FROM THE LCC ARCHIVES ~ FIRST SCREENED SIX YEARS
AGO "The more things change, the more they stay the same"
I've been watching, reading about,
and listening to the Republican candidates campaigning for their party's presidential nomination. They are a truly dreadful
cluster of people who would only make matters worse. President Obama, elected as the Man for Hope and Change, has become --
for me -- the Great Disappointer. "Voting is no substitute for the eternal vigilance that every friend of freedom
must demonstrate towards government. If our freedom is to survive, Americans must become far better informed of the dangers
from Washington -- regardless of who wins the Presidency." -- James Bovard in Voting is Overrated CLEAR THE AIR, MR. PRIME MINISTER Posted 02.03.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The Prime Minister made headlines flutter over a week ago, accusing the
opposition to that pipeline of being, basically, puppets of the US environmental movement and for interests in the US who do
not want Alberta's tar sold to China
DON'T FEAR THE LEAKER -- YOU, TOO, CAN PLUMB,
BOB! Posted 02.02.12 ROSS
MURRAY Friends, homeowners, handymen, lend me your shears, in
addition to any other proper tools you might possess. Do so, for my toolbox lacks the means to effectively carry out my home
repairs, specifically the subjugation of the drips, the clogs, the inefficient double-flushes that plague this abode. Give me
your pliers, your pumps, your muddied wrenches yearning to set free the stuck things. Ross Murray is a freelance writer
living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
GORDON ALEXANDER DERBY LINE, VERMONT |
Howard Langdon, 74, 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."
FREE TAX RIDE FOR CHARITABLE
INSTITUTIONS? Posted 01.31.12 FRANK
BERNHEISEL I was listening to C-SPAN radio while shaving the
other morning and the discussion was about Mitt Romney's tax return, the President's speech, and the deficit. A man named
Charles called in and pointed out that Mitt had deducted $7 million for charitable contributions for 2010 and 2011. Of this,
$3.1 million went to the Mormon Church. Charles made the statement that allowing this tax deduction for Romney made him
(Charles) pay more taxes and effectively forced him to support the Mormon Church.
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.
THE WAR ON TERROR SHOULD COME HOME Posted 01.25.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Smoking is also big business, and tobacco corporations make millions from
the drug, millions they can use to insulate their drug from criminal investigation. Imagine what the cocaine and heroin
dealers could accomplish if they followed tobacco's political pressure tactics.
IS THAT A PROBE OR ARE YOU JUST GLAD TO SEE
ME? Posted 01.24.12 ROSS
MURRAY The space junk fell in my back yard late Sunday evening.
The family was sitting around the TV watching our new favourite reality show, "So You Think You Can Sail a Cruise
Ship...," when we heard the dog barking outside. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be
reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
GENEALOGY: YOUR ANCESTRY Posted 01.22.11 DAVE LEPITRE Dave's latest Your Ancestry column and history photographs are posted regularly on the LCC.
BUILD THE PIPELINE, BUT... Posted 01.21.12 FRANK BERNHEISEL Now Exxon Mobil, which owns the pipeline, says that they are going to bury the pipeline
deeper where it crosses the river so it won't rupture again. So why wasn't it buried deeply in the first place?
THERE'S A HOUSE WORD FOR THAT Posted 01.17.12 ROSS MURRAY Language is culture. Yogurt is also culture. Beyond that they have nothing in common. It's language --
certainly not yogurt -- that binds us. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
THE REAL
NITTY-GRITTY OF PROGRESS Posted 01.15.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | It's popular to insist
that schools and colleges teach specific skills -- like plumbing, circuit-board design, or nursing. These can lead to a job,
quickly. But when the job changes, grows obsolete, or becomes cheaper in China or Mexico, that skill-based education suddenly
is a constriction. It is flexibility, vision, knowledge of history, and the ability to create absolutely new combinations
that will see us through, and which will be our tools to use what the complex modern world throws at us. These skills help us
grab the ball and run with it.
ECONOMIC GROWTH? Posted
01.11.12 FRANK BERNHEISEL Could this be the light at the end
of the tunnel?
