Saying thanks and goodbye to a local gridiron giant and a Hollywood beheamouth

Hamilton's Man of steel, Ralph Sazio

Sazio was a strict disciplinarian who brought high-spirited Angelo Mosca into line when Big Ang came from stints with Ottawa and Montreal.

"He said 'One slip and you're gone.' And Ang was fine."

Mosca laughed when remembering his relationship with his friend,  he still had some mischief left in him, but he loved playing for Sazio. Still, the two often locked horns.

"I remember I had a great 1963 season playing both ways, and when I sat down to negotiate a contract, Ralph handed me the phone and said 'See what kind of deal you can get (elsewhere). I threw the phone at the wall. He picked it up and threw it back at me."

But Mosca stressed Sazio had a very caring side and helped many community efforts.

Ralph Sazio, who died suddenly at his home Thursday at 86, was the irresistible force that moved every object in his way no matter how immovable they thought they where. Another Hamilton hero's passing that caught everyone off guard.

"He was fine except for some back problems from the ravages of football," son Mark Sazio said.

Sazio's passing falls closely on the heels of Ron Lancaster's death a week ago Thursday. And the executive Sazio first worked for in Hamilton, former Canadian Football League commissioner Jake Gaudaur, also died in the past year.

1922 - Born in Avellino, New Jersey
1950 - Came to Hamilton to play for the Tiger-Cats
1953 - Became an assistant coach with the team
1963 - Became head coach of the Ticats
1964 - Won the Annis Stukus Trophy as top CFL coach
1967 - Won his third Grey Cup in five seasons
1968 - Became the Tiger-Cat general manager
1978 - Became Ticat president
1981 - Became Toronto Argonauts president
1983 - Engineered first Argo Grey Cup in 31 years
1988 - Inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame
1990 - Retired as Argo president
Sept. 25, 2008 - Passed away

Ralph Sazio came to Hamilton after serving in the Second World War and graduating with an arts degree from New York's Columbia University. The family settled in Burlington's Aldershot area, when it still was mostly fruit trees.

The big lineman was smart as a player, coach, manager and businessman. During his final year as coach, Sazio's Tabbies lost in the regular season to Lancaster's Saskatchewan Roughriders.

With a beat me once, never twice attitude, the Cats simply punished the league thereafter. No team could score a touchdown on Hamilton after that - they won seven games in a row, including a 24-1 pasting of the Roughriders in the Grey Cup game.

Oskie-Wee-Wee!!!
Kenaz

Paul Newman, cold hand of fate no match for Cool Hand

Paul Newman, the Oscar-winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as "Hud,'' ``Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money" – followed by a second act as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario – has died. He was 83. Newman died Friday at his farmhouse near Westport following a long battle with cancer.

As an actor, Newman got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers. He was nominated for Academy Awards 10 times, winning one Oscar and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus,'' "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,'' "The Verdict,'' "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice.''

Newman worked with some of the greatest directors of the past half century, from Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston to Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers. His co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and, most famously, Robert Redford, his sidekick in "Butch Cassidy" and "The Sting.''

He sometimes teamed with his wife and fellow Oscar winner, Joanne Woodward, with whom he had one of Hollywood's rare long-term marriages. "I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?'' Newman told Playboy magazine when asked if he was tempted to stray. They wed in 1958, around the same time they both appeared in "The Long Hot Summer." Newman also directed her in several films, including "Rachel, Rachel" and "The Glass Menagerie.''

In 1982, Newman and his Westport neighbor, writer A.E. Hotchner, started a company to market Newman's original oil-and-vinegar dressing. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All of the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $175 million, according to its Web site.

R.I.P,

film bio and life story

Monday, September 22, 2008

Fall Equinox 2008 Tarot and Rune Reading

It's September 22, the first day of fall. Astronomers call this day the autumnal equinox. The word equinox derives from two Latin words meaning "equal night." It is one of only two days in the year (the other being the vernal or spring equinox) when the sun is directly perpendicular to the equator, resulting in exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The sun rises at the South Pole today for the first time in six months. Here in Canada it's harvest time.

In celebration of the beginning of the season of thanks I bring you my fall Tarot and Rune reading. By the looks of things it will be another season filled with intrigue,  ventures into the unknown and a time to expect the unexpected!!!




The question as always is What does the fall have in store for me?









