Happy New Year!

-- Wishing you Health and Happiness in 2016.

Early Christmas Gift

What was your all-time favourite Christmas gift?
A special childhood gift (sled, electric train?), an object that someone spent a lot of time and effort on crafting (tree decoration, item of jewelry?).
Odds are it arrived a few days early.
And, you had to wait (and wait) until Christmas morning to find out, when the family opened their gifts around the Christmas tree!
This year, we didn't have to wait ..... quite so long.
Our 'special gift' arrived back home a couple of weeks early!

Early in the morning of December 10, our grand-nice Amélie (a.k.a.: 'La niña'), along with Mama Yannis and Papa Chris, arrived 'back home' (direct quote!) from Toronto.
Papa had had to move his young family to T-O last June, to continue working in the movie business.
The N.S. Governmnent's Spring budget had pulled the plug on the Movie Tax rebate law, effectively destroying a lucrative local industry.

Attention (Bargain) Shoppers!

During the last few weeks, the media have been bombarding us with the phenomenon of 'Black Friday.'
On that day of the year, according to the merchandizing trade, retail companies have paid their bills, and can now start making a profit.

In doing so, they seem to celebrate BIG, by offering (sometimes unbelievable) bargains, with price cuts of 50% even 65%!
(Sometimes, not so big. But that is another story.)
Of course, bargains are not a new thing.
My wife once work at the Sears department store in Halifax, as one of the pioneers of mail-order by computers.
Generation alert: computers during that era spanned the size of large rooms, but had much less power than the iPhone in my hand.

'In Flanders Fields' -- A Century Later

Since the years of World War I, the poppy has remained a symbol of Remembrance Day.
Most of us in Canada wear it proudly on our lapels each year, and it is also worn in the U.K. and, to a lesser extent, in the U.S.A.
But we Canadians have our own symbol of war, peace and remembrance: the poem, 'In Flanders Fields.'
This year we celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the poem by Lt.-Col John McRae, a field surgeon from Guelph, Ontario.
The poem still resonates and continues to inspire, a century after its publication.
According to a story posted on CBC News on November 11, 'it was hardly the only poem penned out of the emotion of the First World War. But its vivid imagery and the haunting evocation of men whose lives were lost have given it a lasting place in the collective Canadian imagination.'
In short, it 'gets to your soul.'
At that same CBC News story, you can listen to 'In Flanders Fields', read by Michael Enright.
Here is the poem, written by McCrae, soon after the death of a friend during the second battle of Ypres in the spring of 1915:

'We shall remember them.'

Ray Kurzweil - Futurist

Imagine my surprise, Dear Reader, upon reading that 'famed futurist' Ray Kurzweil had visited Halifax earlier this month.
Who is Ray Kurzweil, and what is a 'futurist'?

-- Kurzweil, currently the director of engineering at Google, has a 40-plus-year history of developing ideas on the cutting edge of technology from the idea stage to full-blown reality.
-- A 'futurist,' according to the Association of Professional Futurists -- there really IS one -- 'is a person who studies the future in order to help people understand, anticipate, prepare for and gain advantage from coming changes.'
Ray Kurzweil has been described as 'the restless genius' by The Wall Street Journal,

Driving ... 'Round and Round'

Until a few years ago, I thought driving was fun.
I was eager to get my driver's license as a typical teenager, and managed to do that ONE WEEK after my 16th birthday!

Driving meant freedom: you could go places (and come back from places!) without having any formal itinerary.
While some of the fun was actually reaching your destination, most of it was 'getting there,' when you were observing what was happening along your route.
I really enjoyed taking a nice, fast drive on a big highway, especially on one of the 'Autoroutes' in Québec (and not getting lost! .. family joke) or on 'The 4-0-1' in Ontario.
Suddenly, perhaps 10 or 15 years ago, I realized I didn't look forward to driving, especially on the highways,

Pope Francis: 'Superstar'?

