KENAZ 'S BLOG: 2009-12

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Four soldiers, Calgary Herald reporter die on routine patrol in Kandahar

"Vir fortis natus" "Destined Hero"

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Ode to the Canadian Soldiers Video

I had the song "Ode to the Canadian Soldiers" a tribute song for the Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan uploaded to the now defunct Imeem and inserted into every tribute post to the fallen. In it's place I found the video for the song which was written and recorded by John MacPhee, Paul Schram and Brad Howe was ordered played on armed forces radio in Afghanistan by CDS General Rick Hillier. This is from Brad Howe's Youtube page.

(For Full Size) Ode to the Canadian Soldiers - Mirage 3

Later,

Kenaz

Monday, December 28, 2009

"Andrew Nuttall was an outstanding leader, an outstanding soldier"

"Vir fortis natus" "Destined Hero"

Saturday, December 05, 2009

2009 Fifth Annual Kenaz Awards

My awards for those who made the headlines in 2009 in the spirit of this site. The nominees where taken from the many posts I made this year and cover local, canadian and international persons that made headlines.

Welcome to the fifth annual "Kenaz Awards". Still no glitz, no glamour, no expensive bling. Just a cold beer and some cheese to celebrate the stories that made you cheer,jeer,get angry,cry or say 'Good lord!".

Missed The Boat Award

Jim Balsillie: While running the most important tech company to emerge from Canada, he also made a daring bid to bring a seventh NHL team to Canada

Warm and Fuzzies Award
The audience tittered when Susan Boyle, who had turned 47 years old just 10 days earlier, walked onto the stage for "Britain's Most Talented." She bore the look of the frumpy spinster. As her first eight notes of "I Dreamed a Dream" filled the auditorium, the audience was mesmerized.

Justice Served

Travis Bailey has lived with open hate for the teenager who fired a shotgun blast into the back of his head. In April, he watched Thomas Riordan, 20, walk out of court in shackles to begin a 6 1/2-year prison term for attempting to murder him.

Only one hour earlier, Bailey watched as the same man who nearly killed him was sentenced to life in prison without chance for parole for 14 years for murdering a young Waterdown man later that year. Under Canadian law, both sentences run at the same time.

"I'm glad it's done. I can finally sleep easy," Bailey said. "Now I know justice has been served."

In April four men finally felt the sting of justice as the gavel fell in three highly publicized Hamilton cases.

Corey Rogers sentenced to life in jail
Aziga guilty verdict makes history
Brothers (Thomas Riordan and Shane) admit to killing

Stories of the Year

Swine flu seemed to come out of nowhere. The new virus, H1N1, is a combination of swine, avian, and human influenza thought to have been first contracted by a boy in Mexico last March. By April, the disease was spreading rapidly around the globe, provoking panic and misconceptions (like the idea that pigs could transmit the disease).

On June 11, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic after the number of worldwide cases reached nearly 30,000. Scientists developed a swine-flu vaccine.

Global economic collapse, averted. Recession, analysts declared, was over. But aside from the few who got Wall Street bonuses, nobody was celebrating. In 2009, old-fashioned thrift became dire necessity. Those lucky enough to have jobs and homes scrimped and saved.

Humanitarian Award

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III lands a crippled plane on the Hudson
        River in New York.

Iron Man Award

Whatever their political affiliation, no one can dispute that Barack Obama made history when he took the oath of office on January 20, 2009. As Candidate Obama, he made the 2008 Top 10 list. As President Obama, both glamorized and pilloried.

America was headed at breakneck speed to an economic breakdown, and the country was taking the whole world with it. The problems were years in the making and complex, touching everything from overextended credit and ballooning mortgages to Wall Street speculations and toxic banks.