TAROT

	The Celtic Cross spread is one of the most popular Tarot spreads, providing varied insight into many aspects of a complex situation and your role in it. The Cat People Tarot paints a picture of faraway lands trod by mystical archetypes and their feline companions. This deck is a perfect tool for dreamers and idealists, and is a great choice for divining the nature of human imagination.
	The card not shown but at the center of the cross, represents the atmosphere surrounding the central issue. Page of Swords: A person adept at perceiving and uncovering the unknown or that which is less than obvious. Insight. Vigilance. Agility. Spying. A discreet person. An active youth. A lithe figure alert to unknown dangers.
	The card visible at the center of the cross represents the obstacle that stands in your way - it may even be something that sounds good but is not actually to your benefit. Death: Transformation. Clearing away the old to make way for the new. Risk for renewal. Unexpected change. Loss. Failure. Abrupt change of the old self, though not necessarily physical death. The ending of a familiar situation or friendship. Loss of income or financial security. Beginning of new era. Illness, possibly even death. Streak of bad luck. A loan that will not be repaid.
	The card at the top of the cross represents your goal, or the best you can achieve without a dramatic change of priorities. The Tower: Complete and sudden change. Breakdown of old beliefs. Abandonment of past relationships. Severing of a friendship. Change of opinion. Unexpected events. Disruption. Bankruptcy. Termination. Havoc. Downfall. Undoing. Loss of stability. A sudden even that destroys trust. Loss of money. Loss of security. Loss of love and affection. Setback. Terrible change. Unforeseen accident.
	The card at the bottom of the cross represents the foundation on which the situation is based. Temperance: Moderation. Temperance. Patience. That which can be accomplished through self-control and frugality. Accommodation. Harmony. The mixing or bringing together into perfect union. Management. Compatibility. Fusion. Good influence. Fortunate omen. Consolidation. Possibly a person without excessive tendencies. Confidence and placidity. Possibly too temperate and moderate to achieve a goal presently out of reach.
	The card at the left of the cross represents a passing influence or something to be released. Nine of Wands (Strength): Expectation of difficulties and changes. Awaiting tribulation. Anticipation. Hidden enemies. Discipline. Order. A pause in a current struggle.
	The card at the right of the cross represents an approaching influence or something to be embraced. Ace of Wands, when reversed: False start. Cloudy outlook. Unrealized goal. Decadence. Empty existence. Vexation. Cancellation of plans.
	The card at the base of the staff represents your role or attitude. Nine of Swords (Cruelty): Misery. Concern. Quarrel. Unhappiness. Miscarriage. Anxiety over a loved one. Worry. Despair. Suffering.
	The card second from the bottom of the staff represents your environment and the people you are interacting with. Ten of Swords (Ruin): Ruin. Pain. Affliction. Sadness. Mental anguish. Desolation. Tears. Misfortune. Trouble. Disappointment.
	The card second from the top of the staff represents your hopes, fears, or an unexpected element that will come into play. Seven of Wands (Valor): Success. Gain. Overcoming obstacles and challenges. Advantage. Victory.
	The card at the top of the staff represents the ultimate outcome should you continue on this course. Page of Cups: A studious and intent person. Reflective, meditative and loyal person. Willingness to offer services and efforts toward a specific goal. A helpful person. A trustworthy worker.

RUNE






The Cross spread is used to plot the arc of your life and the forces acting on it. It is the most popular spread, giving a very complete view of the situation. Ice Runes are most commonly used for questions about struggle, conflict, and achievement.
The left rune represents an important element of the past. Man refers to Mankind and your interaction with the whole of human population. This rune is reversed, suggesting a separation from your fellow man. There is a lack of harmony in your interaction with others, either because you do not accept society or society does not accept you. Alternatively, this rune may also represent your separation from nature, and your ability to rise above the base level of being. As the rune is reversed, this may suggest an incomplete level of spiritual attainment or an intellectual block.
The middle rune represents a deciding element of the present. Ehwaz is representative of the eight-legged horse ridden by the god Odin. As such, this is the rune of controlled movement and travel, including the pursuit of an objective or station in life. Since some older sources show Odin not as a man riding a horse but as a centaur-like being, this rune can also represent the union of man and nature, or the fusion of two entities in perfect harmony. As this rune is reversed, this could bode poorly for travel or for the vehicle involved. In the more spiritual sense, this rune could represent difficulties in self-improvement or other attempts at advancement. Finally, it may represent a splitting of two or the inability of two to act as one.
The top rune represents a force that works for you. Berkana represents the birch tree. The birch is frequently symbolic of renewal, rebirth, birth, growth and fertility. This rune is a joyous one, representing good outcomes from ventures undertaken. It is the rune of the family and of a good household.
The bottom Rune represents a force that works against you. Wunjo is the rune of joy. The reversal of this rune suggests that joy is withheld. Since joy is frequently communal, this rune often suggests loneliness. Alternatively, some have seen Wunjo as the rune of perfection and the rune of the gods. Therefore this rune reversed could signal a feeling of separation from one's deity, or as imperfection in an important work.

The right rune represents the critical element of the future, at the core of the final outcome. Othila is the homeland. Land was the purest form of immovable wealth in Norse civilization, distinct from the movable wealth represented by Fehu. This rune speaks of stability and safety stemming from inheritance, both material and genetic. With respect to the question asked, consider the background of the people and families involved...

Later, Kenaz

Remembering "The Little General"

Ron Lancaster's story is the history of almost half a century of the Canadian
Football League. He's done it all - from quarterback and head coach, to
general manager and broadcaster. An American export turned Canadian hero,
his was a triumph of skill and brains over brawn and bravado. An underdog
who rose to glory in an underdog league, the "Little General" battled the
odds to become a football legend.

Lancaster's roots run deep in the blue collar steel town of
Clairton, Pennsylvania, where football was a religion. A standout high school
quarterback, he lacked one major attribute - size. A mere 5'5'' tall, Lancaster
was shunned by the big U.S. colleges. Instead he played for Ohio's tiny
Wittenburg University, where he gained a reputation for his great throwing
arm and strong leadership. Overlooked by the NFL, he was scouted by a team
he'd barely heard of - the Ottawa Roughriders. And the rest is CFL history.

