 |
|
|
 PHOTO ESSAY  BORDER LINES MINI-SITE
|
|
 MAN, YOU'RE NOT A FEMINIST?Posted 03.13.10 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | When we get to complex rights, like equal opportunities for education and jobs, the collateral damage caused by poverty, racism, misogyny, and bigotry can be enormous. These mean that many women do not effectively have the same rights as most men, because they are unable to exercise those rights. Poverty, illiteracy, and racism affect men also -- all the more reason for men to support the International Women's Day, yes, and all the more reason why every man, especially every father and grand-father, should aspire to become a feminist. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. HEALTH CARE E-MAILS TO MY
SENATORSPosted 03.11.10 FRANK BERNHEISEL It has been sixty years since Harry Truman tried to get universal health care passed in the United States. That is long enough and the issues are clear; let’s get a significant improvement in health care done, now. GIVE ME A BREAKPosted 03.09.10 ROSS MURRAY Why do we have to go anywhere? Since when does March Break have to be this family vacation in the middle of the school year? Who's responsible for this? The travel industry? The City of Fort Lauderdale? Hallmark? Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca OWNING THE PODIUMPosted 03.05.10 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | For a couple of hours every day during those two weeks, we forgot our problems and the troubles afflicting the world. We let men and women from China and Korea, France and Germany, the US and Russia, from all around the world, show us the rewards of single-minded focus and incredible daily hard work. The Games may be telling us that such focus and such effort could also help us solve those problems of the world that we were able to ignore so briefly and which are now making their way back into our awareness. If young men and women can put the daily difficulties of growing up aside while they work towards their goals, can't we adults do the same thing? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. HELP ME, I'M NOT IRISHPosted 03.02.10 ROSS MURRAY I know I don't know a lot about a lot of things. Usually this is perfectly fine. There's no handicap in going through life without knowing, for instance, the history of Winnipeg, mainly because I don't care about Winnipeg and, frankly, Winnipeg doesn't care about me. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca MUSKRAT JOHNNY'S SWAMP FLUTEPosted 03.01.10 JOHN MAHONEY COBDEN, ONTARIO | More than 400 years ago Muskrat Lake was home to the Nibachis, Algonquin people who lived along the Ottawa River. These days, few here remember that other people lived here before, much less their name. John Mahoney has published the LCC since March, 1996. SWEET TALK A FUTURE Posted 02.26.10 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | A new game is sweeping Canada, at least rural Canada, a game without the special effects of X-boxes and video gaming, but a game with real consequences. It is the game of re-imagining our communities that have had their mills, plants, mines, and factories closed. The Pontiac is right up there with the best of these rural gamers. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. YOUR WINTER OLYMPIC QUESTIONS ANSWERED Posted 02.22.10 ROSS MURRAY Why the Winter Olympics? The Winter Olympics are also a means of distracting the population from the cold days of February and from controversial global events, such as, in the case of the current Olympics, Canada's participation in the largest air assault in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is not competing in Vancouver but is expected to be a contender in the 2012 summer games in the 500 Metre Fleeing From Gunfire Relay. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca WE CAN CHANGE THE WEATHER Posted 02.16.10 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Is "government" or even "society" as bad as everyone says? One message we soak up with the air is that "government" is, at best, a necessary evil, and usually nothing but some form of extortion and self-aggrandizement by politicians, those who do the governing. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. FEELING A LITTLE L0VE SICK? Posted 02.13.10 ROSS MURRAY The World Health Organization is bracing for the outbreak of a new virus that could lead to the next global pandemic. Known as "lunaticius-0 vascular excitamitus," or L0VE for short, the virus has so far proven both unpredictable and difficult to study. Scientists everywhere are saying to themselves, "I want to know what L0VE is." Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca< SENIOR MUSINGS ~ HIGH COST OF QUEBEC HEALTH CARE Posted 02.12.10 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM I had no choice. In early 2006 I began looking for a new doctor, and phoned the CLSC for help. I was told my name would be put on a waiting list, and given priority because of my age and the fact that I take five prescription medicines for five different medical problems. They never called me back, although I continued to phone every few months to make sure I was still on the priority list. 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 REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE BILL Posted 02.10.10 FRANK BERNHEISEL As I mope around the house nursing my cold (eye, nose, and throat infections -- hooray for modern antibiotics and walk-in clinics, even though you pay out of pocket and out of program) I am musing on health care. Yes, America has really good and maybe the best health care, if you can afford it. THIS DAY IN HISTORY Posted 02.08.10 ROSS MURRAY 2010 -- Ross Murray meets the minimum word count on his weekly column, triggering sighs of relief from readers worldwide. The resulting air mass blows in an extreme cold front that settles over the American Midwest, making everyone even crankier than usual. Fox News ratings soar. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca MY CAT SAVED MY LIFE Posted 02.05.10 Berit Lundh writes a follow-up letter about her recent heart attack in Oslo, Norway. GENEALOGY: YOUR ANCESTRY Posted 02.02.10 DAVE LEPITRE Dave's latest Your Ancestry column and history photographs are posted regularly on the LCC. JOHNNY MUSN'T GRUMBLE Posted 01.29.10 JOHN MAHONEY Fat Old Guys better off than Thin Old Guys MY FIRST FLOPHOUSE Posted 01.26.10 ROSS MURRAY Really, the only reason I even thought she might be a hooker was because a user comment on a hotel-rating website happened to mention a hooker. And the only reason I was reading the user comments in the first place was to check the rumour about the bedbugs. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca FEAR IS WIDESPREAD: LETTER FROM HAITI Posted 01.26.10 DR. SASHA KRAMER OF SOIL WORKS IN HAITI ON COMPOSTING TOILETS -- A VERY REAL PERSONAL COMMUNITY ISSUE. PLEASE READ HER LETTER. AMERICANS, DON'T BE DISTRACTED Posted 01.25.10 FRANK BERNHEISEL The people of Massachusetts elected Scott Brown to fill the vacant seat in the U.S. Senate and you would think that there had been a cataclysm and that everything that had been done in the last full year -- where health care was debated, discussed and dissected -- was negated and the President Obama was dead meat. So let's not be distracted by Scott Brown's win, let's pass the health care bill and move on to other important matters. How do we do that? Easy, the House of Representatives passes the Senate bill and the President signs it Frank Bernheisel writes from the Washington DC region. SENIOR MUSINGS ~ NEW COLUMN Posted 01.22.10 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM I've managed on my own by installing a stair-lift to access the basement, which is not only ideal for anyone with mobility problems, but also enables me to carry things up and down the stairs without danger. Falls are the most common reason why seniors are hospitalized, so anything we can do to avoid falling is crucial. 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 FEMALE HEART ATTACK (A PIECE FOR WOMEN Posted 01.19.10 BERIT LUNDH On December 30th, as I went to work to open the Canadian Embassy here in Oslo, I was overwhelmed by acute earaches and a peculiar feeling in my chest. I'd had these earaches for a couple of months, on and off, and except for the fact that I'd never had an earache before, didn't give it much thought. This was more intense however, so I did what I had to do and went home. Berit Lundh writes from Oslo, Norway OH CANADA, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER? Posted 01.18.10 ROSS MURRAY Come on in. Oops, but wait. If you don't mind, before you step inside, if you wouldn't mind just passing through this full body scan, please. Standard procedure. You can never be too sure, right? Nothing personal, but you do fit the profile: shifty eyes, awkward body language, inability to answer a straight question. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca 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: FIRST ACCOMMODATING IMMIGRANTS, NOW EUTHANASIA Posted 01.15.10 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Our province's public consultation on "reasonable accommodation" of immigrant minorities received a lot of criticism because it seemed to be little more than picking at a scab -- and because it gave a soapbox to a lot of hysterical people who only vented their fears. It seemed to promise something -- social accommodation of minority cultures -- that could never be guaranteed. FIRST, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND VISUALIZE Posted 01.13.10 ROSS MURRAY When I'm not writing scintillating newspaper columns or working at the Novelty Song Preservation Society, I am a part-time motivational speaker. Through my inspiring words, musical numbers, and an awesome PowerPoint presentation, I help people become more goal-oriented, positive and motivated -- or as I like to say, "MEtivated." Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca 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). 2009: PHOTO FINISH Posted 01.01.10 ROSS MURRAY Back in the days of film photography (gather round, now, young 'uns...), people used discretion when taking pictures. With only 24 shots to a roll, they had to ask themselves, "Is a photo of my foot truly film-worthy?" Or, "Do I really need a photo of myself when I could remind myself of how stunningly good looking I am simply by passing a mirror?" Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca A LOSE-LOSE PROPOSITION Posted 12.29.09 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM You tell the BBB you already gave her the upgraded motherboard and reinstalled Windows without charge, and she has nothing to complain about. When she protests, providing screenshots showing the botched reinstall of Windows, you have your lawyer send her a letter threatening to sue if she writes about the experience. 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. DEAR SANTA Posted 12.24.09 ROSS MURRAY We would like to express our grave concerns about SantaCorp's hiring policy. A review of the employee roster shows a glaring lack of diversity. There appears to be an almost fetishistic adherence to hiring vertically challenged individuals with malformations of the ear. While SantaCorp should be applauded for its willingness to hire people with differences, the exclusive nature of these hires is of concern. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca PASS THE US HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL Posted 12.20.09 FRANK BERNHEISEL Why is the US health care bill 2000 pages long? Because that is the way we do legislation in the U. S. of A. Specifically, Congress does not choose to enact legislation that lays down principles, guidelines, and criteria. They try to spell things out in detail to make sure that those faceless bureaucrats in Washington to not run amuck and do something rational. Frank Bernheisel writes from the Washington DC region. AN EXPENDABLE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT Posted 12.16.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Prime Minister Harper was sent to Ottawa by Calgary. He has encouraged the tar sands. His party all of sudden had enormous funds at its disposal -- they could afford a continual election campaign, and their attack ads outside any campaign testify to their cash reserves. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. THE OLYMPIC TORCH MOVES WEST Posted 12.13.09 ROSS MURRAY My friend and colleague Eryn was one of the 12,000 Canadians selected to carry the torch. If that isn't cool enough, she also gets to keep her white Olympic torchbearer outfit, which looks like the official pyjamas of the Canadian Dairy Association. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca POEM: THE WATERMELONS OF KAKUN Posted 12.09.09 ELISHA PORAT Elisah Porat makes poems on a kibbutz in Israel. THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF POSTERING Posted 12.08.09 ROSS MURRAY We live by countless unwritten rules. For example, if you're at the checkout with a cart full of groceries and the person behind you has only a handful of items, you let that person go ahead, even if that person has questionable taste in cereal. Another unwritten rule is that the person you let ahead should not then proceed to purchase lottery tickets and/or pay for them by debit card. If that happens, you are allowed to throw a tin of Beef-A-Roni at the person. This last bit is not an unwritten rule but I think we can all agree it is fair and just. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca DO YOU HAVE A STREET LIKE THIS IN YOUR TOWN? Posted 12.03.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | They reach up to 200 km per hour," the police veteran said, and he has the experience to estimate speeds. "It's only a matter of time before we have a fatal pile up." Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. NOT SO FUNNY Posted 12.01.09 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM Unfortunately, TV seems to rely much more on the lower levels. Even shows geared toward kids contain sexual overtones, and there doesn't seem to be a stand-up comic whose act doesn't contain four-letter words and references to sex, alcohol, or drugs. 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. AN INCONVENIENT FRUIT Posted 11.27.09 ROSS MURRAY If I take an orange to work, I have to find a 15-minute window of opportunity to a) peel my orange; b) peel that horrid white pith off; c) find some paper towel because I've got orange oil all over me; d) break the orange into wedges; e) tear off some more paper towel; f) eat the orange; and g) go wash my hands because the paper towel just isn't cutting it. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca DOGPATCH -- IT'S EVERYWHERE Posted 11.24.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | A friend refers to a crossroads on Highway 148 as "Pontiac's latest tourist attraction -- Dogpatch!" He thinks he's humourous, but driving up from the urban areas, which is the route most tourists take when coming to almost any spot in the Pontiac, his wisecrack isn't funny at all. This stretch of highway is no secret; it's in the Municipality of Pontiac, where Rue des Dominicains meets Highway 148 Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. AND DON'T FORGET THE IMPORTED GOURMET PRETZELS... Posted 11.13.09 ROSS MURRAY I'm writing to let you know that my daughter will once again be making the rounds with her Crapmore Gift Fundraiser Catalogue. This year, the money raised will help pay for her class field trip to the Musée des excursions éducatifs in Rimouski. Yup, sure glad public education is free (ha-ha)... Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca MEDITATION ON NOVEMBER 11 Posted 11.11.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | This year's Remembrance Day finds us -- Canada, Quebec, Gatineau, Aylmer -- in an unusual situation. We are a nation at war, not peacekeeping; we are fighting on behalf of our NATO allies, not for our own defensive interests; our military is finally awash with funding, judging from appearances. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. H1N1: OUR BEST SHOT AT OBSESSION Posted 11.06.09 ROSS MURRAY But, I'm sorry, these days it's all H1N1 all the time. H1N1 may be the most famous number-letter combo since R2-D2. I can't recall when a subject so insinuated itself into our psyches. Even after 9/11, I never looked at my neighbours and thought, "Hmmm, I wonder if Jim's a terrorist..." But if I see a co-worker so much as scratch his nose, I seriously consider reporting him to the germ police. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca DISTRUST IS A DANGEROUS DRUG SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Public distrust of politicians is headed over the edge. The current H1N1 vaccination effort is an example of how this distrust hurts everyone. Conspiracy theories and rumours of corruption have become subjects of conversation, like the weather, but when this distrust becomes so extreme that people fear the vaccine more than the flu itself, we've got problems. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. WELCOME TO FACEBOO!: A GRUESOME HALLOWEEN PARABLE Posted 10.31.09 ROSS MURRAY Allison slouched at her computer and decided to make the best of the evening. So what if her date to the Crimson Conga Cotillion had cancelled? Who wants to dance in a line all night anyway? And it's so uncomfortable wearing all that fruit. No, she was better off at home with her mug of Placid Hospice Herbal Tea and her friends -- her Facebook friends. She had 342 of them, a good two-thirds of whom she actually knew, mostly from her high school, St. Scantily School for Girls. Allison checked her updates... Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca POOR H1N1 VACCINATION PLANNING SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We'd be justified in wondering if the H1N1 flu is as serious a threat as we're told. Obviously, if the health ministry officials aren't treating it as a major threat, why should the rest of us? Isn't it their job to assess these threats? Two clinic for the entire city does not indicate a major threat. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. MUNICIPAL ELECTION? YES, NO, OR NONE OF THE ABOVE Posted 10.26.09 ROSS MURRAY Is there an election in your municipality? Are you sure? What if you're wrong? Won't you feel silly showing up at town hall November 1 and there's nothing to put an X on. Luckily it's a Sunday so there won't be many people around. But still, the embarrassment will burn deep. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca A GOAT NAMED BOBBI Posted 10.22.09 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM An 11-year-old boy in Kenya is the proud owner of a goat named after me. This initiative is called the Get Your Goat program, and is designed to provide destitute families in African countries with milk for the children as well as providing baby goats so other families can benefit as well. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps toBetter Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com. 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. GIANT SNAKE, TINY CONSCIENCE Posted 10.16.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The recent discovery of a giant of a snake (at least to us), dead in a ditch on Terry Fox Road, was a shocker. Living as we do on the edge of Quebec's vast boreal wilderness, not to mention Gatineau Park, we are used to animals wandering in among us -- bears, coyotes, raccoons, deer, maybe a moose, none are strange to us. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