Well before No. 44 took office, people wanted the details of "Obama's economic stimulus plan."
Within days of taking office, campaign promises turned into rapid-fire executive orders. A domestic stimulus bill and troop withdrawal from Iraqi cities were underway. Nearly all provoked spats, but the "Obama health care plan" unleashed feverish protests and ended the honeymoon period

Injustice Award

The "Talented Mr. Madoff" told everyone from author Elie Wiesel to the New York Mets that he could make them richer. But Bernard Madoff didn’t tell his clients that he was doing it through an elaborate Ponzi scheme. In the end, he confessed to his sons, who turned him in.

The sheer, unimaginable scope of his deceit—$65 billion—made him a poster boy for What Went Wrong on Wall Street. Some investors actually made money, but many people—and even towns—lost a huge chunk of their savings. Madoff’s infamy wasn’t just confirmed in widespread searches and news packages devoted to his rascality: His scheming landed him in Time’s Top 10 Crooked CEOs. The guilty plea came without a fight. As the financier finishes out his life in prison, he has spun off a mini-industry of lawsuits, auctions, and political lashings.

Biggest Loser Award

The marriage between America's fertility sweethearts Jon and Kate Gosselin unraveled in time for their season 5 premiere. The parents of twins and sextuplets had raised their family before TLC cameras, but tales of extramarital carousing, maternal entitlement, and all-around greed didn't make the script until 2009. They marked a 10th anniversary—and then came a rapid descent: divorce papers, rotating girlfriends, plummeting ratings, lawsuits, apologies, regrets, and a subtraction to "Kate Plus 8."

• Christian Bale. Foul-mouthed rants seemed so 2007, but the actor cussed out a director of photography on the "Terminator Salvation" set for ruining his concentration. The tape leaked Feb. 2, which inspired a week of remixes and parodies. Bale manned up the old-fashioned way: by calling into the radio station that played snippets all week. As to who owes apologies for the movie's lukewarm reception—that's still unclear.

• Chris Brown. The singing/acting prodigy became a villain in a domestic-violence dispute with celebrity girlfriend, Rihanna, on Grammy night (Feb. 8). Brown's posted apology on July 20 received mixed reviews, and the incident inspired dueling albums. Brown—sentenced to a five-year probation—plans to tell all in a Dec. 11 "20/20" interview. For her part, Rihanna has rebounded.

• Kanye West. Slamming a president is one thing, but trashing an ingenue's first VMA Awards moment is another. The hip-hop artist got booted after he interrupted Taylor Swift's Best Female Video win on Sept. 13. His chain of apologies began on his blog (twice), continued on Jay Leno, and concluded with a direct phone call.

Wack Job of the Year

The January 26 birth of octuplets sounded like a New Year's miracle. Tended by 46 workers, Nadya Suleman's babies beat the odds to become the second set of octuplets ever born alive in the U.S. But a watercooler tale of fertility science flared into a bioethical debate—Suleman has a child and adolescent development degree, but she was unemployed, living with her parents, and already tending to six other kids.

Wacky or Funny News Story or Post of the Year

A northern Virginia couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, not on the official guest list, crashed the White House party but were never seated at a table in the South Lawn tent where the dinner was held. The couple, described by The Washington Post as aspiring reality-TV stars and polo-playing socialites, were seen arriving at the White House.

Bizzaro World Award
Amateur storm-chasers Richard and Mayumi Heene let fly a helium balloon shaped like a silver saucer, then called 911 claiming that their youngest son might have snuck onboard.And the hoax was on. Cameras followed tweeted. Skeptics noted the family's earlier participation in "Wife Swap"—but tragedy could've been afoot. As it turned out, the nearly two-hour drama was a reality-TV audition, given away when Falcon told his dad, "you guys said that we did this for the show." The other clue, as searchers put it, was "balloon boy pukes.

On the Horizon Award

The next Hamilton municipal election will be held on November 8, 2010 to select one Mayor, fifteen members of the Hamilton City Council. None of these 16 people should feel confident going into
next year, people in this city are fed up with their childish behaviour and the snails pace of progress.

