Friday, December 26, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Winter 2009 Tarot and Rune Reading
What does the Winter 2009 have in store for me?
What does the Winter 2009 have in store for me?
Monday, December 15, 2008Sadness for three more Canadian deaths in AfghanistanMonday, December 08, 2008Barton East will lose a marvellous curiosity
A walk down Barton Street East to Lottridge, not far past Sherman will transport you back to the 1950's. A time before big box drugstores, a time when a drugstore called Littlewood's provided relief too all that ailed you. The door has been closed for decades but the curiosity still lives on.
View Larger Map Through the grimy windows you can see how the store was the day the doors closed, providing future generations a snapshot of life in a simpler time. The products are still on the shelves. Soft Spraze hairspray, Vam, Blondex, Stripe toothpaste for 43 cents, nylon stockings from the pre-pantyhose days. George Littlewood Jr. tried to give a run at running the family business after his father George Sr. died in 1961 but it was a short lived attempt. The doors closed for good, but George Jr. couldn't bare to give up a piece of family tradition so the store sat unoccupied all these years until recently. The building is for sale at $79,900. That amount, and a lot more, will soon be fanned out to charity. That was the wish of George Littlewood Jr., who died of cancer Oct. 7 at 83. The Hanson wicker baby scales are still ready for service. On the counter sits the chrome National cash register. Behind the counter, where the pharmacist could size you up first, are the Trojan-ENZ condoms, three dozen for $4.50. There's Kan-Kil bug killer and Weed-No-More, from the days when DDT was just fine. Enema syringes. Kellogg's Asthma Relief -- one teaspoon on a plate, light it and "inhale smoke freely." Over the store, there's one apartment. A woman in her 80s lives there with her son. She has rented the place for some 35 years and the rent never increased -- $110 a month. There was a kind heart of lion beating in a man who was known for his tight reign on his money. Many worthy causes will reap the rewards of Georges frugality's. Fifteen years ago, George made his will. He put together a list of 10 charities -- including the Humane Society, the Harbour Rescue Mission, the CNIB. Video courtesy of Paul Wilson, a street beat reporter with the Hamilton Spectator. Later, Kenaz Sunday, December 07, 2008100th Canadian Hero to give their all in Afghanistan
Sunday, November 30, 2008'Human cock fighting' gets mom, son arrested in Brantford
A Brantford teen's wish for an after-school activity has led to the boy and his mother facing charges for staging illegal backyard fights that were refereed by the mother. They also get my "Banjo Boy Award" this year for sure ignorance. Sure beats the hell out of the idiot who tried to rob a GO bus last year. (Check out my Annual list of notable posts from last year)
Cue the banjo music now, police said students at Brantford Collegiate Institute paid 25 cents to watch matches in the backyard of the Brantford home over the past two months. They said 70 to 100 people were present on one occasion and the students wore no protective headgear. The woman, 36, and her son, 16, are charged with prizefighting. Police can't release the woman's name because it would identify her son who is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which by design helps morons like this. Both mother and son admit to the fighting but deny there was any money involved. No money? The fee went to buying pizza and water. The woman, who is a practical nurse, I hope had common sense to keep some bandages on hand. Whether money was involved or not it doesn't matter this was human cock fighting at it's worst. I'm just glad there where no serious injuries or death. The kicker, the woman, who is a mixed martial arts trainer and has professional boxers in her family, says the idea came out of her son's desire for after-school activity. Her son couldn't play high school football this year because it conflicted with his duties as a native youth manning posts at native-occupied sites in Brantford. Altered scheduling at BCI because of construction means her son gets out of school midday with little to do until bedtime. Don't worry her explanation gets dumber! She said the 16-year-old and her 15-year-old son put their heads together and came up with the fight match idea(!?) She said she laid out clear guidelines. Fights had to be consensual. Kids were required to wear proper MMA gloves and were teamed according to body weight and skill. According to her, the fights happened on Friday afternoons for roughly one month from mid-October to mid-November. Yet, a girl told the police she refused to fight when she learned the fight with another girl would be bare knuckles and include weapons like