OBLIGATORY
POST-LOTTERY INTERVIEW Posted 01.09.12 ROSS
MURRAY That evening, we all gathered in the family room as one
of the kids went online to retrieve the winning numbers. He started reading them out. I got one number. Then I got another,
and then the numbers kept coming. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
JOHNNY MUSN'T GRUMBLE Posted
01.04.12 JOHN MAHONEY Good Old Mitt Romney wins
large!
TIPPED OFF Posted
01.01.12 FRANK BERNHEISEL On December 20, the Wall Street
Journal ran the following article, "Inside Capitol, Investor Access Yields Rich Tips". From my point of view,
the following paragraphs from the article are indicative of how corrupt the links between members of Congress and the
financial community are.
THE YEAR OF THE
DOG Posted 12.29.11 ROSS
MURRAY The Man wants me to talk about the Year. He says people
like to talk about time like it has a beginning and an end. I do not think that time has a beginning and an end. A bag of dog
food has a beginning and an end. I am sad when the bag of dog food ends. But then there is another bag and I am happy again.
I like dog food! Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
2011 -- ONE
BIG YEAR Posted 12.27.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We are nearing the end of
the first year in which our society is being remodeled: the Boomers are stepping aside.
YOUR
LOBBYISTS AT WORK Posted 12.16.11 FRANK
BERNHEISEL This year, 12,792 professionals lobbied for
influence in the American capital, according to First Street Research Group in an analysis that tracks lobbyists. There are,
by law, 435 voting members of the House of Representatives and 100 Senators. That computes to 24 lobbyists for every elected
representative of the people.
RESEARCH --
WITH CREDENTIALS? Posted 12.14.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | "Privatize
Hydro-Quebec" is a favourite idea of the Montreal Economic Institute. This think-tank argues that, to cut to the chase,
hydro rates are too low in Quebec, but in corporate hands, the rates would go up and investors would earn more profit, making
Quebec a more profitable place for investment.
Great logic, from this tank so generously funded by those very investors who
want to save Quebec by charging us more.
THE GIFT OF THE
MAD GUY Posted 12.12.11 ROSS
MURRAY How are the reindeer? Honestly, I don't know why I ask
that because I can't imagine any possible answers other than "cantankerous" and "smelly." Ross Murray
is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
POLITICS --
IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE Posted 12.08.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | There are people who
believe politics are everywhere and in everything. Every club, team, movement, even every family, has its politics. And on an
abstract level, they feel every view, belief, attitude, outlook, even jokes and art, have a political content, make a
statement, or support a political theory.
BY THE
SPLITTING OF MY THUMB, SOMETHING WINTERY THIS WAY COMES Posted 12.05.11 ROSS MURRAY HERE'S A PREDICTION:
WINTER IS COMING. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
I'M SEXY AND I
KNOW IT -- BUT PEOPLE STILL DOESN'T Posted 11.30.11 ROSS MURRAY As you are by now
aware, I have once again been passed over as People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in favour of one Bradley
Cooper, an actor of moderate renown with a certain douchey quality that appeals to a distressing number of women. Ross
Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
OUR
COMPLAINTS INDUSTRY Posted 11.28.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We've had a pleasant
autumn, after a great summer -- so why all the complaining across our city? Councilors are exchanging accusations, the media
is heaving barbs as if that's the only way to sell newspapers, and regular citizens are up in arms about every subject --
from stoplights and dog parks to the lack of doctors and crowded classrooms. Editorial-writers and talk-show hosts, we
self-appointed complainers, are getting drowned out. What's going on?
FOR
TWO CENTS EACH, THAT'S WHY Posted
11.22.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL This ship is the Emma
Maersk, built in Denmark in 2006. She and her seven sister ships are the longest container ships constructed and the
longest ships in service. She is 1,302 feet long and has one of the largest internal combustion engines built. developing
109,000 HP.
