Two grandparents convicted of second-degree murder after they left five-year-old Jeffrey Baldwin to wither and die in a cold, fetid room were sentenced Friday to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 20 years.
Elva Bottineau, 54, was ordered to serve 22 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole, while husband Norman Kidman, 53, will get his first chance at early release after 20 years behind bars, said Superior Court Justice David Watt.
During his sentencing, Watt told the couple they would be allowed to apply to have their sentences reduced after just 15 years, although he had few other positive words for Bottineau in particular, whom he described as ''morally bankrupt.''
Her ''self-perception . . . is at odds with reality,'' Watt said as Bottineau shook her head in apparent disagreement.
''She thirsts for control, but flees from responsibility.''
Bottineau and Kidman were supposed to save little Jeffrey and his siblings from a life of abuse at the hands of their birth parents.
Instead, the pair used the children as a source of income, collecting government support cheques in their names while confining the young ones to a dank, cold room in their house.
It's a little comfort to know that these two animals will probably die in a 'cage' where they belong. Please click on the link for the full story or visit my previous posts on the subject.
Later,
Kenaz
Friday, June 09, 2006
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Killing will only bring more problems
I have to agree with he father of an American believed to have been beheaded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said Thursday more killings will come out of the militant leader's death.
"I see more death coming out of al-Zarqawi's death," Michael Berg, the father of Nicholas Berg, told the Associated Press after learning the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader had been killed by a U.S. airstrike on Wednesday.
"His death will incite a new wave of revenge. [U.S. President] George Bush and al-Zarqawi are two men who believe in revenge," Berg said.
Later,
Kenaz
"I see more death coming out of al-Zarqawi's death," Michael Berg, the father of Nicholas Berg, told the Associated Press after learning the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader had been killed by a U.S. airstrike on Wednesday.
"His death will incite a new wave of revenge. [U.S. President] George Bush and al-Zarqawi are two men who believe in revenge," Berg said.
Later,
Kenaz
Tabby by the tail
Cats new, white helmet and logo just for Labour DayIt's seems with the Cats, nothing appears taboo.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats unveiled a new and rare white-based headgear featuring a new logo. The white helmet with an aerodynamic tiger head that replaces the traditional leaping tiger will be worn just once this season, on Labour Day against the Toronto Argonauts.
The white helmet with new logo will be combined with white jerseys and pants for the Labour Day contest as part of the club's 'Never Wear White After Labour Day' promotion.
After the Labour Day contest, the Ticats will auction off the helmets with the proceeds going to charity, similar to the plans for the third jersey, which will be worn Aug. 12.
This is the first time in club history that the team's traditional leaping tiger logo has been significantly altered and for good reason, it's a great design. This is an ugly bad idea. Not all big guys look good in white. The Michelin Man comes to mind right now.
The club says it may encourage fans to wear all white to the stadium on Labour Day to create a white-out effect similar to that employed in the past by the former hockey Winnipeg Jets. The Cat's may want to reconsider or hook up with a sunglass company as part of its promotion.
The new logo isn't much new, it has a similar look to the New England Patriots design as well as that of the Nashville Predators of the NHL. It's the work of designer Dan Simon of Studio Simon of Louisville, Kentucky. Simon was responsible for the re-designed leaping tiger logo unveiled last season.
Provost, the clubs Vice-President admits the new logo could offend some of the team's traditional fans. That is not the intent, he insists.
"So far the reaction has been really positive, the coaches and players really like it," Provost said.
"We don't want to offend our traditional fans, we just want to introduce something a little bit different and if the fans from our traditional fan base don't like it, there are pretty decent odds that it will just go away," he said.
I'm sorry I have to admit I am one of those traditionalists I like the black and gold, and the leaping tiger. You would never see the Steelers try something like this, the owners would be linched.
Other Ticat promotions include a classy tribute to former Ticat Travis Claridge, who died of pneumonia.
Later,
Kenaz
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Vandals and terrorists walk the same path to hell
The vandalizing of a Toronto mosque on the weekend is believed to be part of a reaction against Islam after police arrested 17 Muslim men and youth in southern Ontario amid accusations of an al-Qaeda-inspired bombing plot.
In the largest anti-terrorism operation ever undertaken in Canada, more than 400 police officers conducted a series of raids in southern Ontario on June 2, 2006, detaining 12 men and five youths. They alleged the suspects adhered to a violent Islamic ideology linked to al-Qaeda and accused them of planning to attack targets in southern Ontario with bombs made from the fertilizer ammonium nitrate.
Why would some misguided moron or morons do this? This was a place of worship, a food bank and day care, not a terrorist training camp. What good did further polorizing a community with this act of complete ignorance. I hope this gang of idiots realize that their actions where as callous as the punks who believe that terrorism idiology is a good replacement for family values. These two groups need to get a life.
Later,
Kenaz
In the largest anti-terrorism operation ever undertaken in Canada, more than 400 police officers conducted a series of raids in southern Ontario on June 2, 2006, detaining 12 men and five youths. They alleged the suspects adhered to a violent Islamic ideology linked to al-Qaeda and accused them of planning to attack targets in southern Ontario with bombs made from the fertilizer ammonium nitrate.
Why would some misguided moron or morons do this? This was a place of worship, a food bank and day care, not a terrorist training camp. What good did further polorizing a community with this act of complete ignorance. I hope this gang of idiots realize that their actions where as callous as the punks who believe that terrorism idiology is a good replacement for family values. These two groups need to get a life.
Later,
Kenaz
Harper and Bush have lost touch on gay rights
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised to re-open the issue of gay marriages, in a cheap attempt to reverse the hard faucet legislation that allowed those of the same sex to live in dignity.
A decision that has a growing number of Harper's Conservative cabinet ministers and MPs even questioning.
Harper made the commitment to hold the vote in response to complaints from many that the Liberals rushed through the law that legalized same-sex unions.
But now that his party is trying to make inroads in Bloc Quebecois and Liberal ridings in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, wading into the debate might seem like a no-win situation.
Add to that the fact that thousands of gay and lesbian Canadians have married since the law was passed, and you find cold feet in Conservative quarters.
Woefully Harper will get the message that at the end of the day Canadians are much more interested in how the federal government is going to tax them, what our stance is on the increasing crime on our streets, what's the role of the military . . . and not same-gender marriage.
In the United States the gay rights issue has hit an even bigger low, due to the fact that Bush is an idiot. President George W. Bush on Saturday called again for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
George W. blamed 'activist judges' for changes to the definition of marriage.
"Unfortunately, activist judges and some local officials have made an aggressive attempt to redefine marriage in recent years," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
"An amendment to the constitution is necessary because activist courts have left our nation with no other choice," he said.
Bush said he believed marriage should be defined as a union between one man and one woman. He even had the gaul to add to his McCarthyistic rant,
"Marriage cannot be cut off from its cultural, religious, and natural roots without weakening this good influence on society," he said.
A vote on the proposed amendment is scheduled next week in the U.S. senate, but it is not considered likely to pass. Unless, Bush can dig out the support from the 19 states he says have approved amendments to their state constitutions aimed at protecting the traditional definition of marriage. Right! I think these are among his 35% of supporters who believe guns in the hands of children is a good thing and believe that they have had sex with Aliens.
Bush and his throw back to another era playmate Harper both need to leave this issue closed and deal with the issues that matter to their voters.
Later,
Kenaz
A decision that has a growing number of Harper's Conservative cabinet ministers and MPs even questioning.
Harper made the commitment to hold the vote in response to complaints from many that the Liberals rushed through the law that legalized same-sex unions.
But now that his party is trying to make inroads in Bloc Quebecois and Liberal ridings in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, wading into the debate might seem like a no-win situation.
Add to that the fact that thousands of gay and lesbian Canadians have married since the law was passed, and you find cold feet in Conservative quarters.
Woefully Harper will get the message that at the end of the day Canadians are much more interested in how the federal government is going to tax them, what our stance is on the increasing crime on our streets, what's the role of the military . . . and not same-gender marriage.
In the United States the gay rights issue has hit an even bigger low, due to the fact that Bush is an idiot. President George W. Bush on Saturday called again for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
George W. blamed 'activist judges' for changes to the definition of marriage.
