Wednesday's Vehicle

Wade C. North

Wade C. North
Crystal Lake, Illinois
February 9, 1973 - October 27, 2012

Memorial Visitation & Celebration of Life Service: Saturday, November 3, 2pm until the 4pm service, Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E Terra Cotta Ave (IL Rt. 176), Crystal Lake

For those of you who wish to sign the guestbook here is the link

http://davenportfamily.com/obituaries.cfm

Happy Halloween

Christopher Hedges

Christopher Hedges explains his decision to vote Green

in the US presidential election.

I fear his analysis of their situation has application here as well.

It is not an inappropriate piece as we approach remembrance day.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/why_im_voting_green_20121029/

 

Thanks Ed

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween Card ...
CLICK Here

Thanks Joe J.

Monster Mashing Seniors Perform Ghoulish Lip Dub

Nearly one dozen seniors from Greenspring retirement community in Springfield, Va. participated in a ghoulish lip dub music video to celebrate Halloween.

http://youtu.be/v_2KRVWz6mA

 

Thanks Sylvia

Grace

Last week, when I took my grandchildren to a restaurant,
my six-year-old grandson asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads, he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food,

and I would even thank you more

if Grandpa gets us ice cream for dessert.

And, liberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby,

I heard a woman remark,

"That's what's wrong with this country.

Kids today don't even know how to pray.

Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my grandson burst into tears and asked me,

"Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him,

an elderly gentleman approached from the next table.

He winked at my grandson and said,

"I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?" my grandson asked.

"Cross my heart," the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added

(indicating the woman whose remark
had started this whole thing),
"Too bad she never asks God for ice cream.

Sometimes a little ice cream is good for the soul."

Naturally, I bought my grandchildren ice cream at the end of the meal.

My grandson stared at his for a moment,

and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.

He picked up his sundae and, without a word,

walked over and placed it in front of the woman.

With a big smile he told her,
"Here, this is for you.

You grouchy old bitch! "

Touches the heart doesn't it?   Thanks Ralph

HERE IS YOUR A HALLOWEEN JOKE FOR THE SEASON

Two brooms were hanging in the closet and after a while they got to know each other so well, they decided to get married.

One broom was, of course, the bride broom, the other the groom broom.

The bride broom looked very beautiful in her white dress. The groom broom was handsome and suave in his tuxedo. The wedding was lovely.

After the wedding, at the wedding dinner, thebride-broom leaned over and said to the groom-broom, 'I think I am going to have a little whisk broom!'


'IMPOSSIBLE !' said the groom broom.

Are you ready for this?
Brace yourself; this is going to hurt! !!!!!

'WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!'

Thanks Shirley

Breathing Tree

A tree appears ‘to breath’ during a wind storm in Fort St. John, British Columbia. Basically, the tree is about to uproot itself but that doesn’t sound as cool.

http://youtu.be/sF5kbrou17o

 

Thanks Sylvia

Favorite Halloween Story

LOVE THIS COMPANY

A bald man with a wooden leg gets invited to a Halloween Party. He doesn't know what costume

to wear to hide his head and his leg, So he writes to a costume company to explain his problem.

A few days later he received a parcel with the following note:

Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed a pirate's outfit. The spotted handkerchief will cover your bald head and,

with your wooden leg, you will be just right as a pirate.

Very truly yours,
Acme Costume Co.

The man thinks this is terrible because they have emphasized his wooden leg and so he writes

a letter of complaint. A week goes by and he receives another parcel and a note, which says:

Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed a monk's costume. The long robe will cover your Wooden leg and,

with your bald head, you should really look the part.

Very truly yours,
Acme Costume Co.

Now the man is really upset since they have gone from emphasizing his wooden leg to emphasizing

his bald head, so again he writes the Company another nasty letter of complaint.

The next day he gets a small Parcel and a note, which reads:

Dear Sir,
We have TRIED our very BEST.
Please find enclosed a bottle of molasses and a bag of crushed nuts.

Pour the molasses over your bald head, pat on crushed nuts, stick your Wooden Leg up your ass and

go as a caramel apple.

Very truly yours,
Acme Costume Co.

 

Thanks Kerry

A good come back

Police work must be entertaining as well as dangerous.

 

Recently, a female police officer arrested Patrick Lawrence, 22 year
old white male, fornicating with a pumpkin in the middle of the night.
The next day, at the Gwinnett County (GA) courthouse, Lawrence was
charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, public indecency and public
intoxication.


The suspect explained that as he was passing a pumpkin patch on his
way home from a drinking session when he decided to stop, 'You know
how a pumpkin is soft and squishy inside, and there was no one around
for miles or at least I thought there wasn't anyone around' he stated.

Lawrence went on to say that he pulled over to the side of the road,
picked out a pumpkin that he felt was appropriate to his purpose, cut
a hole in it, and proceeded to satisfy his pressing need. 'Guess I was
really into it, you know?' he commented with evident embarrassment.
In the process of doing the deed, Lawrence failed to notice an
approaching police car and was unaware of his audience until Officer
Brenda Taylor approached him.

'It was an unusual situation, that's for sure,' said Officer Taylor.
'I walked up to Lawrence and he's just banging away at this pumpkin.'

Officer Taylor went on to describe what happened when she approached Lawrence ..
'I said: 'Excuse me sir, but do you realize that you're having sex
with a pumpkin?'

He froze and was clearly very surprised that I was there, and then he
looked me straight in the face and said:


'A pumpkin? Shit ... is it midnight already?'

The Washington Post wrote an article describing this as 'Best
come-back line ever.'