You might want to apply that term to a visitor:

-- who attracts cheering crowds wherever he goes;
-- celebrates Mass attended by hundreds of thousands of people;
-- addresses a joint session of the U-S Congress;
-- addresses the U-N General Assembly;
and -- tours the streets in an open vehicle, which often stops en route, so he can kiss babies!
However, according to Vatican Radio, the Holy Father rejects that label, By saying, "I'm not a star, but the servant of servants of God."

'September' Means ...

-- Back to more temperate weather:
Even though Autumn begins next weekend, we are still having the "dog days of Summer" conditions around here.
Lots of hot, muggy weather during the last couple of months, we're hoping for cooler temps.

-- Back to school, all the way from primary to University levels.
The children we know have mixed feelings about going back; the younger ones are most excited, especially for their "first day."
But there are have been some notable exceptions. In the "Peanuts" comic strip, Charlie Brown's little sister, Sally, came home from school after the first day of classes,

Wasn’t That a Party!

Many families and schools hold reunions during the summer … especially in Cape Breton, where they really know how to throw a PARTY!
We attended a special event in Sydney last weekend, the ‘100th Birthday’ bash for my cousin, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bates, formerly of Louisbourg.

To call it ‘the social event of the season’ would be an understatement; she had been ‘sending’ invitations for at least three years.
The day turned out very warm and muggy,

Attention, les Acadiens!

On va célébrer ensemble notre fête nationale.

Cest la fête de l'Assomption de la Vièrge Marie, 'Stella Maris,' notre Patronne.

Ecoutez ici et chantez notre hymne national:

Ave Maris Stella,
Dei Mater Alma,
Atque Semper Virgo
Felix Coeli Porta (bis)

Acadie ma patrie
À ton nom, je me lie,
Ma vie, ma foi sont à toi
Tu me protégeras. (bis)

Acadie ma patrie (mon pays)
Ma terre et mon défi
De près, de loin tu me tiens
Mon coeur est acadien (bis)

Acadie, ma patrie
Ton histoire, je la vis
La fierté, je te la dois
En l’avenir, je crois (bis)

Ave Maris Stella,
Dei Mater Alma,
Atque Semper Virgo
Felix Coeli Porta (bis)

Félicitations, et bonne fête Acadienne!

‘Roundabout’ Hit Records

You would think, Dear Reader, that making a hit record would be relatively easy: you write a good song and get a singer, hire a good Producer, musicians (a.k.a. ‘the pickers’) and book a recording studio and technicians.

That done; I feel like ’Solid Gold’ already.
But it doesn't always go that smoothly!
Some hit records have had rather 'roundabout' backgrounds:
1. In the mid 1950s, Paul Anka from Ottawa, at age 15, had embarked on a music career, but had not achieved many record sales. He was ambitious enough

The Record Producer

One item has been featured near the top of my 'Bucket List' for a long time: working as a record producer.

Nothing fancy: just one song, including the video.
However, after doing some online research lately, I have concluded that it can be a rough assignment, even if you are already famous!
Here are a few examples:
— Sam Phillips owned Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, in the early 1950s. He gathered and produced songs for a number of singers such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and even a young truck driver from Tupelo, Mississippi, named Elvis Presley.
Phillips was ready to launch Presley's career, but ran into financial difficulties,

A Good Breakfast ?

Just when you think you have some idea all figured out, along comes a story that 'gob-smacks' you.
Background: I watched a TV special last week on PBS about the joys of having breakfast, at a series of small family-run restaurants across the U-S-A, from Ohio to Oregon.

As I have been celebrating breakfast since I was a 'wee tad' (which, Dear Reader, was many years ago) — at the insistence of my Mother — I was delighted to identify with those folks.
I also began to recall the childhood and current ’treat' of going out for a good breakfast.
Not for a minute, Dear Reader, was it a case of getting away from a poor breakfast, or having none at all.
Au contraire.