MORE THAN 300,000 VIEWERS AND COUNTING LCC's 'BABY LAKE MONSTER CAPTURED' ON YOU TUBE If you haven't yet viewed it yet, you can join the more than 304,000 folks who have. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNFMHKIT0-s Seeing is believing, eh? Or not. MUST WE SEEK ANOTHER PLANET TO CALL HOME? Posted 09.26.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Who can we trust? Ourselves. The missing component in this puzzle is us, behaving like stewards of our back yards, of our farms and fields, forests, and oceans. We can become informed and committed. And one good start is to turn down cut-rate canned salmon, tuna, and "BC Smoked Salmon" from China. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. The bouncy thing(660) Posted 09.26.09 ROSS MURRAY It's a great day in a parent's life when a child becomes too big to go on those inflatable bouncy games you find at fairs and carnivals. It's not that you want to deny your child the joys of jumping in a cushioned, germ-filled environment. It's just that if you want to do anything other than stand around as your child waits in line for her three-minute turn inside a pink, blow-up castle, you're in the wrong place. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca IS THE LEADING CANDIDATE THE APATHY PARTY? Posted 09.26.09 LILY RYAN IN THE PONTIAC, QUEBEC | However, the elephant in the room is this: only half of Pontiac's Liberal members bothered to vote on Sunday. Lily Ryan is the editor of the West Quebec Post. A HISTORY OF QUEBEC'S EASTERN TOWNSHIPS Posted 09.22.09 ROSS MURRAY The Eastern Townships were opened to settlement in 1791. There's a common misconception that the first settlers were United Empire Loyalists but most, in fact, were people looking for cheap land in the countryside and willing to drive out the locals to get it. Today, we would call these people Montrealers. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca IT'S "NEW POLITICS" IS IT, CANADA? Posted 09.18.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | This new form of campaigning has each party saying absolutely nothing about its own plans -- that's trivial and self-serving. Now, each party rejects the Vision Thing, projects, and platforms, and concentrates exclusively on attacking the other party and its leader. This refreshing change means we get the truth, finally. No more charades. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. THE ESSENTIAL EARLY INFLUENCE OF MUSIC Posted 09.16.09 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM Research has shown that music is an elemental part of our consciousness, and existed in early man before speech. Music teaches the brain how to integrate the right and left sides, helping us see things beyond the obvious. Certainly that's a significant element in innovation, which is one of the goals of higher education. 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. NIGGER! NIGGER! NIGGER! Posted 09.14.09 JOHN MAHONEY That's what US Rep. Joe 'You Lie!' Wilson -- aka Addison Graves Wilson, Sr., Republican of South Carolina -- really yelled during President Obama's health care address. And that's really what all the crazies are screeching at Town Hall Meetings, parades and protests, on YouTube with their code words... John Mahoney has published the LCC since March, 1996. THIS (OPENABLE) COLUMN HAS NO STRINGS ATTACHED Posted 09.09.09 ROSS MURRAY I could go on and on. For instance, I could grumble at length about creeping French. It goes like this: "The cost of the belly dancing course is $50 (including finger cymbals). Inscription will take place on opening day." Did you catch that? My spell checker didn't. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca A CAIRO COMMUTER IN RAMADAN 2007 Posted 09.05.09 KATHLEEN SAVILLE On Sharia Sheikh Rehan, the roadway is nearly deserted. The early evening lighting is pleasing. The buildings along Sheikh Rehan are of the French colonial era and the twilight softens their dirty brown facades to a soft tungsten lighting that is reminisant of Cairo in her heyday as "The Jewel of the Nile" in the early 1900s. Rower Kathleen Saville teaches and writes in Cairo, Egypt. She can be reached at ksaville@acuegypt.edu WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT AN ELECTION, CANADA? Posted 09.01.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We now have a party system that is largely regional, in which no party has an agenda that appeals to the entire country, and so each election results in a minority government. And we haven't had a minority leader with vision broad enough to unite the other parties. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. HAPPY (SCHOOL) DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN Posted 08.29.09 ROSS MURRAY To prepare for opening day and to ensure the efficient functioning of our classrooms, you will find below the list of school supplies that your child ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE. It is critical that you DO NOT DEVIATE FROM THIS LIST. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca US HEALTH CARE ALREADY RATIONED Posted 08.26.09 FRANK BERNHEISEL In the U.S. of A., we have a long history of rationing health care. The reason triage came into the English language in 1918 is because the casualties of WWI were so high they swamped the medical facilities. It is the same in every war and disaster. It also occurs in local emergency rooms, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Frank Bernheisel writes from the Washington DC region. NOT THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY New bridges or hypocrisy & hot air? Posted 08.24.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Imagine the letters to the editor and talk-show calls-every Ottawa commuter up on their hind legs lecturing us on being more accommodating, working together, and protecting the environment from the pollution of thousands of idling cars. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. A ROW ON THE NILE Posted 08.21.09 KATHLEEN SAVILLE CAIRO, EGYPT | Clumps of water lilies float by the boat. A working felucca crosses the river ahead of me, ferrying people from Gezira Island to the Giza side. I row on, entranced by the smooth motion of the oars as I push them forward and with a flick of the wrists, drop the oar blades in the water. Since I'm going with current, the pull through is easy and the oar handles are back in my lap ready to be pushed away over and over. The waves are minimal, barely a ripple to contend with. Rower Kathleen Saville teaches and writes in Cairo, Egypt. She can be reached at ksaville@acuegypt.edu SO YOU WANT TO BE A VIRTUAL ROCK 'N' ROLL STAR... Posted 08.19.09 ROSS MURRAY We've let a monster into our house. It's not under the bed or hiding in the closet. It's just sitting there, in the open, by the television, with wires like tentacles, waiting to reach out and suck you in. We've bought... a PlayStation. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca WHOSE LIGHT? WHOSE SOUNDS? WHOSE LAND? Posted 08.16.09 LILY RYAN IN THE PONTIAC, QUEBEC | Driving through Ottawa on a recent Saturday night, we noticed a hubbub of activity at the Parliament buildings. My daughter gleefully called for us to stop -- how could we drive by this festival? We stopped, not knowing what "festival" it would be. Lily Ryan is the editor of Quebec's Pontiac Journal. GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT SAVING EVERYTHING Posted 08.12.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | So why if the present recession is so much like the Great Depression are we seeing virtually no creative and progressive thinking or experimentation? What we are getting from our leaders and thinkers are lame attempts to prop up the old order, the very order that generated the crash. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. HOW I SAVED THE ECONOMY Posted 08.09.09 ROSS MURRAY In my e-mail to Canadian workers who were taking an unanticipated break from wage-earning, I wrote, "Look, it's summer, the kids are out of school, the weather's great. Okay, the kids are out of school. Anyway, take advantage of this interruption in the daily grind." Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca YES, OBAMA IS GUILTY Posted 08.06.09 JOHN MAHONEY Of course he is. Just look at him. President Obama is barely half white. John Mahoney edits the LCC. CANADA'S NATIONAL CAPITOL EYESORES Posted 08.05.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The bridges connecting Gatineau and Ottawa, apart from the new and small Champlain Bridge, would not be acceptable even in Espanola, Ontario, they are such embarrassments Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. CAN YOU DIG THE RIVER ROSS? Posted 07.29.09 ROSS MURRAY I just spent a week on the Bay of Fundy, which was recently named to a short list as a wonder of the world. By this, I don't think they mean, "It's so cold, it's a wonder anyone goes swimming," but that might be closer to the truth. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca ARE VOLUNTEERS A DYING BREED? Posted 07.28.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | These warnings are not empty. As our population ages, volunteers are aging and are retiring. As those who volunteer have noticed, it is often the same people who step up to the plate, time and time again. There comes a point when they tire (and when they tire of watching most of the population not contribute). Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. HEALTH CARE? DO SOMETHING! Posted 07.24.09 FRANK BERNHEISEL Coming to work, GOP Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia was on CSPAN radio talking about health care and how President Obama did not say much yesterday in his press conference on health care. He went on about how Americans will not give up their sacred right to choose their own doctor, etc. Frank Bernheisel writes from the Washington DC region. BIG GAME HUNTER, ME Posted 07.22.09 JOHN MAHONEY The Powers That Be don't allow elimination by lead here in Cobden on the Muskrat. That puts me in the armed but not dangerous category. IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, EH? Posted 07.20.09 ROSS MURRAY Complaining about the weather is Canada's national pastime, year-round. The winter's too cold, the spring is too wet, the autumn too leafy. But you never see more teeth-gnashing and fist-shaking than during a less than clement summer. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca SHOPPING IS NOT A RELIGION Posted 07.15.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The idea that Aylmer should have more parking lots, more stop lights, more malls is part of the thinking which has produced North America's urban sprawl nightmare. There are alternatives to more sprawl. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. WOULD YOU LIKE EXTRA RAM WITH THAT? Posted 07.13.09 ROSS MURRAY I know my way around computers. But that's like saying I know my way around Sherbrooke, Quebec, even though I've never lived or worked there, and I don't know any of the back roads or where to find decent Senegalese food and robot parts (don't ask). Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca OUR HOME GEOTHERMAL HEATING-COOLING PROJECT Posted 07.12.09 FRANK BERNHEISEL Kathy and I are having our house converted to geothermal heating and cooling. The way this works is that a heat transfer fluid, similar to the antifreeze/water fluid in a car, is pumped down the wells and either picks up heat or deposits heat -- depending on whether it is heating or cooling. Frank Bernheisel writes from the Washington DC region. POEM: THE NAKED TRUTH Posted 07.09.09 BERIT LUNDH Berit Lundh makes photographs and writes in Oslo, Norway. DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN AND AGAIN Posted 07.07.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | One positive to have come out of the current economic troubles is the concept of behavioral economics. The economics profession has now noticed that we are not exclusively rational decision-makers in the marketplace. We often act against our clear best interests (buying lottery tickets) and let ourselves be talked into agreements that are based on vanity or greed, rather than on rationality. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal. TEN RANDOM THINGS I'VE LEARNED -- IF YOU WEREN'T COOL IN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU WILL NEVER BE COOL Posted 07.06.09 ROSS MURRAY 1. I've learned to make a ponytail. Braids, however, are out of my league. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca THE VISION NOT YET FULFILLED Posted 07.05.09 FRANK BERNHEISEL Despite the fact that this is a terrific country to live in and the land of opportunity, it is not yet the land of equal opportunity. A child born to family in Mississippi has twice the chance of dying before reaching one year, as one born in Minnesota. If life is one of those unalienable Rights, for which our government was instituted to secure, why the gap between our statement of our vision and our performance? Frank Bernheisel writes from the Washington DC region. HOUND DOGGING IT Posted 07.01.09 JOHN MAHONEY Got dandelions? Thistles? Hate poison? Too creaky and twisted to get down on your arthritic knees and grub the suckers out? Sisters and brothers, assemble right over here and pay attention: STANLEY FEFFERMAN: CD REVIEW Posted 06.30.09 STANLEY FEFFERMAN KRISTY CARDENALI, MY ROMANCE MY CANADA INCLUDES AMPLE STORAGE Posted 06.28.09 ROSSMURRAY Invariably at this time of year I think about what it means to be Canadian, just like around Labour Day, I think about pie... not sure why that is, actually. Ross Murray is a freelance writer living in Stanstead, QC. He can be reached at Ross_murray@sympatico.ca NEWSPAPERS: GOING ELECTRONIC, OR JUST GOING? Posted 06.25.09 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Yes, the telephone and paper have yet to be exceeded by modern technology, although they are certainly being added-to. They're no longer the only game in the industry. Which is true for the newspaper industry itself. No new media has co-opted all of newspapers' benefits, but they have certainly added to our industry's reach and services. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
GRADS,
YOUR FUTURE'S JUST A FLUSH AWAY She's back in Montreal, healed from the mugging, and ready to rock and roll -- read on...
THE FAILED WAX
JOB
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." 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.
|
|
 JANE DOES THE LAUNDRY
WINTER SOLSTICE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