Dramatic football footage illustrates a rollercoaster career. From "the
Miracle Game" of 1963, when "the little General" lead underdog Saskatchewan
to last minute victory over Calgary, to losing streaks and Grey Cup glory
- this is the story of a man with an indomitable will. A who's who of football
greats shared anecdotes and memories after his passing- including Russ Jackson,

"Ron and I first crossed paths in 1960 in Ottawa," said Russ Jackson, the legendary former Riders quarterback. "We sat beside each other in the locker-room but it was never a situation where 'I hate you, I don't want you to do well.' I think that was because of our personalities and that we both appreciated each other's ability and understanding of the game."

Despite being rivals, Jackson said he and Lancaster always wanted to help each other out.

"If the team did well, then we all did well," said Jackson. "In those days, you played with many of the same players for years and developed relationships with them. Later on, Ron and I became very close friends when he was coaching the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and I was working on the radio broadcasts because we'd spend a lot of time talking about football."

Hugh Campbell

Campbell said as a player Lancaster was a stickler for detail and demanded that his team practise hard because it would carry over to the football field. It's those qualities, Campbell added, that made Lancaster a great coach.

"It was just the smoothest and greatest of situations because he had a good idea of what to do and what he wanted to do and had a way of demanding it," he said. "At the same time all the players knew that he loved them and was on their side.

"As a player he was the toughest mentally. He made sure in practice you hustled as hard as you did in a game so that he could get the feel for what it would be like in the game. As a coach, his players had a great feel for him, the fans had a great feel for him because they had confidence he knew what he was doing."

On the sidelines, Lancaster earned a reputation of being a player's coach. He'd often give his troops the freedom to have fun, but demanded discipline and dedication on the field.

"Ron was a person people gravitated to," said former punter Sean Flemming, who played for Lancaster in Edmonton. "Loyal to his players almost to a fault, genuine to those he didn't know.

"Ron always said that the biggest compliment you could give a football player was to call him just that, a player. Someone who went out and did their job without any other reason but for the love of the game and for those around him. Ron was all that and more: He was a player, he was a coach, but most of all he was a great man."

and George Reed.

"We'd always have to grab him by the neck and put him on the bus, otherwise we would've been sitting there for three years (talking to people)," said George Reed, the Riders' legendary fullback. "He had that way of really mingling with the people and giving them his time and talking to them.

"He just had a way with people and people loved to talk to him. He always had time."

Sons Ron jr.
and Bob both played quarterback and coached, and grandson Marc is the high school quarterback.



more tributes from other CFL ledgends

Hotz Environmental, fire was only a matter of time

I worked at Hotz Environmental last year and considering what I saw to be shoddy training of workers in the most basic standards for handling household hazardous waste by management I wasn't at all surprised that their was a fire at the Lottridge facility Wednesday night.

Time line of event,

A chemical fire last night in a hazardous waste plant caused the evacuation of about 100 homes in north Hamilton.
Bewildered residents opened their doors to police officers wearing respirators as they initiated a voluntary evacuation in a one-kilometre radius around Hotz Environmental at 239 Lottridge St., north of Barton Street East.
Hotz, which disposes of hazardous household waste, reported a fire around 7 p.m.

At 10 p.m., fire department spokesperson John Verbeek said that firefighters were extinguishing four smouldering barrels containing pool chlorine in the northeast of the building "with some dry chemical extinguishers."
Firefighters did not enter the building until 9:20 as they assessed what chemicals were inside.
Verbeek said preliminary information was that there was a small amount of PCBs from light ballasts in two of the 45-gallon metal drums. Others contained bleach.
General manager Don Harber said most of what the company deals with is latex paint, which it recycles. He said the property is about five acres and there were 22 employees inside at the time, all of whom left the building.

(Drums with these to different chemical are to never be near each other, why where they that night?)

Possible Causes,

No cause has been determined for the blaze, but Verbeek said a chemical reaction in one drum of pool chemicals (chlorine and bromine) is strongly suspected.

These chemicals generate heat if they have been contaminated with oil, moisture or even bits of cardboard from original packaging, which sometimes gets included with the chemicals, he said. The chemicals are normally able to dissipate heat in regular containers, but they could reach high temperatures sealed inside a drum with a contaminant.

(The place is not temperature controlled and the drums when emptied are just recycled and not always cleaned properly it's easy to see how oil became mixed with the bleach)

Eyewittness accounts,

Oliver Gasana, 25, was the employee who pulled the alarm.
"I heard a big boom, went in back and a drum was on fire," he said.
Gasana, who has worked there about a year, added that he ran to get a fire extinguisher, but "by the time I got back, which was five seconds, there were four more (drums) on fire."
After pulling the alarm, he ran from the building.
Another employee who wouldn't give his name said there are potentially thousands of drums in that area of the building.
He says he was processing paint 100 metres away when "some drums started popping."
He said he heard three to four small explosions and then the alarms started going off.
He speculated there may have been some sort of chemical reaction, possibly from chlorine pucks for pools which may have been in the drums.

Evacuees were able to return around 10 p.m., but area residents were angry the facility is even in the area.

Reactions from residences,

Nicole Gagne of Case Street said police told her to evacuate just after 9 p.m. The mother of three said having the facility down the street makes her "very concerned for (her) kids."

Ward 3 Councillor Bernie Morelli said he has tried to stop recyclers from setting up in residential areas, but noted his hands are tied by zoning laws. He said it would be tough to evict companies, even if zoning laws changed.

"Since there seems to be no way to move them out, you have to work with these people to make sure they're as good a neighbour as anyone else," Morelli said.

He called Hotz Environmental a responsible business and said the fire was not indicative of their operation.