The Magna Carta

For those of us, Dear Reader, who studied English History in school, the following terms are still familiar, even after all these years: ‘June 15, 1215,’ ‘King John,’ ‘the Runnymede.’
Today marks in the 800th anniversary of the ‘Magna Carta,’ or ‘Great Charter.’

Why was this document so important?
It is considered as the basis of the rule of law, not merely a promise made by a king but a right possessed bv the people.
In the early 13th century, King John was not England's ‘Mr. Nice Guy.’
He ruled using the principle of ‘force and will,’ and considered himself above the Law.
He kept asking for more money and soldiers from the barons, who actually ran the administration. They even had to do his work for him, by collecting the tax money and recruiting the soldiers!

Save Studio A

Let’s suppose that while you’re walking beside a 2-storey faded brick building in Nashville, Tennessee, you come across a plaque with these words;
“RCA records established a recording studio in this building in November 1957, with local offices run by guitarist-producer Chet Atkins. Its success lead to a larger studio, known as Studio A, built next-door in 1964. Studio B recorded numerous hits by Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson, Charley Pryde, Jim Reeves, Dolly Parton, and many others. Along with Bradley Studios, Studio B is known for developing ‘The Nashville Sound.’”
For many years, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Chet Atkins managed RCA’s Nashville operation and produced hundreds of hits there. His production techniques (and guitar performances) are the stuff of legend!

(An RCA77DX mic, a workhorse in recording, radio and TV studios for generations.)
The sale of this building last year on what came to be known as “Music Row” to a condo developer caused a storm of controversy in Nashville.
Many citizens began to take a hard look at what was happening to properties in that area.
Trey Bruce, a local producer and musician, heard about

A Graduation Adventure

One afternoon in May, 1977, I found myself driving a a rented car through congested downtown Boston traffic, from Logan Airport to Chestnut Hill.
What was I doing there? you might ask, Dear Reader, which is what I was asking myself at that very moment!

I was bound for the Boston College Registrar Office, to see if my name was on the graduation list for that weekend.
In those days you had to check this list in person (or ask a trusted friend to go over there for you). These days, of course, they post the list on the University website, for all the world to see!)
I had taken the day off, Friday, to fly to Boston to take part in graduation ceremonies the next Monday, without knowing my status!

The Film Tax Credit Saga

Nova Scotia is a great place to make films.
Over the last 15 years or so, many of the big players, such as

CBS and Disney, have come here to produce excellent feature films, TV series and a host of world-famous childrens animated shows, such as 'Inspector Gadget.'
They are impressed with what we offer: beautiful scenery, teams of well-trained and hard-working actors and technicians and state-of-the-art production facilities.
And, excellent food services.
One of the major rules in film production -- anywhere -- is that the catering service has to be top-notch. Here, it’s GREAT!
The Nova Scotia government had provided a $24-million financial catalyst called the Nova Scotia Film Tax Credit, which allowed the production companies to write off a good portion of their costs.
The film industry here is worth $150 million annually, and supports 2,700 full-time jobs.
Our family has an important connection here: our nephew, Chris, has been active in the local film business for several years, having worked recently on such productions as: CBS Movies of the Week, the 'Jessie Stone' series, with Tom Selleck, 'The Book of Negroes,' 'Lizzie Borden,' and even 'The Trailer Park Boys.'
But, this spring, the time of budgets and bean-counters,

If you like sports …

Spring is a great time for a sports fan, because there is so much going on.
Let's have a look at some of the sports in my orbit:

- - Cricket, yes cricket: The World Cup has just wrapped up in Melbourne, Australia; the title was one by New Zealand. I watched the highlights of the final match, which showed had some Great plays! Australia overwhelmed New Zealand to win the World Cup for a fifth time at an ecstatic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
- - Hockey: the Stanley Cup playoffs begin tonight; of course, Toronto Maple Leafs didn't make it (again!!), but quite a number of Canadian teams did: Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and, of course, my Montreal Canadiens, who will face Ottawa Senators in the first round.