"Unfortunately, activist judges and some local officials have made an aggressive attempt to redefine marriage in recent years," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
"An amendment to the constitution is necessary because activist courts have left our nation with no other choice," he said.
Bush said he believed marriage should be defined as a union between one man and one woman. He even had the gaul to add to his McCarthyistic rant,
"Marriage cannot be cut off from its cultural, religious, and natural roots without weakening this good influence on society," he said.
A vote on the proposed amendment is scheduled next week in the U.S. senate, but it is not considered likely to pass. Unless, Bush can dig out the support from the 19 states he says have approved amendments to their state constitutions aimed at protecting the traditional definition of marriage. Right! I think these are among his 35% of supporters who believe guns in the hands of children is a good thing and believe that they have had sex with Aliens.
Bush and his throw back to another era playmate Harper both need to leave this issue closed and deal with the issues that matter to their voters.
Later,
Kenaz
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Hamilton Falcon program has earned it's top gun wings
Perched on an 18th floor ledge of the Sheraton Hamilton hotel, he dodges "Madame X" as the screeching peregrine falcon circles and dives about his helmeted head.
And "Albion," "Webster" and "Sherman" -- cute, white, fluffy and just 25 days old -- try to sink their talons into his leather-gloved hands.
The young triplets waiting to fly from their Sheraton Hotel nest and other peregrines are coming off the province's endangered species list.
Peregrines have been on the list since 1973.
But nesting programs at urban highrise buildings in Hamilton and other cities have been so successful, the falcons will be delisted down a notch to only "threatened" next spring. This is the first time ever that has happened, usually we hear about another species being added.
Biologist's carried out the annual banding, weighing, sexing and health checkups of this year's brood in the Sheraton ledge nest.
A fourth unhatched egg belonging to "Madame X" and "Mr. E" was collected to be examined for contaminants.
The 36 chicks hatched or fostered and fledged at the Sheraton nest since 1995 boast a greater than 80 per cent survival rate compared to a 50 per cent rate for peregrines in the wild.
That's primarily because of the dedicated Peregrine Watch volunteers of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club which has a constant web camera http://www.hamiltonnature.org/hamfalcam.html trained on the nest.
In the fledgling weeks ahead, as the chicks learn to fly, volunteers will wait below to rescue them as they fall or float to the ground.
This year's chicks are all female and their christening followed the tradition of using landmark Hamilton names.
It's the sixth year "Madame X" has nested at the Sheraton. "Mr. E" was her fourth mate in Hamilton.
She was named "Madame X" because, for some time, her origins, in Pennsylvania, were unknown.
The origins of "Mr. E," who was a new mate this year, will be known in a few days because binoculared volunteers caught sight of his leg band numbers for the first time.
Peregrine falcons disappeared in Ontario in the 1960s because of the effects of the pesticide DDT on the eggs and and young.
Captive breeding and release programs gradually increased the breeding pairs in the province to 56, mostly along cliff ledges in northern Ontario. Six years ago, there were only 23 pairs.
City buildings and urban sites in southern Ontario are home to 12 of the 56 pairs.
Bald eagles are also starting to make a comeback in southern Ontario.
There are two nesting pairs; one pair with triplets at Navy Island on the Niagara River and another with twin eaglets at Dunnville.
It's fun to walk downtown stairing at the highrise bank towers and then hear the distinctive cry of the falcons. It gives you a sense of pride too know your city cares.
Later,
Kenaz
And "Albion," "Webster" and "Sherman" -- cute, white, fluffy and just 25 days old -- try to sink their talons into his leather-gloved hands.
The young triplets waiting to fly from their Sheraton Hotel nest and other peregrines are coming off the province's endangered species list.
Peregrines have been on the list since 1973.
But nesting programs at urban highrise buildings in Hamilton and other cities have been so successful, the falcons will be delisted down a notch to only "threatened" next spring. This is the first time ever that has happened, usually we hear about another species being added.
Biologist's carried out the annual banding, weighing, sexing and health checkups of this year's brood in the Sheraton ledge nest.
A fourth unhatched egg belonging to "Madame X" and "Mr. E" was collected to be examined for contaminants.
The 36 chicks hatched or fostered and fledged at the Sheraton nest since 1995 boast a greater than 80 per cent survival rate compared to a 50 per cent rate for peregrines in the wild.
That's primarily because of the dedicated Peregrine Watch volunteers of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club which has a constant web camera http://www.hamiltonnature.org/hamfalcam.html trained on the nest.
In the fledgling weeks ahead, as the chicks learn to fly, volunteers will wait below to rescue them as they fall or float to the ground.
This year's chicks are all female and their christening followed the tradition of using landmark Hamilton names.
It's the sixth year "Madame X" has nested at the Sheraton. "Mr. E" was her fourth mate in Hamilton.
She was named "Madame X" because, for some time, her origins, in Pennsylvania, were unknown.
The origins of "Mr. E," who was a new mate this year, will be known in a few days because binoculared volunteers caught sight of his leg band numbers for the first time.
Peregrine falcons disappeared in Ontario in the 1960s because of the effects of the pesticide DDT on the eggs and and young.
Captive breeding and release programs gradually increased the breeding pairs in the province to 56, mostly along cliff ledges in northern Ontario. Six years ago, there were only 23 pairs.
City buildings and urban sites in southern Ontario are home to 12 of the 56 pairs.
Bald eagles are also starting to make a comeback in southern Ontario.
There are two nesting pairs; one pair with triplets at Navy Island on the Niagara River and another with twin eaglets at Dunnville.
It's fun to walk downtown stairing at the highrise bank towers and then hear the distinctive cry of the falcons. It gives you a sense of pride too know your city cares.
Later,
Kenaz
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Denninger's Coke Sign
From the May 16th weekly `You Asked` Segment of CH Hamilton`s evening news comes this gem of a find. The Denninger`s store on King Street in Hamilton is located on the sight once the home of Andrew Ross Carriage and Wagon Builders.
Ross opened in 1888. His carriages where used to transport Coca-Cola around Hamilton. The sign had been covered up for 95 years.
It has only been visible recently when the dilapidated eyesore of a building next door was demolished.
The sign was believed to be painted on the building in 1906, the year Coca-Cola began bottling in Canada and introduced the slogan `relieves fatigue`.
link to video
Later,
Kenaz
Ross opened in 1888. His carriages where used to transport Coca-Cola around Hamilton. The sign had been covered up for 95 years.
It has only been visible recently when the dilapidated eyesore of a building next door was demolished.
The sign was believed to be painted on the building in 1906, the year Coca-Cola began bottling in Canada and introduced the slogan `relieves fatigue`.
link to video
Later,
Kenaz
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Bush Should Be Put Behind A Fence
Bending to right wing democrats demands to shore up the southern U.S. border to prevent illegal immigrants from freely crossing into the country, the Senate voted Wednesday to build 370 miles of triple-layered fence. Senators voted 83-16 to add fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers along the southern border.
This sets in stone that George Bush is a complete lunatic. It has been a joke for years that the solution to the American self imposed isolation from the world would be to build a giant wall around the country. And now they will, or at least part of it. Sure the reasons being tossed out, include; keeping out illegal Mexicans who take millions of dollars out of the US economy by living off welfare or taking cheap US jobs. Mind you these jobs are ones that Americans won`t do!
The world cheered when the Berlin wall fell, it should weep when the American erect this American tragedy.
And now the comedy, here`s a couple Pat Oliphant takes on the situation.
Later,
Kenaz
This sets in stone that George Bush is a complete lunatic. It has been a joke for years that the solution to the American self imposed isolation from the world would be to build a giant wall around the country. And now they will, or at least part of it. Sure the reasons being tossed out, include; keeping out illegal Mexicans who take millions of dollars out of the US economy by living off welfare or taking cheap US jobs. Mind you these jobs are ones that Americans won`t do!
The world cheered when the Berlin wall fell, it should weep when the American erect this American tragedy.
And now the comedy, here`s a couple Pat Oliphant takes on the situation.
Later,
Kenaz
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Please Not Another Oka
...For the sake of mankind.
