staples this past year because white rice is a no-no for a diabetic like me, and I have to limit my intake of potatoes to keep my sugar numbers down. HOW A LOWLY PAPER CLIP REPAIRED MY SPACESHIP Posted 01.14.13 JOHN MAHONEY COBDEN, ONTARIO | Okay, so it wasn't a space ship -- it was my high-tech Keurig Coffee Brewer. But, I did use a paper clip to fix it which saved my so-called life, so I reckon I won. Or at least didn't go completely stark-raving batshit from lack of morning joe. John Mahoney's column archives: Click Here DON'T DO AS I SAY, EH? Posted 01.12.13 JOHN MAHONEY COBDEN, ONTARIO | Let me be clear: I do not urge you to do as I have done and continue to do: Lose weight, and stabilize it for height, frame, and age; Lower blood pressure and maintain a "normal" range; exercise regularly; meditate or practice any "mindfulness" techniques. John Mahoney's column archives: Click Here EAT SHIT AND DIE, FAT BOY Posted 12.31.12 JOHN MAHONEY COBDEN, ONTARIO | This thought was ricocheting inside my head as the doctor said she was putting me on daily Ramapril for high blood pressure and Metformin twice a day for Type 2 Diabetes. Ye shall reap what ye have sown -- no one's fault but my own: More than 50 lbs. overweight; a serious salt junkie; an immoderate lover of Irish whiskey, ice-cold vodka, red wine; an indulger of available pies and cakes, ice cream topped with maple syrup, prone to keep a not-small dish of licorice candy at hand. John Mahoney's column archives: Click Here THE SILENT LIEUTENANT (2700 words) Posted 12.13.12 ELISHA PORAT As the Yom Kippur war entered its third week, our platoon deployed along the old border through which the Syrian divisions had burst in their surprise attack. Our mission was to block the Syrian armored groups that, despite losing their tanks, were continuing their attempts to slip into Syrian-controlled territory. We set out towards evening. It was already late October and shadows were falling early. The days were warm and clear, the winds dry and the nights chilly. The fleeing Syrians were making their way all across the sector held by our battalion. Elisha Porat writes in Israel. E-MAILED OPINION: BUY GOLD,BUY SILVER Posted 12.07.12 A-holes like multi-millionaire Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein -- whose bank took billions in government bailout money and who thinks the people of the United States are 'expecting too much' from the government and our 'entitlements must be contained' -- are going to destroy the economy just to make the current quarter's bonus. They tell us that we must make sacrifices through various 'austerity measures' like reduced social security payments. YOU HAVE DIABETES Posted 12.03.12 JOHN MAHONEY COBDEN, ONTARIO | The doctor was blunt: "You have diabetes." She didn't stop there. John Mahoney's column archives: Click Here "THE DOCTOR WANTS TO SEE YOU..." Posted 11.18.12 JOHN MAHONEY COBDEN, ONTARIO | This morning I weighed in at .5 lbs. -- a tad under what I weighed in December, 1953, when I completed Basic Infantry Combat Training at age 18 with Easy Company, th Infantry Regiment, in Fort Ord, California. That's 55 lbs. less than I weighed at this time last year, and 40 lbs. less than seven months ago -- when I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. John Mahoney's column archives: Click Here ITALY: THE GRAND TOUR PART THREE Posted 11.14.12 FRANK BERNHEISEL The Adventure Concludes | Our second night in the Lake area was dark and stormy night, and it rained the next morning for the boat ride to the ) palace on Isola Bella Charles III of Spain built in the 17th century. The palace was amazing and proves the nothing exceeds like excess. ITALY: THE GRAND TOUR -- PART TWO Posted 11.10.12 FRANK BERNHEISEL The Adventure Continues | Again, up early and bussed down the hill to the dock at St. Agnello to catch the ferry to Capri. The bus was left behind so we toured Isola de Capri by small boat and walked around the town of Capri. The town is up on the big rock reached by the funicular -- a balanced two-car cable system; as one goes up, the other goes down. ITALY: THE GRAND TOUR -- PART ONE Posted 11.09.12 FRANK BERNHEISEL The Adventure Begins | We flew from Washington to Rome, with a brief stopover at London/Heathrow to change airplanes. Our Grand Tour was executed by Trafalgar and offered fourteen optional excursions -- at extra cost, of course. We opted for all. POEM: GLOBAL WARMING Posted 07.23.12 ROBERT SEARLES December 14th, 35 degrees and climbing to high 40s, they say Robert Searles runs and writes in Hyde Park, Vermont POEM: WHO IS THIS COMING DOWN THE HALL Posted 06.26.12 ROBERT SEARLES It's your walk, hand on the pole... Robert Searles runs and writes in Hyde Park, Vermont LCC's 'BABY LAKE MONSTER CAPTURED' ON YOU TUBE If you haven't yet viewed it yet, you can join the throng of folks who have. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNFMHKIT0-s Seeing is believing, eh? Or not. ROCKS Posted 04.10.12 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM Although Air Canada attached "Heavy Baggage" tags to our luggage when we returned from three weeks in the west, the cab driver groaned as he lifted our suitcases into his trunk. "What've you got in here, lady," he asked, "rocks?" Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. THE CRAFT OF COLLABORATION Posted 03.15.12 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM The key is delegation, but this can be tricky. Too often we select close family and friends to be our primary helpers, which can be dangerous when tempers flare because they don't agree. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. POEM: TO DIE AT THE SPRINGS OF EL-HAMMA Posted 02.27.12 ELISHA PORAT writes on a kibbutz in Israel. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A VICTIM Posted 02.07.12 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM Why don't they resist? Often it's because the attacker has a knife or a gun. What would you do, or advise your children to do, if faced with a criminal brandishing a weapon and insisting that you obey him? Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. HOWARD AND "AL" ~ STILL CROSSING THE US-CANADIAN BORDER GORDON ALEXANDER DERBY LINE, VERMONT | Howard Langdon, , of Tomifobia, Quebec, says he " has no trouble getting through either US or Canadian border check points with my old fashioned rig -- Al and I get plenty of smiles." AFTER THE WAR CAME LEARNING Posted 01.29.12 ELISHA PORAT The sights and sounds from the burning Golan Heights and the shelled enclave haunted me not only at night, but during the day as well. And even writing poems about memories of the war, to which I became addicted for a short time, didn't help. I walked around my house and the kibbutz like a sleepwalker -- until I took my friends' advice and went up to Jerusalem. Elisha Porat writes on a kibbutz in Israel. JOHNNY MUSN'T GRUMBLE Posted 01.04.12 JOHN MAHONEY Good Old Mitt Romney wins large! NEW POEM: THE RETURN HOME OF SGT. GILAD SHALIT Posted 12.09.11 ELISHA PORAT They waited for him to come home: Elisha Porat writes on a kibbutz in Israel. REUNION REVELATIONS Posted 11.03.11 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM These biographies have provided a fascinating glimpse at what made the most significant impressions on these vulnerable kids, many of who came from dysfunctional families. Although their parents were rich and sent them to excellent universities, many described bouts with alcoholism or drugs, one or more divorces, and quite a few failed attempts to find a suitable profession. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. GOODBYE TO ALL THAT LONG-GUN RUBBISH, AND GOOD RIDDANCE Posted 10.28.11 JOHN MAHONEY I'm no fan of Prime Minister Harper and Canada's Conservative government, but they are doing one thing right: scrapping the country's long-gun registry. GETTING WHAT YOU PAID FOR Posted 10.06.11 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM It's not only in entertainment where we don't get what we think we're paying for. But it's unsettling to think that national institutions we ought to be able to trust are sometimes ripping us off. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. IF YOUR CHILD STEALS, WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT? Posted 08.22.11 JOHN MAHONEY If your daughter surreptitiously takes $450 from your purse and spends it, will you consider it stealing? What will you do if your son -- without permission -- charges $450 worth of iPod games to your credit card? TINY VERMONT TOWN FONDLY REMEMBERS ITS POND THAT LEFT FOR GOOD Posted .05.11 GORDON ALEXANDER GLOVER, VERMONT | It happened more than 200 years ago, but the memory of Runaway Pond is strong in the hearts and minds of local Vermonters here in the Northeast Kingdom. OSLO: ONE WEEK LATER Posted 07.31.11 BERIT LUNDH Without much consideration for themselves, these campers jumped into their small motorboats, row boats, inflatable boats and began to charge towards the island -- some being shot at both on the way there and on the way back. Their stories were heart wrenching -- having to leave people behind because boats were becoming overloaded, having to decide who could possibly be saved and who could not. Berit Lundh writes from Oslo, Norway CONSERVE -- ONE DROP AT A TIME Posted 07.10.11 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM It's easy to just throw your hands in the air and give up. Certainly nothing any of us can do individually is going to make a difference. But that's not true. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. CATS AND SONGBIRDS Posted 05.20.11 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM A terrible myth persists. Many people claim that cats are the primary threat to the survival of songbirds. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. OUR FRAGMENTED LIVES Posted 05.11.11 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM I worry about today's children, all of whom seem to have earbuds in their ears, blasting loud music, or cellphones commanding their attention. Computers in their rooms are used for homework some of the time, but also for continual monitoring of Facebook and viewing YouTube videos. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. THE DOUBLE Posted 05.02.11 ELISHA PORAT I surveyed the pictures unsure what to do. Clench my hands? A boy's fists? What good were these little hands now, how could my fists help? Tears? Tears of shock and pain? What use are tears? My tears indeed, for I proudly held them to a trickle. Swear revenge? Oaths sworn and vows made as I walked the hall? What good had swearing revenge been when it was so desperately needed? Elisha Porat writes on a kibbutz in Israel. IF CANADIAN HEALTH CARE MATTERS TO YOU, YOU SHOULD VOTE! Posted 04.25.11 LILY RYAN IN THE PONTIAC, QUEBEC | There is no better time to talk about health than during an election. While it may seem that politicians barely notice the daily challenges of their constituents, this year may be different. Once again, polls show health care is the top priority for the election. Lily Ryan is the editor of the West Quebec Post. WHEN GRANDCHILDREN COME TO VISIT Posted 04.15.11 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM Gone are the days when grandparents lived in big houses with backyards, attics, and basements where children could discover forgotten treasures and play for hours. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. FRESH E-MAIL Posted .19.11 Quebec Hydro frego promo SENIOR MUSINGS ~ LIFELONG LEARNING Posted 03.08.11 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM Don't be lulled by some of the magazine articles that claim that just doing crossword puzzles or playing bridge will accomplish this, although both are certainly excellent ways to stay sharp. You have to learn something completely new to give your brain the workout that will help fend off strokes and memory loss. REMEMBERING THE EARLY DAYS OF THE US OCCUPATION OF GERMANY Posted 02.25.11 MARY CAMPISI FERREE It was 1948 and Germany was just beginning the post-World War II recovery process. Wiesbaden, my home for the next thirty-six months or so, had barely been touched by the war. It was an old spa city, not involved in the production of war munitions, so was spared all but a few of the bombing runs by the allies. Most of the bombs that did hit the city were dropped in error by pilots thinking they were over Frankfurt. Mary Ferree is a former US Airforce Brat now living in Colorado. KOALAS IN HADERA WOODS New poem by Elisha Porat -- poet, farmer, ex-soldier, who writes on a kibbutz in Israel. DOWN DEEP IN THE EARTH, ALONE AND IN THE DARK Posted 11.16.10 BOB GERVAIS A hard-rock miner. At last, status. Off-shift, a numbered lunch pail and several glasses of draught beer attested to the world, or, at least that part of the world that cared, that I was over 18 years of age -- and a miner -- in a mining community. LENNOXVILLE, QC FLOOD 2010 PHOTOGRAPHS HERE CANUCK DISCOVERS GHANA: JOURNEY TO NAVRONGO Posted 08.11.10 LEO GERVAIS It is here where you really see the divide between the developing world and our so called developed world: Millions upon millions of Ghanaians subsist daily on less money than we spend on a double-double from Tim Hortons. Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. ANNUAL ABENAKI POW WOW CELEBRATED IN NORTHERN VERMONT Posted 08.07.10 GORDON ALEXANDER EVANSVILLE, VERMONT | "No bumper stickers? No flags? What kind of a pow wow is this?" Karen Redfeather of Chelsea, Vermont, was laughing when she met her friends on the tribal reservation of the Abenaki Clan of the Hawk's 19th annual 2-day Inter-tribal/International Pow Wow here on Saturday, a few kilometers from the Canadian border Saturday. Redfeather used come to pow wows with her tent that featured inter- tribal bumper stickers and flags, but took a year off to travel. THE REVEALING CROP TOP Posted 08.05.10 ELISHA PORAT In the sweet summer of 1963 I stood picking grapes in the kibbutz vineyard, while a long black car belonging to the diplomatic corps climbed with royal calm the path leading up between the vineyards to the packing shed. Elisha Porat writes on a kibbutz in Israel. CANUCK DISCOVERS GHANA: INTRO Posted 07.28.10 LEO GERVAIS After meeting and also teaching many Africans over the years and eventually marrying one, my knowledge and fascination with the Dark Continent grew and so here I am in Ghana, the home country of my wife Hetty, to see the country close-up and visit her family for the first time with our two-year-old daughter Phoebe (who is, of course, half African). Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. STILL PEDALING TOGETHER AFTER 70 YEARS Posted 06.28.10 GORDON ALEXANDER RICHMOND, QUEBEC | Wilfred Lancaster's vintage CCM bicycle won't give up on him and he won't give up on it. They have been road-mates for more than 70 years. THE LCC ARCHIVES The links on the Archives page will take you to the various index pages or to the listings of many of the LCC's numerous contributors. There are beaucoup files and it's still in development. If you note that something of import is missing -- or if you catch a '404' -- please let me know. QUEBEC'S 'STANHENGE' CIRCLE OF STONE COMPLETED Posted 01.08.10 GORDON ALEXANDER STANSTEAD, QUEBEC | The North American version of England's ancient Stonehenge is a in a field less than a quarter of a mile from the US/Canadian Border. The project was inaugurated in 2009 on September 20, the day of the Fall Equinox). CANADA'S LONGEST COVERED BRIDGE BEATS OUT NEW ENGLAND'S LANDMARK Posted .19.09 GORDON ALEXANDER The 1,282 foot Hartland Covered Bridge in Hartland, New Brunswick, Canada, is the longest covered bridge in the world, way longer than the 450 foot Cornish-Windsor Bridge spanning the Connecticut River in New Hampshire/Vermont, reputed to be the longest covered bridge in the United States. Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based writer/photographer. THIS IS THE BEAR-FACED TRUTH Posted 06.08.09 ART GREAVES NORTHAMPTON, MA | It's Saturday afternoon and I'm sitting in a chair in the driveway, facing my garage, and reading the instructions on how to operate my new cordless lawn trimmer. Suddenly, there's something breathing hot air on me and smelling my arm. I look to the left and I'm looking a very large female black bear straight in the eye. WATERCOLOR EXHIBIT: ROSEMARY MILLER Reposted 03.08.08 ROSEMARY MILLER Rosemary Miller was a talented artist who, in her later years, made her home in Stanstead, in the Quebec-Vermont border. These are some of her watercolors of her adopted community. WATERCOLOR EXHIBIT: LUIGI TIENGO Reposted 02.16.08 LUIGI TIENGO A native of Italy, Luigi Tiengo makes his home part-time in Quebec's Eastern Townships. He is an industrial designer, a self-taught builder/pilot of an experimental aircraft, and an avid cylist. These paintings were inspired by his many journeys along the Tomifobia River Bike Path. PHOTO STORY: SEARCH & RESCUE TRAINING MISSION Posted 01.31.08 TIM DOHERTY Canadian troopers from a Search and Rescue Team out of CFB Trenton (Ontario) make a snowy landing at Fairview Farms in Lennoxville, QC on Tuesday, January 29. The low-level SAR training mission was conducted with a Canadian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft. Fairview Farms is operated by Brian Herring, who is a licensed general aviation pilot and maintains a small personal airstrip on the family farm.
QUILTS FROM THE 'STITCH IN TIME' EXHIBIT Posted 10.02.07 PHOTOS: KEVIN CHAMP There were some 200 quilts from North America and Europe in this exhibit held Sept. 29-30 in Rankin, Ontario. Organized by quilter Val Champ, the colorful exhibit of historic and contemporary quilts was part of the Rural Ramble held each year in Ontario's Ottawa Valley to celebrate rural living. JUNK ART #3 - THE 'WAY THINGS TURNED OUT Posted 04.28.07 BOB GERVAIS LONDON, ONTARIO | "I am bowled over by the talent exhibitedhere by the students. The creativity on display is exactly the kind of thing thatthis city needs to attract new people, new blood, and new business." Look at how they have used smaller pieces of metal to reflect the toughness of the rhinohide -- this judging is not going to be a cakewalk." JUNK ART #2 - THE 'WHY' OF IT Posted 04.21.07 BOB GERVAIS LONDON, ONTARIO | "I suppose we could figure it out but suppose it's between $50,000 and $100,000. That's not what it's about -- what makes it all worthwhile is the look on the faces of the students as people and as artists, after the judging. They have been recognized for what and who they are; they are no longer simply number, or streams of ciphers in the educational mill. They are real." JUNK ART #1 - BEAUTY LIES WITH THE BEHOLDER Posted 04.14.07 BOB GERVAIS LONDON, ONTARIO | When you drive by the front of John Zubick Ltd.Scrap Metals on Clarke Road here, just a bit north of Gore Road, you can't help but notice the pedestals silhouetted against the Western sky. On each pedestal is astark, angular figure made from scrap metal.
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 JANE DOES THE LAUNDRY
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