Hotz' reaction,

In a bid to ease frustrations, Hotz Environmental offered to reimburse anyone displaced from their home by the fire.

"We're very appreciative of our neighbours and apologize for the inconvenience we caused them," said Hotz vice-president Pamela McAuley.

Ministry of the Environment actions,

Jennifer Hall of the Ministry of the Environment said officials on the scene Wednesday night took 27 samples of the air surrounding the Lottridge facility but did not register any detectable levels of chlorine "due to the nature and short duration of the fire."

Hall said the ministry's district office was at the Hotz facility in August for a site inspection and found the company to be in compliance with provincial requirements for handling and storing waste material.

The Hotz centre operated as a household hazardous waste collection site for the city until a contract expired in March. City data shows it had 6,095 visits between May and December 2007 and collected 198 tonnes of waste.

Interesting notes,

Residents were told to go inside and close their doors and windows. However CHCH News reporter Michelle Dubé observed several standing in the street, watching emergency crews.

No charges will be laid as the facility is inspected regularly and there were no violations.

Sources, Hamilton Spectator, CHML Radio, CHCH News

My reaction,

As I mentioned I used to work for Hotz and still live nearby, although I never heard the evacuation order?. The question is not how to contain this type of chemical reaction after it occurs, which can be quick and violent. One guy stated he went for the fire extinguisher but in 5 seconds the fire was out of control. I believe him, the problem I have is with people like GM Don Harber who claims he had no clue how the fire happened.

I do! the company doesn't properly train their employees in how to avoid chemical reactions. It is speculated the drum contained pool chemicals(chlorine), last week that drum could have had motor oil in it and not properly cleaned afterwords. I seen it day in day out, people who didn't give a damn or where too stupid to know the dangers of what they where handling. It's funny it is only stated that Hotz' contract for the household waste drop off centre was not renewed, thus they moved it down to Kenora Ave. Which is a more safe area where the drums are not kept exposed to the elements all day in a parking lot and while I worked there I often had to remind the completely untrained in even the basic Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) (Canada’s national hazard communication standard. The key elements of the system, which came into effect on October 31, 1988, are cautionary labelling of containers of WHMIS controlled products, the provision of material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and worker education and training programs.) kid to even cover the drums and properly seal them. This kid didn't even know that if you mix baking soda and an acid like vinegar in the same drum you get a spectacular chemical reaction. Any fifth grade science student making a volcano knows this.

Proper execution of standards has to start with management, if they shirk responsibility things happen.

Later,
Kenaz

Michael Dixon wronged by Hamilton Police Board

Update from a post from 21/10/06,

A man stepping off a bus and grabbed by two cops and thrown in jail for doing nothing wrong. If I hadn't read the bi-line that read "Hamilton", I would have easily thought the story was from Beirut or Kandahar.

The man in question is Michael Dixon. A break-in occurred during the Aug. 14, 2003, blackout. Hamilton police were looking for a Caucasian suspect. Dixon is black.

Dixon begged the officers who nabbed him to check with the driver of the bus he had just exited on his way home from work in Toronto. They wouldn't. He sat in jail for almost four days; for nine months he lived under strict bail conditions. Three times, an assistant Crown attorney demanded the two arresting officers interview Dixon's alibi witnesses. That never happened. All charges were eventually dropped.

Dixon tried to file a complaint but a staff sergeant refused to give him the forms. He pursued the complaint and a police internal affairs investigation exonerated the officers. He complained to the Ontario Civilian Commission for Police Services; Peel police were ordered to investigate and concluded serious misconduct had occurred. The OCCPS ordered Hamilton police to lay charges. The two constables pleaded guilty. Their sentence was three days' lost pay. That's less time than Dixon spent in jail.

Hamilton’s police board says two officers who pleaded guilty of misconduct in the wrongful arrest of a black man did not commit criminal obstruction of justice.

The Hamilton Police Services Board says an OPP investigation has concluded Constables Oliver Mann and Chris Beaulne did not criminally obstruct justice by making false statements to internal affairs investigators. As a result, the board has decided there is no evidence of misconduct in terms of false or misleading evidence in their arrest five years ago of Michael Dixon.

I'm dumbfounded, what constitutes obstruction of justice if this doesn't? Two cops who happened to be white who where desperate to find a quick resolve for a crime tried to pin it on the nearest man they thought looked suspicious. That happened to be a black man coming home from his work at the CNE. No matter how you cut it this smacks of racial profiling and racial bias. I'm not insinuating this a department wide problem but their is a few bad apples on the Hamilton Police force and you know what they say about bad apples.

Later, Kenaz

Sgt. Scott Shipway, 97th Canadian hero killed in Afghanistan

"On behalf of each and every member of the task force, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Sgt. Shipway,” Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson said. “We are all deeply affected by the loss of our friend and colleague Scott. However, during these sad moments, we also recognize the even greater sorrow is that that his family is going through." I found this fitting song composed by MacPhee, Schram, Howe in my files simply entitled "Ode To The Canadian Soldier "and uploaded to imeem. Please give a listen. The lyrics pay tribute to the men and women who are "Fighting for freedom and staying the course. The latest Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan was less than one week away from the end of his tour when his armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar around 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Sgt. Scott Shipway was airlifted by helicopter to the multinational hospital at Kandahar Airfield where he was pronounced dead. Seven other soldiers were wounded in the explosion but were all able to notify their loved ones personally. Canada has now lost 97 soldiers on the mission to Afghanistan. Sgt. Shipway's death happened on the day a federal election was called in Canada. The blast in the Panjwaii district happened shortly before two suicide bombers detonated themselves inside the police headquarters in Kandahar city, killing four Afghan police officers and wounding some 31 people. Sgt. Shipway is the 97th soldier to die since the Afghanistan mission began in 2002 and the 11th this year to be killed by an IED. A Canadian diplomat and two Canadian aid workers have also been killed over the course of the insurgency. Sgt. Shipway served as an infantryman with the 2nd battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man. This was his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. In 2006, he was cited for his quick reaction during a roadside bomb attack in which he secured the area and helped save a fellow soldier's life. Shipway was remembered by his friends as a dedicated father and Saskatchewan Roughriders fan. full story Peace