The hotter things get at Caledonia, the more I fear something will happen to force an Oka or Ipperwash style incident. The more this standoff continues, the more the permanent stain of an Oka and Ipperwash threatens to surface.
I'm referring to the violent confrontation at Oka, Que., in 1990 and the wrongful shooting death of Dudley George, a native protester at Ipperwash in 1995.
Something is terribly wrong, first the barricades where taken down and it appeared that both sides where ready to talk. Then in a matter of a day they went back up and the roads where closed again. What the hell happened?
The provincial leader and negotiators on both sides are standing around scratching their heads and pointing fingers at one another, mean while a tempest is being allowed to brew.
Understandably the non-natives are upset, the roads are their life line to the community, their businesses and their lifestyle. They paid for them and they can`t use them.
Along with frustration over the road blockage, there is also concern about some of the area's other land. Native protesters have been occupying a 40-hectare piece of land slated for a housing development since Feb. 28, saying it is rightfully theirs.
They say they agreed to lease the property for a road in 1835, and disagree with government arguments that it was later sold to the Crown.
I don`t believe in paying for the sins of our fathers, I`m sorry but the solution needs a modern answer. The land needs to be shared with adequate compensation being given to both sides.
Where do we stop? Do we return every piece of land, even if a person has owned it for five generations back to it`s original owners. I`m not European, I`m a damn Canadian, just like these natives. We need to learn the lessons of all our fathers. Quit fighting and make up.
Later,
Kenaz
The hotter things get at Caledonia, the more I fear something will happen to force an Oka or Ipperwash style incident. The more this standoff continues, the more the permanent stain of an Oka and Ipperwash threatens to surface.
I'm referring to the violent confrontation at Oka, Que., in 1990 and the wrongful shooting death of Dudley George, a native protester at Ipperwash in 1995.
Something is terribly wrong, first the barricades where taken down and it appeared that both sides where ready to talk. Then in a matter of a day they went back up and the roads where closed again. What the hell happened?
The provincial leader and negotiators on both sides are standing around scratching their heads and pointing fingers at one another, mean while a tempest is being allowed to brew.
Understandably the non-natives are upset, the roads are their life line to the community, their businesses and their lifestyle. They paid for them and they can`t use them.
Along with frustration over the road blockage, there is also concern about some of the area's other land. Native protesters have been occupying a 40-hectare piece of land slated for a housing development since Feb. 28, saying it is rightfully theirs.
They say they agreed to lease the property for a road in 1835, and disagree with government arguments that it was later sold to the Crown.
I don`t believe in paying for the sins of our fathers, I`m sorry but the solution needs a modern answer. The land needs to be shared with adequate compensation being given to both sides.
Where do we stop? Do we return every piece of land, even if a person has owned it for five generations back to it`s original owners. I`m not European, I`m a damn Canadian, just like these natives. We need to learn the lessons of all our fathers. Quit fighting and make up.
Later,
Kenaz
Monday, May 22, 2006
St. Andrew's Face Morpher
The School of Computer Science, University of St. Andrews, have made a great Java applet program that lets you upload a photo of your face and transform it into a different race, age or artwork.
http://www.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/%7Emorph/Transformer/
Me now
baby
child
teen
older adult
They say we all have a double some where in the world, these could be mine.
afro-caribean
west asian
east asian
Have fun,
Kenaz
http://www.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/%7Emorph/Transformer/
Me now
baby
child
teen
older adultThey say we all have a double some where in the world, these could be mine.
afro-caribean
west asian
east asianHave fun,
Kenaz
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Emily is Annoying
I wish I could meet the techno whizzes who invented the annoying "voice" you hear when you phone Bell Canada's "interactive" phone line -- so I can strangle them.
"Hi my name is Emily, how may I help you?" How about a real freakin person to talk too! You annoying heartless piece of nano technology.
Emily -- if you haven't had the pleasure -- is the interactive voice Bell Canada employs to seduce callers into doing the work receptionists and customer service agents used to. They will tell us it's better for us.
Ya right! They're downloading work onto customers, and then charging us for the pleasure. Evil geniuses, they are.
Call me crazy, but I don't like to have two-way conversations (as opposed to leaving a message) with machines. That's why I press zero a gazillion-times-per-second while screaming, "can a human please answer!"
But the multiplying machines are not moved: Instead a mechanical voice, which sounds suspiciously like my Grade 2 teacher, says: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand." Or, worse: "I'm sorry, that is not an option. Goodbyyyyeeeee!"
Click.
Yes, that is the sound of the line going dead after you've been on hold for 20 minutes, listened impatiently to five sets of options -- delivered s-l-o-w-l-y -- pressed your way through everything but "if you'd like to make funeral arrangements press one," and listened to a recording of the "Privacy Policy" for the 100th time!
I remember the message from Terminator movies and I refuse to let The Machines win!
Companies, in their efforts to eliminate positions that don't bring in revenue, may have forgotten just how many sales are made by, god forbid, humans.
Take banks. They got us onto ATMs, the web, and debit cards. But they lost easy access to us for the big sales: mortgages, loans, RRSPs.
This only creates distance and alienation between customers and themselves. And possibly creating a new form psychosis. Can you say: "phone rage?"
And you can bet managers making these decisions are not forced to talk to Emily -- or any of the other docile-toned (until you press the wrong button when they get downright cranky) voice systems. That's what their secretaries (live ones, I presume) are for -- and they're probably billing a lot of overtime these days!
So how much does a "date" with Emily really cost?
How much production is lost when you have thousands of employees across the country pleading with robots for a person to make a sale to, clicking on websites -- because The Voice directed them to -- for contact info, wasting 15 minutes in voicemail hell to book an appointment, or caught on "hold" at a call centre where the person can't actually answer a question anyway -- because they're not contracted to. Or is that "programmed.
Factor in lost sales, alienation of customers, and lost productivity when will they realize this has not been a good investment.
Emily? Don't you mean HAL? Remember the computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey who gave the ominous warning "I know you were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen"
To borrow another line from the movie, I say to the creators of Emily "This conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye."
Later,
Kenaz
"Hi my name is Emily, how may I help you?" How about a real freakin person to talk too! You annoying heartless piece of nano technology.
Emily -- if you haven't had the pleasure -- is the interactive voice Bell Canada employs to seduce callers into doing the work receptionists and customer service agents used to. They will tell us it's better for us.
Ya right! They're downloading work onto customers, and then charging us for the pleasure. Evil geniuses, they are.
Call me crazy, but I don't like to have two-way conversations (as opposed to leaving a message) with machines. That's why I press zero a gazillion-times-per-second while screaming, "can a human please answer!"
But the multiplying machines are not moved: Instead a mechanical voice, which sounds suspiciously like my Grade 2 teacher, says: "I'm sorry, I didn't understand." Or, worse: "I'm sorry, that is not an option. Goodbyyyyeeeee!"
Click.
Yes, that is the sound of the line going dead after you've been on hold for 20 minutes, listened impatiently to five sets of options -- delivered s-l-o-w-l-y -- pressed your way through everything but "if you'd like to make funeral arrangements press one," and listened to a recording of the "Privacy Policy" for the 100th time!
I remember the message from Terminator movies and I refuse to let The Machines win!
Companies, in their efforts to eliminate positions that don't bring in revenue, may have forgotten just how many sales are made by, god forbid, humans.
Take banks. They got us onto ATMs, the web, and debit cards. But they lost easy access to us for the big sales: mortgages, loans, RRSPs.
This only creates distance and alienation between customers and themselves. And possibly creating a new form psychosis. Can you say: "phone rage?"
And you can bet managers making these decisions are not forced to talk to Emily -- or any of the other docile-toned (until you press the wrong button when they get downright cranky) voice systems. That's what their secretaries (live ones, I presume) are for -- and they're probably billing a lot of overtime these days!
So how much does a "date" with Emily really cost?
How much production is lost when you have thousands of employees across the country pleading with robots for a person to make a sale to, clicking on websites -- because The Voice directed them to -- for contact info, wasting 15 minutes in voicemail hell to book an appointment, or caught on "hold" at a call centre where the person can't actually answer a question anyway -- because they're not contracted to. Or is that "programmed.
Factor in lost sales, alienation of customers, and lost productivity when will they realize this has not been a good investment.