YOU WITH THE
DREADLOCKS! GET OUT OF MY COMPOST! Posted
11.22.11 ROSS MURRAY For the past two months, I have
patiently stood back (or alternatively peeked hesitantly through my bedroom blinds) as you've taken over my back lawn with
your protests and encampments. As someone who considers himself to be politically left-leaning and still somewhat bitter for
having missed out on the sixties by just that much, I have been sympathetic to your movement and your demands, as vague as
they've been. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
IT'S HOLIDAY
SCAM TIME -- BE CRANKY, BE UNCOOPERATIVE! Posted
11.18.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Christmas
also calls out the thieves and scam-artists -- those scum-bags who climb out of their gutters not to admire the lights but to
rob the weakest and least-alert of our neighbours. Already we have had several letters and calls about scams hitting local
people, seniors mostly, via the telephone or Internet.
RIDICULOUS?
STILL GOT THE MOVES.. Posted 11.14.11 ROSS
MURRAY When, for example, does a dude sporting a ponytail go
from "keeping it real" to "creepy for real"? Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead,
QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
ABOUT THE
FETUS/PERSON ISSUE Posted 11.12.11 FRANK
BERNHEISEL The people of Mississippi -- those who voted --
rejected the ballot measure that would define a legal person as existing from the moment of conception.
HOW TO MAKE
FLU VACCINATIONS DIFFICULT Posted
11.10.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
elderly and the ill are supposed to arrange their own rides, to and from, and also to wait during the line up and then rest
in observation after the shot? The elderly and infirm likely don't or can't drive; can they find a family member to spend the
afternoon, or can they figure out the bus routes and transfers totake a city bus, or can they pay for across the city?
CANADA: DEAD
POEM SOCIETY Posted 11.08.11 ROSS
MURRAY Prime Minister Stephen Harper has unveiled the next
stage in his government's ongoing transformation of the Canadian political and social landscape, promising new and
comprehensive legislation to get tough on rhyme. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be
reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
IN QUEBEC,
WHO'S CELEBRATING BEING AN ANGLO? Posted
11.02.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
francophone majority has plenty of public mouthpieces, from Quebec nationalists and political parties to cultural watchdogs
like Imperatif français -- not to mention the entire Quebec government with its often nationalistic civil
service.
AN
AGE-INAPPROPRIATE HALLOWEEN TALE Posted
10.30.11 ROSS MURRAY Warning: The following story contains
gruesome scenes and high sugar content; may cause queasiness and cellulite Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in
Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
YES, PREMIER
CHAREST, A QUEBEC INQUIRY Posted
10.27.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Let me
add another voice supporting a public inquiry into corruption in the construction industry in Quebec. Premier Charest
announced one, but given his original insistence that an inquiry will never happen, his lack of details is not
encouraging.
YOU'LL GET
YOURSELF A REPUTATION Posted 10.25.11 ROSS
MURRAY As the saying goes, reputations are like
soufflés: tough to make, easily ruined, not good with tequila. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in
Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
TWO CHEERS FOR BIPARTISANSHIP Posted 10.23.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL So the Obama
Administration is blameless, right? No! The Obama Administration failed to do the due diligence that any venture capitalist
needs to do before investing in a project.
ALL YOU
NEED IS LUNCH Posted 10.16.11 ROSS
MURRAY With 180 school days each year, and with my youngest
daughter having attended five years of school so far, that means she's gone to school for approximately 900 days -- not
counting when she's supervised at school during planning days, which in Quebec amounts to something like 72 a year. Ross
Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
FARMING
REGULATIONS, CLIMATE CHANGE Posted
10.13.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | In our
densely populated world the only alternative to government regulation is self-regulation. The rant that "the only good
government is no government" leads nowhere.
I
THANK, THEREFORE I AM. CANADIAN. Posted
10.09.11 ROSS MURRAY As holidays go, Thanksgiving has never
really taken off. And by "taken off," I mean I don't recall any Thanksgiving presents coming my way, so that's not
much of a holiday, is it? Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
RUN
ON Posted 09.30.11 ROSS
MURRAY Hmmm... well, this is a self-indulgent rule-breaker --
one sentence and one paragraph, 725 words long. Sorry, readers. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC.
He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
US WAR ON
DRUGS A FAILURE Posted 09.26.11 FRANK
BERNHEISEL Let's be clear, the War on Drugs -- started in 1971
by President Nixon -- has failed. It's time for a new approach.