brass knuckles. She said she spoke with the high school resource officer posted at the school three days before the last match and he assured her the match was OK because it was on private property and an adult was present. I doubt this conversation occurred like she says, no officer would okay this. The officer acted as soon as he spoke to students who said they were charged the fee to watch. Not to mention, some neibours report kids throwing up on their property after the fights and using the area as a bathroom. More to come from this story, Kenaz Saturday, November 29, 2008Connie Smith signs off for the last time  Hamilton is currently in a state of upheaval -- Mohawk College, McMaster Children's Hospital, Joseph Brant Hospital and the City of Hamilton are all searching for candidates to fill top positions -- and recent changes to CHCH contribute to my feeling the city is losing it's identity.The station on November 14th made proposals to Dan McLean and Connie Smith, who co-host the station's noon news, that could lead the pair to leave the station they both have called home since the 1970s. The actions follow job cuts and program cancellations two days earlier to help parent company Canwest Global Communications deal with cost pressures. Canwest announced it will chop 560 jobs to save $61 million. It lost $21.5 million in the first nine months of its business year on $2.4 billion revenue. The company said 210 jobs will be cut through restructuring of news operations at its E! stations, which includes Hamilton. The station will chop 14 jobs, cancel four TV programs, reduce its noon news to 30 minutes and close its Halton news bureau. McLean, 61, has been at the station since 1971 and hosted two talk shows before becoming a news anchor in 1980. Smith, 54, has been at the station since 1976. Her station bio says she was the first woman weather person at CHCH and was the first woman anchor of the weekday news. She launched the first noon news show in 1988 with the late Tom Cherington. Veteran anchor Connie Smith signed off for the last time Friday. The popular co-anchor, 54, delivered a from-the-heart goodbye to colleagues and viewers. Smith even made a surprise appearance on the viewing couch in the film review segment with Alex Reynolds. In her farewell, Smith thanked CHCH for “taking a chance” putting a woman behind the weekday news desk. Then, she spoke directly to viewers: “I am so indebted to you, for the way you have followed my career ... literally watching me grow up on this television station, your unwavering support over the years. Thank you for allowing me into your hearts, into your homes, for sharing your stories.” Dan McLean can't comment about his future at the station. For Hamiltonian's this turn of events leaves the same choking in the throat and sick feeling in the gut as those who had when Gretzky left Edmonton. Dan and Connie where our daily slice of piece of mind even when they had bad news to tell us. Everything will be all right once again, but it will take along time for someone to fill the big shoes of these two living legends. Good luck, love ya. Kendall Wednesday, November 26, 2008Some early Christmas warm and fuzzies
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A volunteer ringing the bell at a Salvation Army kettle in south-central Pennsylvania got an unusual donation: a diamond ring. The ring was handed to August Memmi, who volunteered for the Salvation Army in Harrisburg during his lunch hour Tuesday.
The young man told Memmi that he'd bought the ring for his mother using money he'd earned mowing lawns, but she died this year and he wanted to put it to good use. The ring's value was unclear Tuesday; the Salvation Army planned to have it appraised. There is hope for the human spirit. Later, Kenaz Tuesday, November 11, 2008Remembrance Day for the soldiers in Afghanistan
Saturday, November 08, 2008Remembrering Norm Marshall Remembering Norm Marshall as the consummate professional and Hamilton legend. The Hamilton broadcasting icon died at his Burlington home November 5,2008. He was 89.Marshall began his career with CKTB in St. Catharines as a teenager singing on air before moving to CHML in Hamilton in 1940. It was at CHML that he became a part of the Hamilton sports scene, broadcasting the play-by-play for Tiger Cats games. In November 1952, Marshall and Larry O'Brien were the commentators for the first televised Grey Cup game. After stints in Montreal, Detroit and Buffalo, Marshall returned to Hamilton to continue the Ticat broadcasts. He also moved from behind the mic to in front of the camera as an anchor and sports commentator. He would remain at CHCH for over thirty years. Rest in Peace, Kenaz Sunday, October 26, 2008Dhinsa case a bitter pill to swallow
The group of good ol' boys that make up the Hamilton Police Service board once again showed how incompetent they are.