Emily? Don't you mean HAL? Remember the computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey who gave the ominous warning "I know you were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen"
To borrow another line from the movie, I say to the creators of Emily "This conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye."
Later,
Kenaz
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Warning! Warning! System Overload!
Planning to head this Victoria day weekend, you better read this first from the Hamilton Spectator.
Oh, the hazards of the Victoria Day weekend!
Don't even bother to get out of bed.
You've been anticipating this, the first long weekend of the summer, for months now.
There are flowers to plant, beer to drink and maybe a cottage to open.
But beware: there are tigers on the loose, mosquito-bitten crows falling out of the sky, gas pump prices being jacked up and vehicle parts flying about.
And you'll be hit with an onslaught of dire warnings from every conceivable authority, safety council and special interest group if you dare enjoy yourself.
Ontario Minister of Transportation Harinder Takhar is the lead spoiler.
He warns us he has imposed new fines for mirrors, mufflers, windshield wipers or tires falling off your car or trailer.
"Flying vehicle parts can cause fatalities, injuries and property damage," his statement warns. "About 33 per cent of road debris is vehicle- related."
That means fines up to $2,000 for passenger cars and $20,000 for commercial vehicles and a possible licence suspension.
Motorists seeing a flying vehicle part are asked to call the OPP who will be out with their usual holiday weekend blitz against unsafe drivers.
Do we not get a weekend off from OPP Sergeant Cam Wooley's hyperbole?
The OPP detachment in North Bay is warning motorists to keep an eye out for moose and other animals on the roads in resort country.
There were 1,225 collisions involving deer, moose and bears in northeastern Ontario last year. "Bears can move quickly and bolt into your path," the OPP warns.
The Toronto office of the World Society for the Protection of Animals is warning about tigers mauling you at various roadside and tourist zoos.
Since last July, there have been five escapes by captive wildlife reported in Ontario.
And now's the time to stock up on mosquito repellent and start looking for dead crows infected by West Nile disease.
Fire departments are warning about the dangers of careless use of fireworks.
Not that there's much risk of setting the sky ablaze with a 70 per cent chance of rain on the weekend and forecasts of cloudy conditions.
The forecast is better for Monday on the highway-congested drive home, but not until Tuesday, when people are back at work, is there no chance of rain.
Sarah Wong, the warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment Canada, says it's going to take a few more days for the current cold, low pressure system with its grey clouds and rain to clear. "Eventually, conditions will improve by the end of the weekend," she said. "We have to suffer a bit."
With the wet weather, conservation authorities warn people to be on the lookout for swollen creeks.
The Ministry of the Environment is forecasting good air quality and no serious pollution on the weekend.
But don't fall off the roof while cleaning your rain gutters at home or at the cottage.
And avoid straining your back lifting flats of flowers that you waited to plant because of the traditional warning of frost up until Victoria Day.
Just about everybody, including the Aussie wine-hyping folks at the LCBO, are warning about drinking and driving.
"The Victoria Day long weekend has become synonymous with partying, outdoor activities and drinking, a combination that could be potentially dangerous for guests and hosts alike," says the joint statement from the Ontario Public Health Associations, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Their sober warning says that despite a recent ruling by Canada's Supreme Court, there are circumstances where an irresponsible host can still be held liable for alcohol-related injuries and deaths.
And Ontario's Provincial Parks warns no alcohol is allowed this weekend in their most popular party parks.
Keep those bed covers pulled up, too.
Even the Better Sleep Council of Ontario has hired pollsters to survey people about their plans this weekend so that they are aware of sleep-deprivation hazards associated with travelling, renovating and partying.
Those pollsters found that in Ontario this weekend, 5 per cent will travel a long distance, 15 per cent will visit a cottage or cabin, 15 per cent will host or attend a party, 17 per cent will eat and drink too much, 22 per cent will attend fireworks or other events, 27 per cent will garden and 27 per cent will renovate.
But 34 per cent of Ontarians expected to sleep in and get extra rest.
Kathryn White, an expert on risk communication, is part of those weekend statistics.
She will be driving to a family reunion but plans to leave early from her eastern Ontario home because it's "a risky weekend with more of us on the road."
There is a risk of giving people too many warnings, because the warnings may end up being ignored, said White, the president of Black and White Communications.
Research has found that the best approach is to give people affirmative "Do's" rather the "Don'ts," she said.
In a storm, people are likely to ignore a warning to stay off the roads, but they will heed requests to check for fallen wires and to check on neighbours to see if they are OK, White said.
And getting on the highways to go to a reunion is also affirmative, she said, "because there is a grave risk to human beings when we don't connect and create bonds with families."
"Have a great weekend," she added.
SOME 'DO'S' FOR SAFE PARTYING FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS
* Avoid dangerous activities such as boating and swimming if you are drinking.
* Check the premises for potential hazards. Even minor changes, such as locking the gate to your pool, can significantly reduce risks .
* Make food available. Guests who have eaten absorb alcohol at a slower rate than those who have not eaten.
* Offer your guests non-alcohol drinks and low-alcohol drinks.
* Be attentive of your guests.
* Arrange for safe transportation for someone who has been drinking.
* Prepare for overnight guests. Arrange for a guest who may be intoxicated to stay the night.
Ah crap, I might as well stay home and enjoy my weekend off, got to work Monday(time and a half! cha ching!). Oh waite, I'm sure there's a grim statistic and warning for deck chair and BBQ accidents. Oh well, have fun.
Later,
Kenaz
Oh, the hazards of the Victoria Day weekend!
Don't even bother to get out of bed.
You've been anticipating this, the first long weekend of the summer, for months now.
There are flowers to plant, beer to drink and maybe a cottage to open.
But beware: there are tigers on the loose, mosquito-bitten crows falling out of the sky, gas pump prices being jacked up and vehicle parts flying about.
And you'll be hit with an onslaught of dire warnings from every conceivable authority, safety council and special interest group if you dare enjoy yourself.
Ontario Minister of Transportation Harinder Takhar is the lead spoiler.
He warns us he has imposed new fines for mirrors, mufflers, windshield wipers or tires falling off your car or trailer.
"Flying vehicle parts can cause fatalities, injuries and property damage," his statement warns. "About 33 per cent of road debris is vehicle- related."
That means fines up to $2,000 for passenger cars and $20,000 for commercial vehicles and a possible licence suspension.
Motorists seeing a flying vehicle part are asked to call the OPP who will be out with their usual holiday weekend blitz against unsafe drivers.
Do we not get a weekend off from OPP Sergeant Cam Wooley's hyperbole?
The OPP detachment in North Bay is warning motorists to keep an eye out for moose and other animals on the roads in resort country.
There were 1,225 collisions involving deer, moose and bears in northeastern Ontario last year. "Bears can move quickly and bolt into your path," the OPP warns.
The Toronto office of the World Society for the Protection of Animals is warning about tigers mauling you at various roadside and tourist zoos.
Since last July, there have been five escapes by captive wildlife reported in Ontario.
And now's the time to stock up on mosquito repellent and start looking for dead crows infected by West Nile disease.
Fire departments are warning about the dangers of careless use of fireworks.
Not that there's much risk of setting the sky ablaze with a 70 per cent chance of rain on the weekend and forecasts of cloudy conditions.
The forecast is better for Monday on the highway-congested drive home, but not until Tuesday, when people are back at work, is there no chance of rain.
Sarah Wong, the warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment Canada, says it's going to take a few more days for the current cold, low pressure system with its grey clouds and rain to clear. "Eventually, conditions will improve by the end of the weekend," she said. "We have to suffer a bit."
With the wet weather, conservation authorities warn people to be on the lookout for swollen creeks.
The Ministry of the Environment is forecasting good air quality and no serious pollution on the weekend.
But don't fall off the roof while cleaning your rain gutters at home or at the cottage.
And avoid straining your back lifting flats of flowers that you waited to plant because of the traditional warning of frost up until Victoria Day.
Just about everybody, including the Aussie wine-hyping folks at the LCBO, are warning about drinking and driving.