Pte. Chad Horn, Cpl. Andrew Grenon, and Cpl. Mike Seggie:Grace Under Fire

"The brave soldiers killed today were coming to the end of their tour," Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson told reporters in Kandahar. "It saddens me to think of their loved ones, who were expecting them to return home later this month." I found this fitting song composed by MacPhee, Schram, Howe in my files simply entitled "Ode To The Canadian Soldier "and uploaded to imeem. Please give a listen. The lyrics pay tribute to the men and women who are "Fighting for freedom and staying the course. Three Canadian soldiers who were set to return home later this month were killed Wednesday morning when their armoured vehicle came under direct attack in southern Afghanistan. Five other soldiers were wounded, one critically. Cpl. Andrew Grenon, Cpl. Mike Seggie and Pte. Chad Horn were killed in the Zhari district of Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province. Thompson said that when the insurgents attacked the soldiers at about 9:30 a.m., the Canadians returned fire. Even the wounded soldiers pulled themselves out of the armoured vehicle and started firing back. The eight soldiers were rushed out of the area, and three were pronounced dead at the Kandahar Airfield. Thompson said one of the wounded is now in critical condition and another in serious but stable condition. Two are in good condition, and one has been treated and released from medical care. Thompson said the three dead were all members of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry battle group, based in Shilo, Man. Grenon, a 23-year-old who was on his second tour in Afghanistan originally from Windsor, Ont., saw fierce fighting and was twice injured on his first tour in 2006-07, but still volunteered to go back. Grenon was awarded a bravery medal, called the Canadian Expeditionary Forces Commander's Commendation, a little over a week ago for preventing a riot and saving the lives of two soldiers during a battle on March 3. Seggie, 21, came from a family of Patricias, as both his father and uncle served with the regiment, Thompson said. He said Seggie, who was "cool under fire," had a great attitude and would often make himself the butt of a joke just to get a laugh out of his comrades. Seggie had learned several Pashtun phrases in order to communicate better with the local population in Afghanistan. Horn was a professional, hard-working soldier, Thompson said. At 21, the Calgary man had "unlimited potential and was admired by his peers." Horn was considered the best gunner in the company and was credited with saving the lives of many of his comrades during his time in Afghanistan because of his ability to act under fire. The three deaths come exactly two weeks after three other soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the same volatile Zhari district. Two other Canadian soldiers were killed in August, as well as two Canadian aid workers, making it one of deadliest months for Canadians in Afghanistan. Canada launched its Afghan mission in February 2002, and about 2,500 Canadian soldiers are now serving in the war-torn country, most of them in the volatile south. With Wednesday's deaths, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan has risen to 96. A Canadian diplomat also died. The three Canadian soldiers, from left, Pte. Chad Horn, Cpl. Andrew Grenon, and Cpl. Mike Seggie, were killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday morning. full story Peace

Canada's final Olympic medal haul

Canada wrapped up a successful Olympic Games on Saturday with one of its best-ever medal counts - and a whole lot of near-misses that could have driven the total even higher. With no Canadians competing on the final day of the Games, the country finishes with 18 medals - three gold, nine silver and six bronze. That's the third-highest total in Canadian history, matching the country's output at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. 

Only the 1984 Games in Los Angeles (44 medals) and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta (22) exceeded Canada's output in Beijing. And with 12 fourth-place finishes at these Games - including three more Saturday - the Canadian team came agonizingly close to registering its best-ever result at a non-boycotted Olympics.

It's a performance that is sure to please the Canadian Olympic Committee, especially considering the team didn't even register a podium finish until the eighth day of competition. With just 12 medal events left Sunday, the team will likely accomplish its goal of a top-16 overall finish. Canada is currently tied for 13th with Belarus, two ahead of Spain and the Netherlands.

GOLD - Carol Huynh, Wrestling (48-kg Freestyle)

Canadian freestyle wrestler Carol Huynh won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, defeating Chiharu Icho of Japan in the women's 48-kilogram final at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium. Huynh posted a 4-0, 2-0 win for her first career Olympic medal. The 27-year-old from Hazelton, B.C., won gold at last year's Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the 2005 world championship. She also won silver in the 46-kilogram division at the 2001 world championship and bronze at the 2000 event.

GOLD - Kevin Light, Ben Rutledge, Andrew Byrnes, Jake Wetzel, Malcolm Howard, Dominic Seiterle, Adam Kreek, Kyle Hamilton and Brian Price, Rowing (Men's Eight With Coxswain)

The men's eight crew capped a three-medal day for Canada at the Olympic rowing regatta by capturing a gold medal. They won their race in five minutes 23.89 seconds.