The "Thin Blue Line" that protects Kevin Dhinsa should be replaced with a "Wailing Wall" of outrage from everyone -- women and real men who care about them, taxpayers, politicians and other police officers, every citizen of Hamilton who expect a transparent police accountability system, and a fair justice system. Those who believe that an Orwellian society only exists in fiction can think again. Dhinsa, a Hamilton police sergeant, has been suspended with pay since late 2005 in accordance to the Police Services Act. That legislation, which governs Ontario's sworn officers, says until an officer is found guilty and all appeals are exhausted, they can be suspended from performing their duties. But they shall continue -- for weeks and months, even years -- to collect their pay cheques. They continue to accumulate sick days. Get raises. Have benefits. Ontario police are the only law enforcement officers in Canada who must be suspended with pay. In all other jurisdictions, police acts give chiefs discretion to decide, case by case, whether to suspend with or without pay. Dhinsa faced charges under the Police Services Act -- 24 counts of sexual harassment against 12 female co-workers. The charges were thrown out by a tribunal because charges were laid eight days after a six-month deadline had passed. Appeals failed, including one this week to the Supreme Court of Canada. Dhinsa will get to to go back to work which could only poison the 'office' environment. How can anyone expect the same level of respect and trust between the Sergeant and those entrusted to his decision making that occurred before this fiasco? Not the taxpayers are on the hook for $20,000 in police service legal costs as well as some of Dhinsa's costs. Definitely not the twelve women -- some of them Dhinsa's subordinates in the Hamilton police hierarchy and who risked colleagues' disbelief, criticism, even ostracism by complaining. Neither the women nor Dhinsa had a chance to make their case, so it is not my stance to create a conspiracy theory about what should have or could have. My point is still the same as the one I made in my original post in 2007, one about perception. Someone quoted once "Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted" Perceptions are like jagged rocks in what is the murky waters that contain the life forces of Hamilton citizens. The facts are, justice was denied to the women who courageously went on record with their complaints against Dhinsa. Many workplaces deal expiditiously with serious complaints, but police services have been notorious for their wall of silence. This affair sets Hamilton Police Service back by a significant measure. Why were the police act charges filed eight days late? In a matter involving alleged serial harassment by a high-profile police officer, the expectation is that procedure would be scrupulously followed and required steps would be taken not just on time, but early. The Hamilton Police Service and the Hamilton Police Services Board need to clear the air, be accountable for this failure of process, and put measures in place to ensure it doesn't happen again. In Toronto, such measures have been suggested. The list of cops suspended with pay in recent years includes one convicted of murdering his girlfriend, another charged with sexually assaulting children, another accused of a bank robbery and one alleged to be a drug dealer. For Toronto Chief Bill Blair, it isn't about money. It's about public trust. The act "affords a shield" for cops accused of serious offences, says Blair, who commands 6,000 officers and 2,500 civilian employees. At any given time, he has about 13 officers on paid suspension, each costing about $100,000 annually. While his service, he says, tries to be "open and transparent" about accused officers, the public assumes the chief has chosen to pay a suspended officer's salary. What Blair wants is discretion. If an officer is accused of a serious crime unrelated to the performance of duty, he wants to suspend without pay. That decision, he says, could be reviewed by the police services board, the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services or by divisional court. If, however, an officer faces allegations related to their work, he can continue paying them. Officers need to be protected against false accusations and at risk of being charged with an offence. After all, cops use force and drive fast. Blair took his concerns to the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and it unanimously voted for an amendment to the Police Services Act. A similar resolution was passed by the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards, whose president at the time was Bernie Morelli, chair of the Hamilton Police Services Board. Blair made another bold move. Two years ago, he began ordering all his suspended officers to sign in at their regular station at 9 a.m. from Monday to Friday and to sign out again at 5 p.m. It didn't matter if that officer lived far away or if it was otherwise inconvenient. Hamilton Chief Brian Mullan says he may follow Blair's lead and require twice-a-day reporting. Currently he has suspended officers sign in once or twice weekly. The women involved deserve a full explanation and a formal apology better than the one given by Bernie Morelli, he chair of the Hamilton Police Services Board has apologized to the community, but he is not admitting fault. Without a proper airing, the smell of rot will linger a long time. Kenaz Sunday, September 28, 2008Saying thanks and goodbye to a local gridiron giant and a Hollywood beheamouth
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
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