"The Victoria Day long weekend has become synonymous with partying, outdoor activities and drinking, a combination that could be potentially dangerous for guests and hosts alike," says the joint statement from the Ontario Public Health Associations, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Their sober warning says that despite a recent ruling by Canada's Supreme Court, there are circumstances where an irresponsible host can still be held liable for alcohol-related injuries and deaths.
And Ontario's Provincial Parks warns no alcohol is allowed this weekend in their most popular party parks.
Keep those bed covers pulled up, too.
Even the Better Sleep Council of Ontario has hired pollsters to survey people about their plans this weekend so that they are aware of sleep-deprivation hazards associated with travelling, renovating and partying.
Those pollsters found that in Ontario this weekend, 5 per cent will travel a long distance, 15 per cent will visit a cottage or cabin, 15 per cent will host or attend a party, 17 per cent will eat and drink too much, 22 per cent will attend fireworks or other events, 27 per cent will garden and 27 per cent will renovate.
But 34 per cent of Ontarians expected to sleep in and get extra rest.
Kathryn White, an expert on risk communication, is part of those weekend statistics.
She will be driving to a family reunion but plans to leave early from her eastern Ontario home because it's "a risky weekend with more of us on the road."
There is a risk of giving people too many warnings, because the warnings may end up being ignored, said White, the president of Black and White Communications.
Research has found that the best approach is to give people affirmative "Do's" rather the "Don'ts," she said.
In a storm, people are likely to ignore a warning to stay off the roads, but they will heed requests to check for fallen wires and to check on neighbours to see if they are OK, White said.
And getting on the highways to go to a reunion is also affirmative, she said, "because there is a grave risk to human beings when we don't connect and create bonds with families."
"Have a great weekend," she added.
SOME 'DO'S' FOR SAFE PARTYING FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS
* Avoid dangerous activities such as boating and swimming if you are drinking.
* Check the premises for potential hazards. Even minor changes, such as locking the gate to your pool, can significantly reduce risks .
* Make food available. Guests who have eaten absorb alcohol at a slower rate than those who have not eaten.
* Offer your guests non-alcohol drinks and low-alcohol drinks.
* Be attentive of your guests.
* Arrange for safe transportation for someone who has been drinking.
* Prepare for overnight guests. Arrange for a guest who may be intoxicated to stay the night.
Ah crap, I might as well stay home and enjoy my weekend off, got to work Monday(time and a half! cha ching!). Oh waite, I'm sure there's a grim statistic and warning for deck chair and BBQ accidents. Oh well, have fun.
Later,
Kenaz
Friday, May 19, 2006
Ashamed of our Government
Flags for our federal leaders should be lowered to half-mast.
What kind of government is ruling our country if soldiers who have selflessly dedicated their lives to protecting us are not allowed one last show of respect?
The flags at Parliament Hill should be at half-mast for the Canadian soldiers who have lost their lives in Afghanistan, and also for governments that are unwilling to respect the sacrifice they have made so the rest of us can live freely.
The Canadian government lowers the Parliament Hill flags for unelected senators who have passed away, but not for the men and women serving overseas for our safety and liberty?
Families of the fallen soldiers have voiced their outrage and no official response has been made.
Why?
Because our government is too ashamed that the death toll in Afghanistan for 2006 alone has already matched the death toll for all of 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005?
I am ashamed of the actions of our government and demand that changes be made to honour those who have fallen, so the rest of us can stand united.
Later,
Kenaz
What kind of government is ruling our country if soldiers who have selflessly dedicated their lives to protecting us are not allowed one last show of respect?
The flags at Parliament Hill should be at half-mast for the Canadian soldiers who have lost their lives in Afghanistan, and also for governments that are unwilling to respect the sacrifice they have made so the rest of us can live freely.
The Canadian government lowers the Parliament Hill flags for unelected senators who have passed away, but not for the men and women serving overseas for our safety and liberty?
Families of the fallen soldiers have voiced their outrage and no official response has been made.
Why?
Because our government is too ashamed that the death toll in Afghanistan for 2006 alone has already matched the death toll for all of 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005?
I am ashamed of the actions of our government and demand that changes be made to honour those who have fallen, so the rest of us can stand united.
Later,
Kenaz
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Michael Gardiner, Burn in H*ll
Michael Gardiner laughed uproariously as he told a police detective about repeatedly stabbing a Jackson Square store manager who courageously fought off his attempted rape, in a sickening interview given to police on May 27, 2004, about six hours after the 27-year-old federal parolee, who admitted to having fantasies of rape, walked across York Boulevard from the Hamilton Community Correctional Centre to Jackson Square.
Inside the mall, Gardiner randomly selected an attractive blond woman who had passed him in the hall with a takeout coffee cup in hand. He waited until she opened Picture Plus for business, then he casually walked into the store with a jackknife in his pocket.
Police asked Gardiner what happened after he followed her into the rear office/stockroom and began to stab the woman.
Then, with the police video camera rolling, Gardiner slowly began to grin and then to laugh out loud.
The detective doing the interrogating then told him the severely wounded woman had survived surgery and asked Gardiner what he would say to her if he could.
Well, first of all, that I'm sorry for what I did, you know, I don't know. I hope God ... kills me soon 'cause I've had enough of this ... jail, jail, jail, jail, jail ... All my life has been jail, eh? And each time you come out, the ... angrier you get at society and everybody else, you know.
In contrast to her assailant's cold-blooded manner in relating the crime to police, the survivor gave a deeply emotional impact statement yesterday in court. The woman, who suffered 22 stab wounds, including lacerations to her throat, upper chest, abdomen, left hand, elbow, arm, back and left knee, told the court the scars were constant reminders of the terrifying ordeal and all that she has lost.
She had resisted the rapist with all her might, fearing that if she stopped fighting she would die. Gardiner finally gave up and the severely wounded woman managed to stagger out of the office and make her way out into the mall. As she walked out of the store, Gardiner ran past her, fleeing in the direction of the Hamilton Public Library. He was later apprehended by security staff with the library.
This brave soul can look forward to a lifetime of emotional trauma, complete with bouts depression, anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. She already displays short-term memory problems, a symptom of post-traumatic stress, which made performing household chores difficult, let alone finding work outside the home.
The severe injuries to her left hand, which was dominant before the attack, left the artist unable to draw or sketch for more than an hour at a time. Her saving grace is a dog that she and her fiance picked out at the pound. They had the animal trained as a personal-security dog.
In contrast, the devils reject who will most likely be declared a dangerous offender is set for life to be kept "safe" in prison by the same system that let this women be hurt.
This is another case of system incompetence does the people wrong. When will it stop? When is enough, enough? It's about time the people of this great city say we are mad as hell, we want a safe city to work, live and play in. Now!
Later,
Kenaz
Inside the mall, Gardiner randomly selected an attractive blond woman who had passed him in the hall with a takeout coffee cup in hand. He waited until she opened Picture Plus for business, then he casually walked into the store with a jackknife in his pocket.
Police asked Gardiner what happened after he followed her into the rear office/stockroom and began to stab the woman.
I don't know, she stood up, I couldn't figure that out, so I thought ... I'd better stick her again so she stays the (expletive) down, so I could do what I want to do (rape her). Said Gardiner.
Then, with the police video camera rolling, Gardiner slowly began to grin and then to laugh out loud.
The detective doing the interrogating then told him the severely wounded woman had survived surgery and asked Gardiner what he would say to her if he could.
Well, first of all, that I'm sorry for what I did, you know, I don't know. I hope God ... kills me soon 'cause I've had enough of this ... jail, jail, jail, jail, jail ... All my life has been jail, eh? And each time you come out, the ... angrier you get at society and everybody else, you know.
In contrast to her assailant's cold-blooded manner in relating the crime to police, the survivor gave a deeply emotional impact statement yesterday in court. The woman, who suffered 22 stab wounds, including lacerations to her throat, upper chest, abdomen, left hand, elbow, arm, back and left knee, told the court the scars were constant reminders of the terrifying ordeal and all that she has lost.
She had resisted the rapist with all her might, fearing that if she stopped fighting she would die. Gardiner finally gave up and the severely wounded woman managed to stagger out of the office and make her way out into the mall. As she walked out of the store, Gardiner ran past her, fleeing in the direction of the Hamilton Public Library. He was later apprehended by security staff with the library.
