Ironing out the wrinkles

Pot-Pourri and Pi

2011-11-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

Pot-Pourri and Pi's Tales of boy centipedes, dreams, and citizenship is an article from the 1949 to 1953.

It is interesting to look back on the way things were viewed and handled in everyday life. I also included to show a very different view of the man who wrote the November 11th remembrance. People are complicated...

With an assist from a lady with a pencil ...Traffic Sergeant Lloyd Hanwell. of the city police... a confession from the citizen ... we tracked down a Sudbury Star Citizenship Award citizen.

Seems there was a little, gray-haired lady in the 5 o'clock rush ... trying to cross Frood Rd. from Beech to get to the groceteria ... The southbound traffic raced ... All but one motorist.

He slowed down, stopped ... Traffic behind him was halted ... Alex of Pembroke St., Sudbury hopped out of his car ... walked across to the street and helped the little old lady over ... Hopped back into his car and drove away ... A lady saw the whole thing ... Jotted down the license number on a piece of paper ... In the groceteria she saw the little old lady and commented on the action of the driver ... The reply: "Yes. Wasn't that nice of him?" expressed her gratitude.

Just like we're always saying ... We have a lot of nice people in our city.

A Remembrance

2011-11-10T23:19:00.000-08:00

The following is a story by my father Alex who was a member of the Black Watch. He told the story to the Sudbury Scene who published his story as well as others in a special two page spread on Thursday Nov 7th 1963. Be advised it is wartime and blunt.

The day I remember most vividly from the Second World War was the day we entered the town of Groningen, Holland.

We moved along quite well until we came to a canal. There was no way across. The bridges had been blown. As we waited, an old Dutchman came along and asked the lieutenant what the trouble was.

The lieutenant told the civilian to "get lost," but some of the fellows started talking to the Dutchman who knew a little English. We told him the problem.

The old man went away...but he soon returned, this time toting a barge. He tied it up where we were waiting and disappeared again. In a short time he was back again with another barge -- and then another.

All the time the Germans were taking potshots at the Dutchman but they did not hit him. He left before we could thank him for the three barges which helped us to hop across to the other side of the canal.

On the other side a German sniper pinned us down from a nearby tower. Our lieutenant told a young private who had joined us two days before to take the PIAT and blow a hole in the tower. The private replied he had never fired that type of weapon the officer said "Now is the time to learn."

And he made a good job of it - a bull's eye the first shot. And so we moved forward again to our objective, a park two streets away.

We went from house to house and as we approached the park we found twenty Germans were in an air raid shelter in the park. Their small arms fire kept us in the houses. One of our fellows crept close to the shelter and called on the Germans to surrender.

They wouldn't so he used the flame thrower on the shelter... And we took the park.

A Walk for the Future

2007-04-29T15:58:00.001-07:00

Walk for Darfur

I live on the prairies in Canada. The land is flat, the weather can change from bathing suit hot to freezing cold in hours. Last weekend we were in the grips of a snowstorm. This weekend I went from Red Deer to Edmonton by car and there was hardly a trace of snow just a little hiding in the north recesses of the tree lines. The high temperature of the day was 12.9C, at its’ lowest 2.1C. The North wind gusted to 46 k/hr trying to knock the car off the road. A typical prairie spring day.

In the vastness of nothing but fields I spotted a group of teens huddled together against the wind walking along the road facing north. Facing into the cold wind. Clutching tightly their coats to their bodies. Their backpacks trying to fly free like kites behind them. Heads down to protect their eyes they walked.

Their goal to walk 300 km between Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta in 8 days making 15 presentations to high schools about the 2 million people displaced by the genocide in Darfur. They are hoping to raise money that will be donated to Warchild, a non-profit organization providing front line support to the people of Darfur.

I had wished I had taken their picture. People say that teens don’t care but here was a group of people who hoped to make a difference in the world. Here they huddled together walking with hope that their message would be heard.

To read more of their trip click here for their story.

I would also like to mention that at the time I spotted them there was no support vehicles in sight for at least 20 km in either direction. These young people walked alone as Darfur walks alone.

A Bright Idea?

2007-04-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Since I originally wrote this blog more information on the ban as been released. It was yesterday’s top story.

On the evening news last night beside the government spokespersons, the people from Project Porchlight were interviewed. Smiling, thinking they have accomplished a great task, yet if you read the first 4 responses to “A bright idea spreads** I think their smiles are premature.

JAG makes them sound like a bunch of partiers and Yana, Lon and Ray makes it look like they really didn’t think things through.

To be fair there is Ban The Bulb. An interesting blog that has Campaign Goals that make sense. I like # 6. Propose appropriate exemptions Make the case for appropriate medical and specialist exemptions.

So where do I apply for my exemption?