A LETTER TO THE
CATS FROM MOE, WHO WENT MISSING Posted
09.13.11 ROSS MURRAY When I first wandered into the family
house, I figured I'd give it a year, two years tops, long enough for me to work off the kitten fat, get up to my cat-fighting
weight, live in the lap of luxury for a while -- live in it, snuggle in it, do that freaky kneading/suckling thing that I
can't help doing... what is it with the kneading? You guys know what I'm talking about, right? Ross Murray is a freelance
writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
THE CAT'S PYJAMAS
AND THE MOUSE'S SWEATPANTS Posted
09.05.11 ROSS MURRAY Our house has a longstanding
save-the-critter policy. Many a bumblebee has been captured under glass and released into the wild. Sundry spiders have
dangled from fingertips and been whisked quickly out of doors. Toads are strictly catch-and-release. Ross Murray is a
freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca His archived columns are HERE I SMELL
ERRATA Posted 08.25.11 ROSS
MURRAY My column about the futility of lawn care ("Look
out back in anger") made the baseless claim that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's stand on climate change had
caused my grass to turn brown. Moreover, the author's tone was unjustifiably snippy. We apologize for the allegation and
graciously ask the Conservative Party to call off its lawyers. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC.
He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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 08.05.11 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.
IS GENERAL
ELECTRIC A US CORPORATION? Posted
08.02.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL Is GE an American company? Does it
benefit from being incorporated in Schenectady, New York, and having its headquarters in Fairfield, Connecticut?
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
TO CALL
SCREEN OR NOT TO SCREEN Posted 07.29.11 ROSS
MURRAY There are countless inventions whose negative impact
outweighs the positive. Take plastic wrap, for example -- wastefulness for the sake of convenience. On the other hand, it
probably has contributed to food safety over the years, not to mention the joke about the guy who goes to the psychiatrist
wearing only Saran Wrap, causing the psychiatrist to say, "I can clearly see you're nuts. " Ross Murray is a
freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
JOHNNY
MUSN'T GRUMBLE Posted 07.24.11 JOHN
MAHONEY Drinking at the "best" Western Inn in
Pembroke, Ontario
MEET US REP. ERIC CANTOR OR, THE BEST GOVERNMENT MONEY CAN BUY Posted 07.22.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL Cantor owns up to $15,000 in the fund, which is called the ProShares Trust Ultrashort 20 Plus Year
Treasury ETF. Cantor, who leads the House GOP's debt ceiling negotiations, would see his ETF rise dramatically in value if
Republicans allow the country to default on its debt. And as Salon notes, Cantor recently broke off negotiations over
raising the debt ceiling.
CANCEL
THAT HBC CREDIT CARD Posted 07.20.11 ROSS
MURRAY When the WalMarts started moving in, we actually felt
bad for Zellers. Yes, the quality of your house-brand footwear and clothing is laughably poor, but oh!, the savings we've
enjoyed on diapers and toilet paper! Where would our kitties be without your giant tubs of litter? And where else can you get
Ganong spearmint leaves around here? Nowhere. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached
at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
THOSE LAZY,
HAZY DAYS OF SUMMER "BACK THEN" Posted
07.16.11 ROSS MURRAY Remember when summers were spent just
goofing off? Now, those were summers! Not that we did nothing. On the contrary. Our days were filled with carefree adventure
and daring-do, punctuated by visits to the Emergency Room. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He
can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
WHO DO
US CONGRESSMEN SERVE? Posted 07.14.11 FRANK
BERNHEISEL As the old saying goes: a man cannot serve two
masters.
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.
NEW (SCHOOL) YEAR
RESOLUTIONS Posted 07.06.11 FRED
RYAN New (school) year resolutions Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
BANDAGES? WE
DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BANDAGES! Posted
07.06.11 ROSS MURRAY Recently, my daughter Katie graduated
from Alexander Galt High School. Along with a diploma, each student received a small graduation-night emergency kit. The
contents included a pre-paid calling card, a business card for a taxi service, a small pamphlet listing youth resources and
emergency numbers, an antiseptic swab, a Band-Aid, and a condom. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead,
QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
ON KILLING MEDICARE IN THE US Posted 07.03.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL Dominating the US
air waves, we have Paul Ryan who says that the way to save money and eliminate the federal government debt is to kill
Medicare and turn us work over to private insurance companies. It's a joke, right?