I'm a survivor, not a victimthe woman said.
This brave soul can look forward to a lifetime of emotional trauma, complete with bouts depression, anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. She already displays short-term memory problems, a symptom of post-traumatic stress, which made performing household chores difficult, let alone finding work outside the home.
The severe injuries to her left hand, which was dominant before the attack, left the artist unable to draw or sketch for more than an hour at a time. Her saving grace is a dog that she and her fiance picked out at the pound. They had the animal trained as a personal-security dog.
In contrast, the devils reject who will most likely be declared a dangerous offender is set for life to be kept "safe" in prison by the same system that let this women be hurt.
This is another case of system incompetence does the people wrong. When will it stop? When is enough, enough? It's about time the people of this great city say we are mad as hell, we want a safe city to work, live and play in. Now!
Later,
Kenaz
Monday, May 15, 2006
Ever have dreams like this?
Just finished up another long week down at the Cadbury factory. Put in sixety hours this week boxing and packing enough "Gummy Bears" and all their friends to start an army of the little guys. Anyway, I'm off to bed, but I thought I'd share this picture to illustrate how I feel right know.
PS. I hope everybody treated their moms right on their special day? For me, the memories of all the great things that my mother did for me was enough to fill everyday. Remember that living for today is better than saving it for another, that day may never come.
Later,
Kenaz
PS. I hope everybody treated their moms right on their special day? For me, the memories of all the great things that my mother did for me was enough to fill everyday. Remember that living for today is better than saving it for another, that day may never come.
Later,
Kenaz
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Good News For Hamilton's East End
Shoppers stroll in Centre Mall in 1959. For a change...
Hamilton's Barton Street will look radically different in 2008 as it was announced that the aging shopping dinosaur the Centre Mall is getting a whopping $100 million transformation its owners say will make it a regional shopping destination.
The largest single retail investment in east-end history will transform the 51-year-old mall on Barton Street East into an 800,000-square-foot complex. Developers would not reveal yesterday if it will be a power centre mall (an unenclosed shopping centre) or a conventional mall -- or a combination of both. I wish would be for a place mostly enclosed wish areas open for a farmers market or bazaar type shopping area. Something along the lines of the Downtown Farmers Market.
They'll break ground this fall and expect to open the doors in 2008. I agree with city Councillor Sam Merulla for a change when he called the project a rebirth. The East end has gotten a bad reputation over the last twenty years as a place for the destitute and punks to hang out and beg. Done right this new mall will give a much needed injection of pride back to the area citizens.
Centre Mall, once the largest in Canada, is co-owned by the CPP Investment Board and Osmington Inc., a private Canadian real estate firm. The CPP Investment Board is a Crown corporation that invests funds from the Canada Pension Plan. It has a $4 billion real estate portfolio, mostly in office and commercial real estate properties. It also owns Eastgate Square.
The developers are counting on the Red Hill Valley Parkway to bring business their way. While the east end has a strong consumer base, officials say they want to attract shoppers from across the region.
Big-box stores? Or a mixture? Is the $100 million dollar question. An all new building from scratch needs a fresh look to go with it. A mixture of enclosed and free-standing buildings. Sears and Canadian Tire already own property on the site. Sears Canada has no plans to change and Canadian Tire is currently exploring its options which could mean it plans to revamp it's dated outlay.
Some of the other tenants will stay like Grand and Toy and hopefully the buzz will lure the likes of Walmart, Home Outfitters and TGIF. Once you have the larger tenants and set them on the site, then the rest of the pieces fall into place. Details are slim but it's clear who ever hitches up and comes east, the change will be profound.
The mall is now at about 600,000 square feet after the demolition of the old Kmart and food court at the back of the property last month. The city says when complete at 800,000 square feet, it will be comparable to Ancaster's Meadowlands project, which is about 980,000 square feet, or Lime Ridge Mall at 850,000 square feet. And cash like $100 million goes a long way, of course.
Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, for example, spent $65 million upgrading and building 40 stores last year. It plans to spend another $40 million upgrading the rest of its property.
Each day as I ride the bus past the little shops in Westdale to work I dream about how great something like that would look great in contrast to the bleak grayness of the east end, and with this announcement the east will once again shine!
Later,
Kenaz
Sunday, May 07, 2006
For my mother
May 7,1999 a piece of me was taken when my mother passed away. Here's a home movie taken from her viewing. Her eternal glow will forever keep me warm.
Later,
Kendall
Later,
Kendall
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Rest in Peace Aunt Lorraine
OLIPHANT, Lorraine Velma - Peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on May 4, 2006, Lorraine Oliphant, in her 74th year. Beloved wife of 56 years to Albert. Loving mother of Albert (Rebecca), and Keith (Heather). Dear gramma of Matthew, Aaron, Spencer and Curtis. Dear sister-in-law of Eileen (Bob), Eleanor (Johnny), Delores (Bill), Lorraine, Carol, and Sherrylyn. Predeceased by her mother Velma, brothers Victor and Bob, brother-in-law Ken (Bernice), and sister-in-law Doreen.
My fondest memory of my Aunt goes back to August of 1977. My parents where in Europe, veiwing the great sites. My sister Cherlyanne and I, the two youngest children had the opportunity to visit the country side for the month.
My Uncle and Aunt where great hosts, offering plenty of stimulation for your average seven and eleven year olds at and around their Binbrook, Ontario home. I worked on a paint by numbers picture of a horse that they bought for me with the intensity of one of the great masters. A "great job" was all I needed, I think I kept that "treasure" for years later as a momento of that summer.
To most August 1977 was the year the "King" died, and I remember the shock on everyone's face. For me it was the summer of watching Beretta, summer thunder storms and my Aunt and Uncle.
Memories are forever and those of that summer and every day spent in the company of my Aunt Lorraine will forever be remembered.
Thank you, and serve the lord well.
Kendall
My fondest memory of my Aunt goes back to August of 1977. My parents where in Europe, veiwing the great sites. My sister Cherlyanne and I, the two youngest children had the opportunity to visit the country side for the month.
My Uncle and Aunt where great hosts, offering plenty of stimulation for your average seven and eleven year olds at and around their Binbrook, Ontario home. I worked on a paint by numbers picture of a horse that they bought for me with the intensity of one of the great masters. A "great job" was all I needed, I think I kept that "treasure" for years later as a momento of that summer.
To most August 1977 was the year the "King" died, and I remember the shock on everyone's face. For me it was the summer of watching Beretta, summer thunder storms and my Aunt and Uncle.
Memories are forever and those of that summer and every day spent in the company of my Aunt Lorraine will forever be remembered.
Thank you, and serve the lord well.
Kendall
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Alfred Hitchcock
The Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, began his movie career as an inter-titles designer for silent films in Britain and had just begun directing when sound films were introduced in the late 1920s. Though his early British films were successful, it was the films Hitchcock made after coming to Hollywood in 1939 that made him one of the most recognizable and commercially successful film directors of all time. Oddly enough, though he was nominated for five Best Director Oscars, Hitchcock never won the prize. However, he did received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1968.
In his eleventh film, BLACKMAIL (1929), the first talking picture made in Britain, Hitchcock began making now-famous cameo appearances in each of his films. In BLACKMAIL, he can be seen on the subway being harassed by a little boy.
In THE 39 STEPS (1935), one of Hitchcock's most successful films from his early British career, featuring Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll, Hitchcock made his cameo appearance as a litter bug outside a London music hall.
"A Train through Scotland" with Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll (a .AVI file).
Pursuing greater opportunities than those available in Britain, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1939. His first film made under contract to producer David O. Selznick was an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's REBECCA (1940), starring Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine and a host of talented British character actors including Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Gladys Cooper, Florence Bates, Nigel Bruce and C. Aubrey Smith. In addition to popularity with critics and audiences, REBECCA also won the Academy Award as Best Picture of 1940 -- Hitchcock's only film to take the top prize.
In 1941, Hitchcock acted as producer and director on SUSPICION, another popular suspense thriller set in his native England (though again filmed in Hollywood) and starring Joan Fontaine as a wife who fears her husband, Cary Grant, only married her for her money and is now trying to kill her. Although SUSPICION marked Hitchcock's last film with Fontaine, it proved to be the first of four successful teamings with Cary Grant whose cool and charming demeanor made him one of Hitchcock's favorite leading men.