Career Achievement Award
2009 saw the deaths of larger-than-life personalities, among them King of Pop Michael Jackson, '70s icon Farah Fawcett, and Senate lion Edward Kennedy. The outsized personas of many of the departed drew massive Web attention. Here is a look back at the lives they lived and the legacies they left behind.
every tilt and sway. Millions watched. Thousands

Michael Jackson

August 29, 1958–June 25, 2009

Naysayers couldn't deny his influence. Whether precociously belting out "ABC" with the Jackson 5 or reinventing pop music with "Thriller," Jackson was a glittering star who transcended racial divides.

Farrah Fawcett

February 2, 1947–June 25, 2009

Farrah Fawcett's pop-culture legacy lies in both the red-swimsuit poster that graced the walls of many a male adolescent, and in her role as Jill Munroe in the 1970s hit show "Charlie's Angels.

Patrick Swayze

August 18, 1952–September 14, 2009

Patrick Swayze played romantic leads ("Ghost"), tough guys on the margin ("The Outsiders," "Point Break")

His beloved tough-guy persona came to light again after news that he had pancreatic cancer. Reports swirled that he only had weeks to live, but he defied odds for nearly two years.

Natasha Richardson

May 11, 1963–March 18, 2009

Actress Natasha Richardson bore a sterling show-business pedigree: Her parents were actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson; her aunt, uncle, grandfather, grandmother, and sister Joely also acted on stage and screen.
Richardson's death shook the Web because of its untimely nature—she was 45—and its unnervingly simple cause: She hit her head during a ski lesson and died of an epidural hematoma.

Billy Mays

July 20, 1958–June 28, 2009

A showman exuding good-natured, high-volume exuberance, Billy Mays' widespread appeal seemed to lie in his embodiment of the American can-do spirit. Shock that this TV pitchman so full of life could be found dead of heart disease and possible drug use.

David Carradine

December 8, 1936–June 3, 2009

As "half-breed" Kwai Chang Caine, David Carradine wasn’t just tough-but-fair; he was a kick-ass sage.

Steve McNair

February 14, 1973–July 4, 2009

The murder-suicide of ex-quarterback Steve McNair by his mistress, Sahel Kazemi, shocked NFL fans who remembered him as among the first African American Super Bowl quarterbacks

Ted Kennedy

February 22, 1932–August 25, 2009

Senator Ted Kennedy was born into a political dynasty scarred by tragedy but also emblematic of a time when America felt the best still lay ahead. The "Lion of the Senate" championed the cause of working Americans in his fight for minimum wage and universal health care, a fight that didn't falter after his diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor.

Randy Steele will be remembered across the city of Hamilton for his unfailingly warm and courageous bearing, his feisty news and local culture reporting for CHCH (including his "Steele's Town" feature).Cancer snatched away his voice before taking his life in May.

Tragic Story of the Year

News that Michael Jackson had been rushed to UCLA Medical Center had just broken when doctors called the King of Pop's death at 2:26 p.m. Within hours, searches on Yahoo! transitioned from "breaking news Michael Jackson" and "is Michael Jackson dead" to "r.i.p. Michael Jackson." The telling query "Elvis died" showed that the icon's shocking, premature death evoked another's.

Although Jackson's death was ruled a case of homicide, that final indignity didn't define his end: A spectacular show of mourning matched his supersized life but reminded onlookers that Jackson had been a son, brother, and a good father. His death took him out of tabloids' tales of scandal and back into the affections of the public, who honored him in costume, music, and film. Jackson had been denied his comeback, but not the spotlight

Destined Hero's Award

In honour those who have given their lives serving Canada and helping the people
of Afghanistan.