My clever friend Eric, sent me the following link Banning light bulbs? A TV-inspired policy ... an interesting article. How much is this idea is inspired by reality and how much by the media. Has anyone figured out the emissions of making a fluorescent bulb versus an incandescent? What about the recycling aspect? Announce how YOU can save the environment by changing bulbs might make you fell better but is it real or a political ploy?

The article “Critics claim ban hardly bright idea” says of the ban that it will be “a minor dent in the nation's greenhouse gas emissions” and "In any event, it will account for less than one percent in Alberta and less than one per cent nationally." My favorite quote from the article is “incandescent bulbs use 5% to 10% of the energy they consume to generate light, with the rest being shed as heat.” Does that mean people will turn up their thermostats in the winter darkness because the light bulbs don’t offer any heat?

Well, my panic at this story has subsided somewhat with the notification that this will all take affect 2012. If I start now, maybe I figure out how to get that exemption and if not—I wonder how many light bulbs my attic will hold?

**I took a copy paste of the response page for two reasons. First because you would have to open another window and because a webmaster can remove views that might not be in line with the site.

4 Responses to “A bright idea spreads”

JAG Says: March 23rd, 2007 at 7:05 pm
… and to think it all started over beer and a BBQ! You’ve come a long way from 50 bulbs on a cold day in Kinmount. Here’s to changing the world - one bulb at a time. Congrats to the entire Porchlight Team!! JAG

Yana Maltais Says: April 25th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Great idea to save power.
BUT why is no one talking about the mercury in the flourescent bulbs
OR what happens in the landfills to this mercury
OR the problem of lack of toxic waste processors in Canada?
OR what happens in China etc. where the ‘recycling’ of flourescent bulbs happens???
Responsible organizations need to look at the whole picture.
Be the first to raise this issue, before the others I am contacting.
Yana

Lon Says: April 25th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Has the National Research Council or any other scientifically based organization done any research about the energy cost in terms of home heating from making the change away from incandescent? If so, where can I read up on this?
We are bombarded with messages that incandescents are wasteful, but they, like other electrical resistant devices, are actually 100% efficient at utilizing electricity to make heat and light (obviously mostly heat). I am of the opinion that in Canada, for the most part, this heat is actually utilized most of the year. We need to look at the energy requirements of the entire home, not just home lighting.
Cetainly efficient lighting plays a major role in the grand scheme, but my concern is that in Canada our main source of electricity is hydro (renewable), and therefore by losing a portion of electrical heating, the overall usage of primary fuels will have to increase, thus increasing overall CO2 emmisions.

Ray Says: April 26th, 2007 at 12:33 am
I am suprised with all the news commentary on compact fluorescent bulbs and no mention about LED bulbs which are much more eficient than the flourescent bulbs. Here are a few examples of web sites describing these bulbs.
http://www.ccrane.com/lights/led-light-bulbs/index.aspx
http://www.thinkgeek.com/clearance/7aa8/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9399209/

Light Bulb Hell!

2007-04-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

This morning started off relatively normal then I read that the Conservative Government of Canada has announced details about its plan to ban "inefficient" incandescent light bulbs, as part of its national environmental initiative.

I know helping the environment is always an excellent goal except for one small challenge. I have photosensitivity epilepsy. Flashes and flickers cause me to have Grand Malle seizures. I have problems going outside my home because of my intolerance to the lighting in most buildings and the possibility of flashing lights on vehicles outside. For example, on garbage pick up day in my neighborhood, I must be vigilant not to see the flashing back up warning light of the garbage truck. To see the light will cause me to have a seizure.

My neurologist has prescribed special glasses that can cut some frequencies but I am unable to afford them until the end of July. They aren’t covered under our healthcare system.

What will this ban mean? Will the government regulate the frequencies of the bulbs sold? I know I am only one person but I do know many people complain they suffer from migraines because of fluorescent lights. While halogen lighting isn’t as bad as fluorescent it still seems to have a refresh or flicker.

I am all for getting green but will there must be exceptions, will I have to buy black market light bulbs or get a doctor’s note as not to be arrested by buying incandescent light bulbs.

I don’t drive an SUV. I recycle and keep the thermostat down to save energy. I try to be green.
Will the Conservative Government make me live in the dark

I love Forbes.com.

2007-04-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

I am a very visual person and I really like Forbes for the integration of pictures in their articles online. Check out this slide show of the top clean cities in the world.

Just click the dinosaur below.

While I have lived in one of these cities and worked in 3 others I am disappointed to say I don’t live in a clean city now. I guess our city’s light rail transit, park systems and recycling programs don’t add up enough or they forgot to put us on the list to start with.

Is it spring?

2007-04-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

The weather here is miserable here. Just two days ago I was admiring our neighbors crocuses as I walked to the mailbox in short sleeves and now all this snow!

We have a saying in here, “If you don’t like the weather this morning just hang around till this afternoon”.

I really should not complain too much because I am safe at home and not on these icy roads.

Brave Bloggers and technology

2007-04-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today I read some interesting blogs.