In 1943, Hitchcock teamed with playwright Thornton Wilder and went on location in Santa Rosa, California to create SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943), one of his most neglected masterpieces. Featuring Teresa Wright as a young woman who fears her Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) may be a hunted murderer, and also showcasing memorable character performances by Patricia Collinge and Hume Cronyn, SHADOW OF A DOUBT, Hitchcock often remarked, was the director's personal favorite of all his films
His next film, LIFEBOAT (1944), told the story of a group of shipwrecked passengers stranded in a lifeboat, and starred Tallulah Bankhead alongside William Bendix, Walter Slezak, John Hodiak and Hume Cronyn. It is unique among Hitchcock's films (and films of the period) because all the action is confined to a single set. (Incidentally, this isolated staging required Hitchcock to make his cameo in a newspaper ad.)
In the first of three films Hitchcock would make with David O. Selznick's Swedish import Ingrid Bergman, SPELLBOUND (1945), the director delved into the still-fledgling science of psychoanalysis and hired surrealist artist Salvador Dali to work as art director on the film's famed dream sequence. Though its simplistic approach to analysis dates SPELLBOUND a little, the film is still a fascinating piece of movie making, and co-stars Gregory Peck in one of his earliest screen roles.
Hitchcock's second film with both Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, NOTORIOUS (1946), proved to be another smashing critical and box-office success, this time about the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy who agrees to go undercover for the American government in Rio di Janeiro and spy on her father's former associates, including Claude Rains. The key featured on the poster at left is an important prop in NOTORIOUS, and in 1979 when Hitchcock was honored by the American Film Institute with the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award, Ingrid Bergman presented the key to Hitchcock as a token of good luck.
Hitchcock's last film under his contract with Selznick was THE PARADINE CASE (1947), the story of a defense attorney (Gregory Peck) who becomes obsessed with the guilt or innocence of his client (Alida Valli), a women accused of murdering her husband.
More than just a film director and producer, Hitchcock was also an innovator, staying abreast of the latest technologies and pressing the boundaries of the narrative use of special effects. In ROPE (1948), he attempted to create a film without cuts by combining ten-minute-long takes into a seamless flow of action. Inspired by the real-life Leopold-Loeb murder case, ROPE is the story of two young men (Farley Granger and John Dall) who kill a prep-school friend for the thrill of it and invite friends and family to their apartment where the body is hidden. Though interesting, in the final analysis, ROPE is more notable for its experimental approach to filmmaking than for its qualities as a taught thriller. Co-starring Jimmy Stewart and made for Warner Bros., ROPE also marked Hitchcock's first color film.
In STAGE FRIGHT (1950), Hitchcock cheated his audience for the first time by beginning the film with a deceptive flashback which lures the audience into believing what it sees. Despite that shortcoming however, this story of a seductive London actress (played by Marlene Dietrich) whose wealthy husband is murdered and whose young protégé (Richard Todd) is accused of the crime despite the protestations of his aspiring actress friend (Jane Wyman) is still entertaining. Also featuring notable contributions from British character actors Alastair Sim and Joyce Grenfell, STAGE FRIGHT was not one of Hitchcock's most commercially or critically successful films, but it's almost worth watching just to see Marlene Dietrich perform Cole Porter's "The Laziest Girl in Town."
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951) with Farley Granger, Robert Walker and Ruth Roman.
I CONFESS (1953) with Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden and Brian Aherne.
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955) with Shirley MacLaine, John Forsythe, Edmund Gwenn, Mildred Natwick and Mildred Dunnock and a young Jerry Mathers (before "Leave It To Beaver").
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) with Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings.
REAR WINDOW (1954) with Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr.
TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.Hitch's first VistaVision film.
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956) with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day.
THE WRONG MAN (1956) with Henry Fonda and Vera Miles.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) with Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau.
PSYCHO (1960) with Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam.
THE BIRDS (1963) with Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette.
MARNIE (1964) with Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery and Diane Baker.
TORN CURTAIN (1966) with Julie Andrews and Paul Newman.
Complete Filmography
Filmography:
1921 APPEARANCES (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE BONNIE BRIER BUSH (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE CALL OF YOUTH (inter-titles designer)
1921 DANGEROUS LIES (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE GREAT DAY (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE MYSTERY ROAD (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE PRINCESS OF NEW YORK (inter-titles designer)
1922 LOVE'S BOOMERANG (inter-titles designer)
1922 THE MAN FROM HOME (inter-titles designer)
1922 THE SPANISH JADE (inter-titles designer)
1922 TELL YOUR CHILDREN (inter-titles designer)
1922 THREE LIVE GHOSTS (inter-titles designer)
1923 THE WHITE SHADOW (editor, art director)
1923 WOMAN TO WOMAN (screenwriter, editor, art director, assistant director)
1924 THE PASSIONATE ADVENTURE (screenwriter, art director, assistant director)
1924 THE PRUDE'S FALL (screenwriter, art director, assistant director)
1925 THE BLACKGUARD (screenwriter, art director, assistant director)
1925 THE PLEASURE GARDEN
1926 THE LODGER (and screenwriter)
1926 THE MOUNTAIN EAGLE
1927 DOWNHILL
1927 EASY VIRTUE
1927 THE RING (and screenwriter)
1928 CHAMPAGNE (and screenwriter)
1928 THE FARMER'S WIFE (and screenwriter)
1929 BLACKMAIL (and screenwriter)
1929 THE MANXMAN
1930 ELSTREE CALLING
1930 JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK (and screenwriter)
1930 MURDER!
1931 THE SKIN GAME (and screenwriter)
1932 NUMBER SEVENTEEN (and screenwriter)
1932 RICH AND STRANGE
1934 THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
1934 STRAUSS'S GREAT WALTZ
1935 THE 39 STEPS
1936 SABOTAGE
1936 SECRET AGENT
1937 YOUNG AND INNOCENT
1938 THE LADY VANISHES
1939 JAMAICA INN
1940 FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
1940 THE HOUSE ACROSS THE BAY (additional direction)
1940 REBECCA
1941 MR. & MRS. SMITH
1941 SUSPICION
1942 SABOTEUR
1943 SHADOW OF A DOUBT
1944 LIFEBOAT
1944 BON VOYAGE (short)
1944 ADVENTURE MALGACHE (short)
1945 SPELLBOUND
1946 NOTORIOUS (and producer)
1948 THE PARADINE CASE
1948 ROPE (and producer)
1949 UNDER CAPRICORN (and producer)
1950 STAGE FRIGHT (and producer)
1951 STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (and producer)
1953 I CONFESS (and producer)
1954 DIAL M FOR MURDER (and producer)
1954 REAR WINDOW (and producer)
1955 TO CATCH A THIEF (and producer)
1955 THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (and producer)
1956 THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (and producer)
1956 THE WRONG MAN (and producer)
1958 VERTIGO (and producer)
1959 THE GAZEBO (cameo)
1959 NORTH BY NORTHWEST (and producer)
1960 PSYCHO
1963 THE BIRDS (and producer)
1964 MARNIE (and producer)
1966 TORN CURTAIN (and producer)
1969 TOPAZ (and producer)
1972 FRENZY (and producer)
1976 FAMILY PLOT (and producer)
Academy Awards:
1940 REBECCA Best Director Nomination
1944 LIFEBOAT Best Director Nomination
1945 SPELLBOUND Best Director Nomination
1954 REAR WINDOW Best Director Nomination
1960 PSYCHO Best Director Nomination
winner 1967 The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award--
given to "a creative producer who has been responsible for a consistently high quality of motion picture production." (It is considered the highest accolade a producer can receive.)
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Pursuing greater opportunities than those available in Britain, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1939. His first film made under contract to producer David O. Selznick was an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's REBECCA (1940), starring Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine and a host of talented British character actors including Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Gladys Cooper, Florence Bates, Nigel Bruce and C. Aubrey Smith. In addition to popularity with critics and audiences, REBECCA also won the Academy Award as Best Picture of 1940 -- Hitchcock's only film to take the top prize.