DOES CANADA
EXIST? Posted 06.29.11 ROSS
MURRAY With people around the world actively rebelling against
their governments and struggling to throw off the shackles of oppression, the question arises, what is a nation? And more
important, can they beat us in hockey? Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
FARM SUBSIDIES Posted
06.24.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL Recently, the US House of
Representatives passed the agriculture appropriations bill. This bill includes a bunch of subsidies for farmers and
agribusiness. These subsidies, partially listed below (thanks to the Cato Institute for those) add up to between $14 and $23
billion every year. These are in addition to the $6 billion a year ethanol subsidy, which has pushed the price of corn to
over $7 per bushel, increasing the cost of food.
WHATSA
ANTIMATTER WITH YOU? Posted 06.16.11 ROSS
MURRAY Dear Class of 2011, over the next few days, you're going
to receive a lot of advice. I realize that it seems like people have been preaching at you forever, and maybe you feel you've
heard enough. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
THE BEST NEWPAPER
PRIZE OF ALL Posted 06.14.11 FRED
RYAN AYLMER, QUEBEC | For us at the Bulletin, a bigger
weekend was the one before -- Quebec's community newspaper convention and awards gala. Always a big deal for newspaper
people, the convention gets us out with our peers from Quebec City, Gaspé, the Far North, south to the eastern
Townships, and all the cities -- English, French, Mohawk, Cree, Inuit, Greek, and Italian. What a pleasure to touch base with
others who do the same sort of work as do we, week after week. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
MOODYS: CONFLICT OF INTEREST Posted 06.09.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL Moody's and the
other rating "agencies" get paid by the people, like Goldman Sachs, who issued the bonds. Could there be a conflict
here?
THIS ONE'S A
BIT OF A STRAIN Posted 06.07.11 ROSS
MURRAY I've never broken a bone, and I see this is an
indictment of an overcautious life. Not that I desire pain and injury, but it seems to me that, statistically speaking, I
should have busted something by now. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
AMERICAN FARCE Posted
06.02.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL What is wrong with a little farce?
Everyone gets to laugh, right? Wrong!
HOW TO MAKE
HISTORY Posted 05.26.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | One of today's urban legends is that
newspapers are dying. If you are holding one right now, does it feel dead? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
STAR WARS: I
HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS Posted
05.24.11 ROSS MURRAY Another rule is that if Star Wars is on
TV, you have to watch it. That's just the way it is. That's how I ended up spending my Canadian election evening with one eye
on the epic battle between good and evil with the fate of millions hanging in the balance and the other eye on Return of the
Jedi. Forgive me, then, if the two become a bit blurred. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He
can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
ARAB DEMOCRACY Posted
05.19.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL There are no Arab democracies.
Every Arab state is run by a monarch or a dictator and dissent is forcefully suppressed. Lebanon is no exception.
AND
REMEMBER: LET'S PUT THE "SHHH" IN "SHOWTIME" Posted 05.13.11 ROSS MURRAY Good evening,
everyone. If we could all just settle down, please.... As principal of Élecole Ste-Beigne-de-la-Framboise, I'd like to
welcome you to our annual all-school musical-dramatic-revue-pageant-spectacle! The children have a wonderful evening planned
for you, and if all goes well we should be out of here in two to two-and-a-half hours... Settle down, please... quiet...
People, I can wait here all night! Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
PRESS FREEDOM MEANS
WHAT? Posted 05.08.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | As for readers and media-watchers,
your obligation in protecting press freedom is to not just turn off. This has been happening, big-time. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
SOMETHING
ELSE WITH THAT? Posted 05.04.11 ROSS
MURRAY Mostly, though, I don't like drive-thrus because so much
can go wrong. With my terrible French and burgeoning deafness, I need the face-to-face interaction that a drive-thru can
never provide. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
WHAT A
CANADIAN FRIEND WE HAVE IN STEPHEN Posted
04.28.11 ROSS MURRAY I imagine Friend Stephen would be the
type of friend who would come over to your house for a barbecue and insist on taking over the grill, arguing that only his
heightened vigilance could ensure that the neighbours won't sneak into the yard and steal the meat right off the grill,
because that's what neighbours do. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
I WANNA HOLD
YOUR HAND... REALLY Posted 04.21.11 ROSS
MURRAY There's a myth in our house that claims I don't like
holding hands -- a myth perpetrated by my own wife. "Your father," she likes to tell the children, "was too
embarrassed to hold my hand when we started going out." Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He
can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
JUST WHO IS PAYING US INCOME TAXES? Posted 04.18.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL The plan is bold!