I’ve never been much for reading the internet. Research, yes – for pleasure, no.

I am amazed at how people put themselves out there. I wonder if they realize their actions might have uncomfortable consequences?

I must admit I am a big chicken. Everything in my blog is and always will be truthful but I don’t want to hurt anyone I care about. So the names change.

Today for example the headlines around the world are all about the tragedy at Virginia Tech University. It really makes me wonder if reporting this type of incident so sensationally is more of a catalyst for other incidents.

When I was in high school in the mid 70’s our city of less than 100,000 people had two high school shootings in one year. Only one was actually reported in the news as the shooter was an irate neighbor who was tired of the students shortcutting across his lawn so he armed himself and shot at the students entering the school. None luckily were injured seriously and the only thing reported was he was being sent to the local mental health hospital for study. The other shooting more interestingly took place after the first and it was a student who brought a rifle to school. The story goes that basically the student fired 3 shots in the hallway and was stopped by a fellow student who snuck up behind him and stabbed him in the leg with a penknife. Various students witnessed this but although the police were present afterwards, no report was officially released in spite of the fact the local newspapers’ head offices were within a few blocks of the school.

I sometimes wonder how much things really have changed or is it just harder to hide facts now with all of our technology.

By the way, neither the gunman nor the guy who stopped him ever returned to school.

Nappy Happy

2007-04-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

Although I am one of the rare few who doesn't have cable or even satellite television I saw on Friday the worried faces of the View women when the beautiful and talented Halle Berry confirmed an upcoming fall movie in which she is starring is called "Nappily Ever After!"

I can't get over Barbara Walter's face as the offending word was spoken. Her normal gregarious smile tightens and her eyes grew concerned. What was going on with these women I thought. Why do they seem upset about NappilyEver After?

As the program continued I realized that some disdainful word had been spoken. Boy I must have missed something! What the hell were they talking about ! (Click here to see for yourself the incident.)

Nappy? Isn't that a compliment on the way you dress? Wait no, that's the term natty from the 1940's. (I watch a lot of black and white old movies.)

Nappy - that's what I used to say to my toddler when she rubbed her eyes and got cranky. "It's Nappy time, sweetheart". No that doesn't sound like something to get upset over.

Awww, I finally got it! Nappy is the British term for diaper. The ladies were appalled that a movie would be called "Diaper Ever Happy"! So I went along my blissful day yesterday thinking I figured it out.

Today I read the paper. There was an article with comments from Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, the highest-ranking black woman in U.S. history. She commented on the April 4th incident where some guy named Imus referred to the mainly African-American Rutgers University basketball team as "nappy-headed hos".

So I looked up these terms and was surprise to find that apparently "nappy" is a derogatory way of referring to the tight curls many people of African background have in their hair. While "ho" is slang for "whore". I was familiar with 'ho' but I didn't realize 'nappy' the other term was bad.

If I ever encounter a cranky (child of color)* who is rubbing her eyes will I have to be careful not to address her as I would my own child and say, "It's Nappy time, sweetheart" for fear I was damaging her for life because of my choice of wording.

Don't get me wrong; Imus is a jerk that got what he dissevered for being so hateful. But words are just words, it's the hateful intent behind then that makes them wrong. We must remember that.

By the way if anyone out there knows where I can find a guide on acceptable words, please let me know where I can find it. I don't want to call someone something horrible at least without meaning it.

*Not sure what the acceptable politically correct term today is and what is color anyway.

A Start

2007-04-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today I start my blog. I live a somewhat normal life except that currently I can’t walk out the door of my home without fear.

I wasn’t always this way.

I guess I lead what can be called a normal middle class existence. I grew up in an average sized city where the largest employer was a mining operation.

My dad was a hardworking man who like many others at the time didn’t have a high school diploma. He worked of course in the mines. My mother on the other hand was a college graduate who stayed home to raise the kids.

The kids, my sister and me.

My first solid memory of my sister is rather strange or at least the circumstances are. I can vividly see her jumping up and down red faced, mouth open like a fish. Her sandy blond hair corkscrews away from her head. Hazel eyes popping out of her head. Her arms gesturing wildly occasionally stopping long enough for her to point in my direction.

My mother, the only other person in the room besides myself is raising her voice and looking at me with concern. She focuses her eyes on my sister and shouts, “You can’t shake her upside down! She is NOT like a piggy bank!”

“But, but, but she ate it all!” my sister Debbie whines. “Don’t put things near the crib where she can reach them” mom says as she bends over to examine me.

“I want it back! Daddy gave it to me!” she snorts.

“Well you can’t have it and shaking your sister upside down could really hurt her.”

I hear a door slam.

“Daddy’s home!” Debbie yells as she races toward the back door.

My mom shakes her head, rubs her hands on her apron and softly says, “What I am going to do with you? Two dimes and a nickel.”

I always did love the shiny stuff.