In 1941, Hitchcock acted as producer and director on SUSPICION, another popular suspense thriller set in his native England (though again filmed in Hollywood) and starring Joan Fontaine as a wife who fears her husband, Cary Grant, only married her for her money and is now trying to kill her. Although SUSPICION marked Hitchcock's last film with Fontaine, it proved to be the first of four successful teamings with Cary Grant whose cool and charming demeanor made him one of Hitchcock's favorite leading men.
In 1943, Hitchcock teamed with playwright Thornton Wilder and went on location in Santa Rosa, California to create SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943), one of his most neglected masterpieces. Featuring Teresa Wright as a young woman who fears her Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) may be a hunted murderer, and also showcasing memorable character performances by Patricia Collinge and Hume Cronyn, SHADOW OF A DOUBT, Hitchcock often remarked, was the director's personal favorite of all his films
His next film, LIFEBOAT (1944), told the story of a group of shipwrecked passengers stranded in a lifeboat, and starred Tallulah Bankhead alongside William Bendix, Walter Slezak, John Hodiak and Hume Cronyn. It is unique among Hitchcock's films (and films of the period) because all the action is confined to a single set. (Incidentally, this isolated staging required Hitchcock to make his cameo in a newspaper ad.)
In the first of three films Hitchcock would make with David O. Selznick's Swedish import Ingrid Bergman, SPELLBOUND (1945), the director delved into the still-fledgling science of psychoanalysis and hired surrealist artist Salvador Dali to work as art director on the film's famed dream sequence. Though its simplistic approach to analysis dates SPELLBOUND a little, the film is still a fascinating piece of movie making, and co-stars Gregory Peck in one of his earliest screen roles.
Hitchcock's second film with both Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, NOTORIOUS (1946), proved to be another smashing critical and box-office success, this time about the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy who agrees to go undercover for the American government in Rio di Janeiro and spy on her father's former associates, including Claude Rains. The key featured on the poster at left is an important prop in NOTORIOUS, and in 1979 when Hitchcock was honored by the American Film Institute with the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award, Ingrid Bergman presented the key to Hitchcock as a token of good luck.
Hitchcock's last film under his contract with Selznick was THE PARADINE CASE (1947), the story of a defense attorney (Gregory Peck) who becomes obsessed with the guilt or innocence of his client (Alida Valli), a women accused of murdering her husband.
More than just a film director and producer, Hitchcock was also an innovator, staying abreast of the latest technologies and pressing the boundaries of the narrative use of special effects. In ROPE (1948), he attempted to create a film without cuts by combining ten-minute-long takes into a seamless flow of action. Inspired by the real-life Leopold-Loeb murder case, ROPE is the story of two young men (Farley Granger and John Dall) who kill a prep-school friend for the thrill of it and invite friends and family to their apartment where the body is hidden. Though interesting, in the final analysis, ROPE is more notable for its experimental approach to filmmaking than for its qualities as a taught thriller. Co-starring Jimmy Stewart and made for Warner Bros., ROPE also marked Hitchcock's first color film.
In STAGE FRIGHT (1950), Hitchcock cheated his audience for the first time by beginning the film with a deceptive flashback which lures the audience into believing what it sees. Despite that shortcoming however, this story of a seductive London actress (played by Marlene Dietrich) whose wealthy husband is murdered and whose young protégé (Richard Todd) is accused of the crime despite the protestations of his aspiring actress friend (Jane Wyman) is still entertaining. Also featuring notable contributions from British character actors Alastair Sim and Joyce Grenfell, STAGE FRIGHT was not one of Hitchcock's most commercially or critically successful films, but it's almost worth watching just to see Marlene Dietrich perform Cole Porter's "The Laziest Girl in Town."
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951) with Farley Granger, Robert Walker and Ruth Roman.
I CONFESS (1953) with Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden and Brian Aherne.
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955) with Shirley MacLaine, John Forsythe, Edmund Gwenn, Mildred Natwick and Mildred Dunnock and a young Jerry Mathers (before "Leave It To Beaver").
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) with Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings.
REAR WINDOW (1954) with Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr.
TO CATCH A THIEF (1955) with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.Hitch's first VistaVision film.
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956) with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day.
THE WRONG MAN (1956) with Henry Fonda and Vera Miles.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) with Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau.
PSYCHO (1960) with Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam.
THE BIRDS (1963) with Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette.
MARNIE (1964) with Tippi Hedren, Sean Connery and Diane Baker.
TORN CURTAIN (1966) with Julie Andrews and Paul Newman.
Complete Filmography
Filmography:
1921 APPEARANCES (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE BONNIE BRIER BUSH (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE CALL OF YOUTH (inter-titles designer)
1921 DANGEROUS LIES (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE GREAT DAY (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE MYSTERY ROAD (inter-titles designer)
1921 THE PRINCESS OF NEW YORK (inter-titles designer)
1922 LOVE'S BOOMERANG (inter-titles designer)
1922 THE MAN FROM HOME (inter-titles designer)
1922 THE SPANISH JADE (inter-titles designer)
1922 TELL YOUR CHILDREN (inter-titles designer)
1922 THREE LIVE GHOSTS (inter-titles designer)
1923 THE WHITE SHADOW (editor, art director)
1923 WOMAN TO WOMAN (screenwriter, editor, art director, assistant director)
1924 THE PASSIONATE ADVENTURE (screenwriter, art director, assistant director)
1924 THE PRUDE'S FALL (screenwriter, art director, assistant director)
1925 THE BLACKGUARD (screenwriter, art director, assistant director)
1925 THE PLEASURE GARDEN
1926 THE LODGER (and screenwriter)
1926 THE MOUNTAIN EAGLE
1927 DOWNHILL
1927 EASY VIRTUE
1927 THE RING (and screenwriter)
1928 CHAMPAGNE (and screenwriter)
1928 THE FARMER'S WIFE (and screenwriter)
1929 BLACKMAIL (and screenwriter)
1929 THE MANXMAN
1930 ELSTREE CALLING
1930 JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK (and screenwriter)
1930 MURDER!
1931 THE SKIN GAME (and screenwriter)
1932 NUMBER SEVENTEEN (and screenwriter)
1932 RICH AND STRANGE
1934 THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
1934 STRAUSS'S GREAT WALTZ
1935 THE 39 STEPS
1936 SABOTAGE
1936 SECRET AGENT
1937 YOUNG AND INNOCENT
1938 THE LADY VANISHES
1939 JAMAICA INN
1940 FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
1940 THE HOUSE ACROSS THE BAY (additional direction)
1940 REBECCA
1941 MR. & MRS. SMITH
1941 SUSPICION
1942 SABOTEUR
1943 SHADOW OF A DOUBT
1944 LIFEBOAT
1944 BON VOYAGE (short)
1944 ADVENTURE MALGACHE (short)
1945 SPELLBOUND
1946 NOTORIOUS (and producer)
1948 THE PARADINE CASE
1948 ROPE (and producer)
1949 UNDER CAPRICORN (and producer)
1950 STAGE FRIGHT (and producer)
1951 STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (and producer)
1953 I CONFESS (and producer)
1954 DIAL M FOR MURDER (and producer)
1954 REAR WINDOW (and producer)
1955 TO CATCH A THIEF (and producer)
1955 THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (and producer)
1956 THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (and producer)
1956 THE WRONG MAN (and producer)
1958 VERTIGO (and producer)
1959 THE GAZEBO (cameo)
1959 NORTH BY NORTHWEST (and producer)
1960 PSYCHO
1963 THE BIRDS (and producer)
1964 MARNIE (and producer)
1966 TORN CURTAIN (and producer)
1969 TOPAZ (and producer)
1972 FRENZY (and producer)
1976 FAMILY PLOT (and producer)
Academy Awards:
1940 REBECCA Best Director Nomination
1944 LIFEBOAT Best Director Nomination
1945 SPELLBOUND Best Director Nomination
1954 REAR WINDOW Best Director Nomination
1960 PSYCHO Best Director Nomination
winner 1967 The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award--
given to "a creative producer who has been responsible for a consistently high quality of motion picture production." (It is considered the highest accolade a producer can receive.)
DOWNLOADS
Later,
Kenaz
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