A Scoop for Seaside FM

Last Saturday night, 12:36 a.m., Air Canada AC624 airbus from Toronto made a "hard landing" at Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Heavy snowstorm is in progress, with winds gusting up to 100 km an hour.
Here is the timeline, as I saw it from our house:
A minute later, my wife is awakened by a chorus of sirens from the local police / fire / ambulance station here in Bedford.

1:30 a.m.: Seaside FM has broken into regular program, and is presenting live tweets, read by Wayne Harnett from his Twitter screen. He states from many sources that there has been a "hard landing" at HSIA, and ALL 138 passengers and crew have been safely evacuated.
Some tweets are already being posted by passengers, beside the wreckage.

Evernote Never Forgets

My first meeting with Evernote took place some years ago (as listed in my 'Note’), and I have been using it continually, often several times a day.

Before that when I need to remember some information, I used to reach for my pen and trusty note pad in my shirt pocket, and write a name, phone number, and email address.
This notepad system was not efficient; information became difficult to find, it would become full, and I'd have to replace it. If I hadn't transferred the information

Bye-Bye, February!

... And Don't Come Back!
Earlier this week. I was preparing a schedule for the next few weeks, and realized it was so great to write ’March’ in the heading.
We have experienced a brutal February.

And, we Maritimers are not alone: folks from New England all the way down to Georgia have had (and are having) record low temps, snow and ice.
Low temps here - minus 30-degree Celsius in Bedford - have persisted since before the last week of January.
Because it affects everybody, certain phrases have re-entered our conversations:
‘Flash-freezing:’ The storms came by from the Eastern Seaboard, and brought: blizzards, with white-outs and strong winds, usually followed by freezing rain,

Our Flag at 50

It may still be called the “maple leaf flag” or even the “new flag” my some of my older friends, but today marks the 50th birthday of our Canadian flag!

In fact, a story on CBC News today by Janet Davidson, “Canada's Maple Leaf flag turns 50, middle age still gives off a nice red glow,” also sets it well.
Sub-heading: “Fought over at first, our new symbol soon won over continents, and even Canadians.”
It won me over early … as soon as the red maple leaf design was revealed back in 1964 … and became instantly recognizable as a symbol of Canada.
Every teaching day, during my teaching career of 31 years, I proudly displayed our flag in a prominent spot in my classroom.
It DOES look great, doesn’t it?
It was born after years of often stormy and divisive debate.

Taking the ‘e-book Plunge’

We have always liked to read, since we can remember … and our house is full of books!

While we were both active teachers, we had to do a lot of ‘professional’ reading: reports, school policies, course assignments, etc., along with our reading to keep up with the news.
So it was a treat to find a nice quiet spot and read a good romantic or detective story (for my wife and for me, resp.).
We have been finding the time lately -- and believe me, it’s tough sometimes, even when we’re retired -- to read our favourite stories.
We cased our local book stores, armed with discount cards, exchanged books with friends, and were active borrowers from our excellent Halifax Public Library.
We were enjoying reading books again.
And, presto, along comes the … ’eBook reader!’
What to do, Dear Reader?

Colin vs. the Dragon!

Over the last three weeks or so, I have been trying to download and install "Dragon Dictation” for Mac, v. 4, with no success.
While my saga is not on the same scale as the trials of the legendary St. George, there are some parallels.
(A second 'St. George' — see below — had an easier time.)

You might ask, Dear Reader: Why do I use dictation software? Because of my poor finger skills on the keyboard, I use a dictation program when I have to write long documents.
I often have to prepare copy to post on our parish website, or the text of readings and announcements for a variety of liturgical ceremonies throughout the year.
Mac has an internal dictation program, which is so-so, and ’Evernote’ uses one which is better.
But neither of them come close to Dragon.