"I knew that we had won it, there was nobody coming back at that point," coxswain Brian Price said of raising his arms near the finish line.

"I kept telling them to keep on cranking."

GOLD - Eric Lamaze, Equestrian (Individual Show Jumping)

Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ont., captured the show jumping title Thursday at the Beijing Games, giving Canada its first-ever individual equestrian gold. Lamaze, aboard Hickstead, posted back-to-back clean runs in his first two rounds before winning a jump-off with Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson for his second medal of the Games. It's just the second individual show jumping medal for Canada in Olympic history. Michel Vaillancourt won an individual silver medal at the 1976 Games in Montreal.

SILVER - Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen, Rowing (Men's Pairs)

Canadian rowers Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen captured a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. Calder, from Victoria, and Frandsen, from Kelowna, B.C., clocked a time of six minutes 39.55 seconds, nearly five seconds ahead of the bronze medallists from New Zealand. The Canadians were about two seconds behind Australia for gold. Calder rowed in the men's pair four years ago in Athens.

SILVER - Karen Cockburn, Trampoline

Karen Cockburn will go down in history as one of Canada's most reliable Olympians. The 27-year-old from Toronto held her nerve in a tense trampoline final Monday to earn the silver medal, even though she was bouncing on a sore knee. It's her third Olympic medal in as many Games. Only three other Canadian athletes have done the same in a non-team or non-relay event.

SILVER - Simon Whitfield, Triathlon

Canadian Simon Whitfield has won another Olympic medal. The Kingston, Ont., native won silver in triathlon on Tuesday, finishing five seconds behind German gold medallist Jan Frodeno's time of one hour 48 minutes 53 seconds.

"I kind of fought my way on there, and I thought there's no time like the present," Whitfield said. "I tried to make it a battle of pure willpower. I gave it everything I had."

SILVER - Jason Burnett, Trampoline

Toronto's Jason Burnett has won a silver medal in trampoline at the Beijing Olympics. Burnett finished second with 40.7 points. The 21-year-old executed a tricky routine with an unforgiving degree of difficulty. The three-time Canadian champion was performing at his first Olympics.

SILVER - Alexandre Despatie, 3M Springboard

Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie has won a silver medal in men's three-metre springboard at the Beijing Olympics. Despatie scored 536.65 to earn his second silver in the event in as many Games. He also came second at the 2004 Athens Games. Despatie, 23, of Laval, Que., had the second-best score in the morning preliminaries which reduced the final to 12 from 18. The divers' score was reduced to zero for the six-dive final.

SILVER - Ian Millar, Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze and Mac Cone, Team Equestrian

Canada has won a silver medal in Olympic equestrian team show jumping, after losing a jump-off with the United States. The U.S. won gold when their first three riders executed clean rounds in the jump-off. Henselwood, Canada's lead rider, had picked up four faults. It was Millar's first medal in nine Olympic appearances.

SILVER - Emilie Heymans, Diving (Women's 10m Platform)

Emilie Heymans of Greenfield Park, Que. won the silver medal in women's 10-metre platform diving at the Beijing Olympics. Heymans led after her final dive but was bumped to silver by Chen Ruolin, who finished off the competition with a near perfect dive that earned a score of 100.30. Heymans won a silver medal in synchronized diving with Anne Montminy in 2000 and a bronze with Blythe Hartley four years later.

SILVER - Karine Sergerie, Taekwondo (Women's 67kg division)

Karine Sergerie of Sainte-Catherine, Que., was forced to settle for Olympic silver after losing a tight final in taekwondo's 67-kilogram division 2-1 to Hwang Kyungseon on Friday. The South Korean picked up the decisive point in the third round as Sergerie went for a strike. Hwang spun and scored the go-ahead point with a counter-kick to Sergerie's midsection. Sergerie's last-chance attempts to tie things up fell short.

SILVER - Adam van Koeverden, K-1 500-metres

Adam van Koeverden fought off self-doubt and a sleepless night to find redemption with an Olympic silver medal in the men's K1 500-metre race Saturday. With the shock of Friday's eighth-place finish in the men's K-1 1,000 metres still fresh in his mind, van Koeverden led most of the way in the 500, just fighting off Britain's Tim Brabants to finish second in one minute 37.630 seconds. Aussie Ken Wallace won gold in 1:37.252, while Brabants finished a hair behind van Koeverden at 1:37.671.

BRONZE - Tonya Verbeek, Wrestling (55-kg Freestyle)

After Carol Huynh's gold medal win the women's 48-kilogram final, Tonya Verbeek added a bronze medal about 25 minutes later by beating Sweden's Ida-Theres Nerell 1-0, 1-0 in the 55-kilogram category. Verbeek, from Beamsville, Ont., won silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics as well as a bronze at the 2005 world championship.

"I won a match to get the bronze and you're losing a match to get the silver," Verbeek said. "So it is a different feeling."

BRONZE - Ryan Cochrane, Swimming (1,500m Freestyle)

Victoria's Ryan Cochrane has won a bronze medal in the 1,500-metre freestyle at the Beijing Games, finally giving Canada its first medal in the pool since the Sydney Games in 2000. Coming into Sunday, Canada's best finish in the pool was a fourth in the 200-metre backstroke. Cochrane's medal came on the last day of swimming at the National Aquatics Centre or Water Cube.