Sgt. George Miok, 28, Cpl. Zachery McCormack, 21, both of Edmonton, Sgt. Kirk Taylor, 28, of Yarmouth, N.S., and Pte. Garrett Chidley, 21, of Cambridge. Michelle Lang, 34, a reporter with the Calgary Herald was killed in the blast. She was in the back of an armoured vehicle. Units: Private Chidley, who was born in Cambridge, Ont. and grew up in Langley, B.C., was on his first mission to Afghanistan. The 21-year-old served with the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and was based in Shilo, Man.Corporal Zachery McCormack. The 21-year-old member of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, 4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Sergeant George Miok a 28-year-old member of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment based in Edmonton, who had previously been deployed to Bosnia where he defused land mines, was on his second tour in Afghanistan.Sgt. Taylor, a member of the 84 Independent Field Battery based in Yarmouth, joined the army soon after high school. Friend Myra LeBlanc said she tried to convince him that perhaps he should turn down the chance to go to Afghanistan.

Deceased: December 31, 2009

Incident: The huge blast occurred during a routine presence patrol in Kandahar's District 2 abutting the Dand district, where Canada has established a "model village."

Lt. Andrew Nuttall

Age: 30

Hometown: Victoria,British Columbia

1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

Deceased: December 23, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, 25 kilometers south-west of Kandahar City, Afghanistan.

Sapper Steven Marshall

Age: 24

Hometown: Calgary, Alberta

Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment

Deceased: October 30, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, south-est of Kandahar City, Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Justin Boyes

Age: 26

Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Unit: 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Deceased: October 28, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, south-est of Kandahar City, Afghanistan.

Corporal Jonathan Couturier

Age: 23

Hometown: Loretteville, Québec

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment

Deceased: September 17, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Private Patrick Lormand

Age: 21

Hometown: Chute-à-Blondeau, Ontario

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment

Deceased: September 13, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Corporal Jean-François Drouin

Age: 31

Hometown: Beauport, Québec

Unit: 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment Battle Group

Deceased: September 6, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, vicinity of Dand District, Afghanistan.

Major Yannick Pépin

Age : 36

Hometown : Warwick, Québec

Unit : 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment Battle Group

Deceased : September 6, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, vicinity of Dand District, Afghanistan

Sapper Matthieu Allard

Age: 21

Hometown: Val d'Or, Québec

Unit: 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment Battle Group

Deceased: August 1, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zhari District, Afghanistan.

Corporal Christian Bobbitt

Age: 23

Hometown: Sept-Îles, Québec

Unit: 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment Battle Group

Deceased: August 1, 2009

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zhari District, Afghanistan

Private Sébastien Courcy

Age: 26

Hometown: St-Hyacinthe, Québec

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment

Deceased: July 16, 2009

Incident: Killed in action in the Panjwayi District, Afghanistan.

Corporal Martin Joannette

Age: 25

Hometown: Saint-Calixte, Québec

Unit: 3^e Bataillon, Royal 22^e Régiment

Deceased: July 6, 2009

Incident: Helicopter crash, Zabul Province, Afghanistan

Master Corporal Charles-Philippe Michaud

Age: 28

Hometown: Edmundston, New Brunswick

Unit: 2nd Batallion, Royal 22e Régiment

Deceased: July 4, 2009

Incident: improvised explosive device, Panjway District, Afghanistan

Corporal Nicholas Bulger

Age: 30

Hometown: Peterborough, Ontario

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Deceased: July 3, 2009

Incident: improvised explosive device, Zhari District, Afghanistan

Corporal Martin Dubé

Age: 35

Hometown: Québec City, Québec

Unit: 5 Combat Engineer Regiment

Deceased: June 14, 2009

Incident: improvised explosive device, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan.

Private Alexandre Péloquin

Age: 20

Home Town: Brownsburg-Chatham, Québec

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment

Deceased: June 8, 2009

Incident: improvised explosive device, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan.

Major Michelle Mendes

Age: 30

Home Town: Wicklow, Ontario

Unit: Chief of Defence Intelligence

Deceased: April 23, 2009

Incident: Non combat related

Corporal Karine Blais

Age: 21

Home Town: Les Méchins, Québec

Unit: 12e Régiment Blindé du Canada, 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment Battle Group

Deceased: April 13, 2009