It is serious! It took courage! It re-frames the debate! The ball is in Obama's court! Very wonky! It is a game-changer! Did
I mention it is serious? The math demands it! We need to have shared sacrifice! This puts us on the right course! It's
serious and bold!
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.
FORT SUMTER RE-FIRED Posted
04.13.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL On April 12, 1861, 150 years ago,
the men of honor standing on their principles, fired the shots and started the bloodiest war in American history. These were
the gentlemen of South Carolina who seemed to have a penchant for secession. They had gone in that direction in 1832 during
the nullification crisis but were out maneuvered by Andrew Jackson.
OFF TO THE
ROYAL WEDDING Posted 04.11.11 ROSS
MURRAY I'm writing to let you know that I've not yet received
my invitation to your Royal Wedding. I imagine what happened is that you mailed it to my old P.O. box address instead of my
street address and, well, you know how postal workers are in the colonies. But not to worry; I'll be there. Ross Murray is
a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
ARE THE LOCAL POLICE
ABUSING THEIR POWER? Posted 04.05.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Gatineau's police appear to be
targeting the person of the mayor, Marc Bureau. Nothing illegal here; in fact, it was taken as a joke that the cops would
ticket their mayor for jaywalking. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
ODA
HUMANITY! AND OTHER CANADIAN GOVERNMENT MINISTERS Posted 04.04.11 ROSS MURRAY I had been following
the Canadian news about the federal opposition holding the Harper Conservatives in contempt of Parliament, and somewhere
between wondering whether Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's manufactured outrage couldn't somehow be transformed into
manufactured charisma and fantasizing about the entire House of Commons being held in contempt of Canada, it occurred to me
that, up until a month or so ago, I had no idea who Bev Oda was. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead,
QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
A USEFUL ELECTION, A
COST-EFFICIENT DEMOCRACY Posted 04.01.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Instead of bombs and rockets, should
our jets in Libya be dropping the pundits, media experts, and Conservative politicians who claim this federal election is
"useless"? Or onto the crowds of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Oman, Honduras, and China? Those peoples, bloodied
and bandaged, would certainly be eager to learn why democratic elections are a big waste of time. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
ALL
THE NUTCASES COME OUT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT Posted 03.30.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL The US is a free
country and as we come up to the presidential election -- it is only 19 months away -- we are proving it, every day. We do
this by encouraging every nutcase in America to run for president.
MEETING OF
SCARED SILLY SYNONYMOUS Posted 03.29.11 ROSS
MURRAY I'm glad to see so many people here this evening. It
seems our numbers keep growing week after week! Our membership always takes a dive at the start of the new year, what with
everyone feeling so optimistic and upbeat. But with all the calamity that's befallen the world over the past couple of
months, attendance has been going through the bomb-shelter roof! That's good, because remember, people: there's no hysteria
like mass hysteria. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
LETS MAKE ATTACK ADS
SELF-DEFEATING -- GIVE THEM THE BOOT Posted
03.22.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Nasty attack ads by
any Canadian political party are attempts to intimidate voters; they push us toward hating politics, politicians, and
elections. This "politics of dirt" has been imported from the worst excesses of American political assassination,
promoted day after day by the Fox TV network. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec
Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
TEN THINGS NOT
ABOUT THE SNOW Posted 03.21.11 ROSS
MURRAY This column is not about snow. I think we're all pretty
much snowed out. We're snowed out, snowed in, snowed up and down, and snowed under. Snow doubt about it. Or are we? Ross
Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
2ND REPORT FROM READER IN
JAPAN Posted 03.20.11 Canadian Pierre Nadeau, a swordsmith/blacksmith from Montreal, currently lives in
Japan with his wife.