BRONZE - Melanie Kok and Tracy Cameron, Rowing (Women's double sculls - lightweight)

Melanie Kok of St. Catharines, Ont., and Tracy Cameron of Shubenacadie, N.S., just managed to hold off a German crew for bronze. They finished in 6:56.68, beating out the Germans for third by a mere 0.04 seconds.

"I thought we had it," said Cameron. "When we looked over I could see that our bow ball was definitely in front of the Germans.

BRONZE - Iain Brambell, Jon Beare, Mike Lewis and Liam Parsons, Rowing (Men's four without coxswain - lightweight)

Earlier, the men's four crew of Iain Brambell of Victoria, Jon Beare of Toronto, Mike Lewis of Victoria and Liam Parsons of Thunder Bay, Ont., posted a time of 5:50.09 for bronze.

"We started everything we could in the first 500 to get ourselves into the race and essentially through the middle it's a dogfight, everybody wants a piece of it," said Brambell.  

Canada used a late surge to solidify a claim on a medal, and almost moved into second place in the final leg.

BRONZE - Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, 100M hurdles

Canada's Priscilla Lopes-Schliep has captured bronze in the women's 100-metre hurdles at the Beijing Olympics. The 25-year-old from Whitby, Ont., raced to a time of 12.64 seconds Tuesday night in a packed 91,000-seat Bird's Nest stadium. It was Canada's first track medal since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where Donovan Bailey won gold in the 100 metres and the men's 4x100 relay team also finished first.

BRONZE - Thomas Hall, C-1 1,000

Canada's Thomas Hall won a bronze medal in the men's C-1 1,000-metre canoe race at the Beijng Games on Friday. He finished third in three minutes 53.653 seconds on a hot, sunny afternoon at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. Hall caught Vadim Menkov of Uzbekistan in the final 200 metres and finished about half a second ahead of him to reach the podium.

"All adrenaline," Hall said. "I couldn't feel a thing. It was really great."

Later, Kenaz

Gold and Silver for Canada on Day 14 in Beijing

GOLD - Eric Lamaze, Equestrian (Individual Show Jumping)

Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ont., captured the show jumping title Thursday at the Beijing Games, giving Canada its first-ever individual equestrian gold. Lamaze, aboard Hickstead, posted back-to-back clean runs in his first two rounds before winning a jump-off with Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson for his second medal of the Games. It's just the second individual show jumping medal for Canada in Olympic history. Michel Vaillancourt won an individual silver medal at the 1976 Games in Montreal.

SILVER - Emilie Heymans, Diving (Women's 10m Platform)

Emilie Heymans of Greenfield Park, Que. won the silver medal in women's 10-metre platform diving at the Beijing Olympics. Heymans led after her final dive but was bumped to silver by Chen Ruolin, who finished off the competition with a near perfect dive that earned a score of 100.30. Heymans won a silver medal in synchronized diving with Anne Montminy in 2000 and a bronze with Blythe Hartley four years later.

Later,
Kenaz

Bloody day in Afghanistan for three Canadian soldiers

It is the worst one-day toll for the Canadians since July 4 of last year when six soldiers were lost in a single explosion. I found this fitting song composed by MacPhee, Schram, Howe in my files simply entitled "Ode To The Canadian Soldier "and uploaded to imeem. Please give a listen. The lyrics pay tribute to the men and women who are "Fighting for freedom and staying the course. Three Canadian troops were killed and another injured Wednesday when their vehicle was blasted by an explosive device west of Kandahar city in the most devastating strike against the Canadians so far this year. Sergeant Shawn Eades, Corporal Dustin Wasden and Sapper Stephan Stock died in the attack. All three men who died this week were combat engineers with the 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Regiment, based out of Edmonton. They were attached to the Second Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group and were conducting a patrol when the device detonated. The vehicle in which the troops were riding was blown up near the village of Howz-e-Madad in the Zhari district where the Taliban have many enclaves of power. The local police chief said the explosives were hidden in a culvert. The injured soldier is listed in serious but stable condition and has been in contact with his family since the incident. Sgt. Eades, born and raised in Hamilton, was respected by his subordinates, his peers and his superiors for his outstanding professionalism, said Brigadier-General Denis Thompson. 33-year old Sergeant Eades wife says he wore a uniform almost his entire life. He joined the cadets at the age of 12, served in the reserves and then joined the Canadian Armed Forces six years later. This was his third tour in Afghanistan. It has been months since Canadian troops were killed in a vehicle that ran over a device planted by the Taliban. Two other Canadian soldiers died in explosions this summer, but both were on foot patrol. No Canadian vehicle has been hit since April. Last year, however, almost all of the Canadian deaths occurred when the vehicles in which the troops were riding encountered explosive devices. The deaths Wednesday bring the military toll in the Afghanistan conflict to 93. One diplomat has also died. Nineteen Canadian soldiers have been killed in 2008. From left: Canadian Sgt. Shawn Eades, a combat engineer with 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment from Edmonton, and attached to the Second Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group; Cpl. Dustin Wasden, of the same unit; and Sapper Stephan Stock, a combat engineer, also with 12 Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment. The soldiers were killed by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan.  full story Peace

Canadian Medal Winners thus far day 12

GOLD - Carol Huynh, Wrestling (48-kg Freestyle)

Canadian freestyle wrestler Carol Huynh won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, defeating Chiharu Icho of Japan in the women's 48-kilogram final at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium. Huynh posted a 4-0, 2-0 win for her first career Olympic medal. The 27-year-old from Hazelton, B.C., won gold at last year's Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the 2005 world championship. She also won silver in the 46-kilogram division at the 2001 world championship and bronze at the 2000 event.

GOLD - Kevin Light, Ben Rutledge, Andrew Byrnes, Jake Wetzel, Malcolm Howard, Dominic Seiterle, Adam Kreek, Kyle Hamilton and Brian Price, Rowing (Men's Eight With Coxswain)

The men's eight crew capped a three-medal day for Canada at the Olympic rowing regatta by capturing a gold medal. They won their race in five minutes 23.89 seconds.

"I knew that we had won it, there was nobody coming back at that point," coxswain Brian Price said of raising his arms near the finish line.
"I kept telling them to keep on cranking."

SILVER - Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen, Rowing (Men's Pairs)

Canadian rowers Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen captured a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. Calder, from Victoria, and Frandsen, from Kelowna, B.C., clocked a time of six minutes 39.55 seconds, nearly five seconds ahead of the bronze medallists from New Zealand. The Canadians were about two seconds behind Australia for gold. Calder rowed in the men's pair four years ago in Athens.

SILVER - Karen Cockburn, Trampoline

Karen Cockburn will go down in history as one of Canada's most reliable Olympians. The 27-year-old from Toronto held her nerve in a tense trampoline final Monday to earn the silver medal, even though she was bouncing on a sore knee. It's her third Olympic medal in as many Games. Only three other Canadian athletes have done the same in a non-team or non-relay event.

SILVER - Simon Whitfield, Triathlon

Canadian Simon Whitfield has won another Olympic medal. The Kingston, Ont., native won silver in triathlon on Tuesday, finishing five seconds behind German gold medallist Jan Frodeno's time of one hour 48 minutes 53 seconds.

"I kind of fought my way on there, and I thought there's no time like the present," Whitfield said. "I tried to make it a battle of pure willpower. I gave it everything I had."

SILVER - Jason Burnett, Trampoline

Toronto's Jason Burnett has won a silver medal in trampoline at the Beijing Olympics. Burnett finished second with 40.7 points. The 21-year-old executed a tricky routine with an unforgiving degree of difficulty. The three-time Canadian champion was performing at his first Olympics.

SILVER - Alexandre Despatie, 3M Springboard

Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie has won a silver medal in men's three-metre springboard at the Beijing Olympics. Despatie scored 536.65 to earn his second silver in the event in as many Games. He also came second at the 2004 Athens Games. Despatie, 23, of Laval, Que., had the second-best score in the morning preliminaries which reduced the final to 12 from 18. The divers' score was reduced to zero for the six-dive final.

BRONZE - Tonya Verbeek, Wrestling (55-kg Freestyle)

After Carol Huynh's gold medal win the women's 48-kilogram final, Tonya Verbeek added a bronze medal about 25 minutes later by beating Sweden's Ida-Theres Nerell 1-0, 1-0 in the 55-kilogram category. Verbeek, from Beamsville, Ont., won silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics as well as a bronze at the 2005 world championship.

"I won a match to get the bronze and you're losing a match to get the silver," Verbeek said. "So it is a different feeling."

BRONZE - Ryan Cochrane, Swimming (1,500m Freestyle)

Victoria's Ryan Cochrane has won a bronze medal in the 1,500-metre freestyle at the Beijing Games, finally giving Canada its first medal in the pool since the Sydney Games in 2000. Coming into Sunday, Canada's best finish in the pool was a fourth in the 200-metre backstroke. Cochrane's medal came on the last day of swimming at the National Aquatics Centre or Water Cube.

BRONZE - Melanie Kok and Tracy Cameron, Rowing (Women's double sculls - lightweight)

Melanie Kok of St. Catharines, Ont., and Tracy Cameron of Shubenacadie, N.S., just managed to hold off a German crew for bronze. They finished in 6:56.68, beating out the Germans for third by a mere 0.04 seconds.

"I thought we had it," said Cameron. "When we looked over I could see that our bow ball was definitely in front of the Germans."

BRONZE - Iain Brambell, Jon Beare, Mike Lewis and Liam Parsons, Rowing (Men's four without coxswain - lightweight)

Earlier, the men's four crew of Iain Brambell of Victoria, Jon Beare of Toronto, Mike Lewis of Victoria and Liam Parsons of Thunder Bay, Ont., posted a time of 5:50.09 for bronze.

"We started everything we could in the first 500 to get ourselves into the race and essentially through the middle it's a dogfight, everybody wants a piece of it," said Brambell.

Canada used a late surge to solidify a claim on a medal, and almost moved into second place in the final leg.

BRONZE - Ian Millar, Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze and Mac Cone, Team Equestrian

Canada has won a silver medal in Olympic equestrian team show jumping, after losing a jump-off with the United States. The U.S. won gold when their first three riders executed clean rounds in the jump-off. Henselwood, Canada's lead rider, had picked up four faults. It was Millar's first medal in nine Olympic appearances.

BRONZE - Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, 100M hurdles

Canada's Priscilla Lopes-Schliep has captured bronze in the women's 100-metre hurdles at the Beijing Olympics. The 25-year-old from Whitby, Ont., raced to a time of 12.64 seconds Tuesday night in a packed 91,000-seat Bird's Nest stadium. It was Canada's first track medal since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where Donovan Bailey won gold in the 100 metres and the men's 4x100 relay team also finished first.

Later, Kenaz