FRESH
E-MAIL Posted 03.19.11 Quebec Hydro frego promo
HOW GREEN IS
QUEBEC, OR, NOT A BILL, A BILL OF GOODS FROM HYDRO Posted 03.14.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
First, Hydro is asking us to discard our old appliances. How is that done? Dumped on the curb, or traded in to appliance
shops? Where will the carcasses of all those old machines end up? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
TEACHING YOUR
CHILDREN WELL Posted 03.12.11 ROSS
MURRAY I know for a fact that I'm a terrible teacher because a
few years ago I pinch-hit for an advanced senior English class while the regular, properly trained teacher was on sick leave.
It was three months of glazed eyes, zero concentration, and not a single cohesive thought. And you should have seen the
students! Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at
Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
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.
FILL
'ER UP! Posted 03.04.11 FRANK
BERNHEISEL Earlier this week I filled up my car with gas:
fourteen gallons at $3.359 for a total of $47.03. The price of oil in New York on March 2 was $101 per barrel. In 2008, which
was a recession year, Exxon Mobile and Shell made profits of $45 billion and $26 billion respectively. And, as far as I can
tell, Exxon paid no federal tax in 2009.
"GREEN
BATHING?" WHO, ME? Posted 03.01.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We've all heard of "green
washing," where a company will redesign its labels and advertising to position its products as environmentally friendly
-- green -- without actually changing the product. But how many of us have heard of "green bathing"? How many of us
know that our lovely Aylmer is one of the worst examples of green bathing? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
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.
'PENGUINS' PLUNGE INTO ICY LAKE WATER TO SUPPORT CHALLENGED VT ATHLETES Posted 02.15.11 GORDON ALEXANDER NEWPORT, VT | One of the most outstanding spectator events during the annual Winter Carnival here was the
Penguin Plunge on February 12. Some two hundred spectators gathered around a swimming-pool size hole in the ice provided by
the Newport Fire Department to cheer on hardy and wildly cheerful plungers who, for a good cause, braved the 34-degree water
temperature in 30-degree air temperature of Lake Memphremagog. Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.
NO
FACEBOOK FRIEND, MOI Posted 02.13.11 FRANK
BERNHEISEL The medium is the message and Facebook's message is
"your life is our property." Frank Bernheisel writes from the Washington, DC area.
HORSE
POWER AT WORK IN NORTHERN VERMONT Posted
02.02.11 GORDON ALEXANDER BROWNINGTON, VERMONT | The event
featured techniques in precision tree felling, cutting logs to mill specifications, and safely removing logs from the wood
lot using single horses and teams.
KOALAS IN HADERA
WOODS New poem by Elisha Porat -- poet, farmer, ex-soldier, who writes on a kibbutz in Israel.
LACTATING
INTOLERANCE Posted 01.18.11 ROSS
MURRAY There's just something about breastfeeding that makes
some people a bit squirrelly. Perhaps that's the reason a Montreal sales clerk this past weekend asked a nursing mom to leave
the store. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY USAGE REPORT Posted 01.15.11 FRANK BERNHEISEL We have had a
geothermal heating and cooling system working in our home here in northern Virgina since August, 2009 and we saw a drop in
total annual energy use of thirty-one percent in 2010 over 2009.
LITTLE IN LIFE IS
ASSURED Posted 12.28.10 FRED
RYAN
SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | "Unquestionable proof"
is the grail of those who lobby for no change to our life styles. These people may or may not be supporters of the world's
coal and oil industries; it doesn't matter. Nor does their commitment to personal freedom and against paternalistic
government matter. What matters is that the evidence, in bits and pieces from all over the world, is pointing not only to a
growing radical change in climate but to acceptance that much of this climate change is due to human activities, mostly
burning fossil fuels in one form or another. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
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.
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 10.19.09 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.
MORE THAN 670,000 VIEWERS AND COUNTING LCC's 'BABY LAKE
MONSTER CAPTURED' ON YOU TUBE If you haven't yet viewed it yet, you can join the nearly 700,000 folks who have.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNFMHKIT0-s
Seeing is believing, eh? Or not.
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.