Thanks Shirley

Tuesday's Vehicle

Wade C. North

I had the opportunity to speak with Marty for a short period of time today (Monday) and he and Louisa are managing to cope with the sudden loss of Wade. Wade was a gregarious young man who made friends easily and was loyal to all he knew.

I met Wade through his dad and FaceBook when he sent me a "friend request" and asked me  "Do ya Wanna Fight"?

The following was posted by his friend Jason Guertin.....

“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.” I love you Wade C. North like my twin brother. May your next adventure be more Grand. ♥

I have been fortunate to be a friend of Wade's on FaceBook and to be privy to the love and grief of his many friends at his passing through this life.


Link to funeral home :  http://davenportfamily.com/obituaries.cfm

If you are Conservative ... you could be a criminal

Yes Canada according to a Conservative MP from the West who insists there is a strong possibility that "Conservatives" will turn to a life of crime as a result of their new pension plan ....

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/canadian-senator-says-pension-reform-could-spark-white-210008502.html

But I thought we had already determined that they were criminals at all levels of politics.... so who cares .... let them steal from us and abuse their power after all Canadians don't care it's their lifestyle..... and we the people support thievery by our politicians.

THANK YOU

Fort Lauderdale to JFK on the eve of Hurricane Sandy
October 28th, 2012
Heather McKeown
JFK-Inflight


It was with ominous predictions and trepidation that we loaded up 135 souls. It was to be a two hour, eleven minute flight to JFK but the mood of the crew wasn't good. Bad moods are contagious and I wasn't happy that we were leaving a nice, safe place to beat a hurricane into New York. I know we wouldn't have gone if danger was a presence, but I faced the inevitability of spending the duration of the storm in a Queens, New York crashpad. All my housemates had been stranded in various comfortable crew hotels around the country or found their way to safe, out of state locations, and I feared a dark few days. The possibilities at my apartment included: power failures, no gym, no laundromat, no transportation, no internet or cell phone service and, maybe, no hot showers! Leaving Fort Lauderdale, where crew lodging is superior, seemed like an unnecessary sentence of imprisonment to me. It may have been the very first time that I didn't want to fly. So,maybe I felt grumpy. Really grumpy!

        Boarding commenced. The first people to board were the wheelchair customers. Each was perfectly coiffed, made up, dressed to perfection and polite in the extreme. The frail elderly often abound with beauty and distinction, grace and an elegance untouched by most in my generation.
“Oh, Dear, I am so glad you're taking me home!” and “Bless your airline for getting me back home!” were the greetings given as I walked them to their assigned seats.

        The onslaught of travelers continued for the next twenty minutes. How a person can be transformed from grumpy to elated in the passage of minutes should be counted among the Wonders of the World. We who work in the service industry are wont to be the generators of peace among men, if we're doing our jobs well, but what happens if you start the day with your power turned off and you just can't start your own engine? There are a couple of choices, if you find yourself without any forward thrust in the happiness department.

1. Quit. Accept that you're just going to have a miserable day and say to heck with the customers. You decide to do your 'job' and nothing more. You figure you deserve a bad day and, by golly, today's the day you're just going to rise to the minimum of expectations and let the chips fall where they may.*

2. Absorb. Pick up the vibe of the happiest of people and allow the contagion of 'good moods' hit you right in your solar plexus. Allow yourself to 'catch' their wit, positivity, joy, relief, gratitude or excitement as they toss it out for free.

I had no intention of catching a case of bliss before that flight boarded. You see, I'd stopped thinking of 'them' and was obsessing about my own selfish concerns. When the people began the long boarding, almost every single one of them said something great to me as they passed.

“I can't tell you how I love your airline! My motha's 83 and totally alone, ya' know? Oi mean, who's gonna' make sure she's awright durin' dis horricane if it ain't me, oi asks ya'. Tanks fah floi-in tanight.”

“Oh, you! You wah moi stewahdess last week. Remembah us? Well, so much fah the wintah in Faht Loudahdale. The kids. Well, not kids. They-ah in they-ah fahties, arready. It's great they still need they-ah motha and fatha. Whadda ya gonna' do? Tell the truth? We missum arready. Glad ya' got a plane fah us!”

Grabbing my hands, a businesswoman in her thirties says, “My children are in the city and I need to be there! Thank you so much for this flight!”

Everyone had a reason for getting to New York. Each one could have stayed vacationing, conducting business or wintering, yet, something bigger than selfish reasons or ambition motivated them to fly into the eye of the storm. Responsibilities. Love. Worry.
By the time everyone was in their seats, I was in a fabulous mood. The customers had turned ME around and given me such a boost. The New York attitude is a wonderful, tangible entity. I love it so much and it humbled me last night.

        I walked up the aisle a way and announced, “I have something to admit to all of you. Tonight, the last thing I wanted to do was be the last flight into JFK before a hurricane, but, as each of you boarded, with all your gusto, joy, gratitude, relief and desire to GET HOME to be with your families, I started to believe I was about to have the best flight of my life. Thank you very much.”
From take off to landing...it was the best flight of my life.





A happy customer can be as regenerating as any prescribed anti-depressant if taken in large doses with shared laughter as the chaser.

*Blue Chips OR Cheetos, mixed nuts, Pop Corners, animal crackers, chocolate chip cookies...even drinks, if you're feeling especially clumsy on top of being in a bad mood!

Monday's Vehicle

Thanks Millie

Canadians won't forget

The Supreme Court may have found in favour of Opitz however there is still a stench of irregularities in several polling stations, including Etobicoke Centre, that linger on.

Voters in six ridings, backed by the Council of Canadians, are challenging the election wins of their Conservative MPs. The voters are asking the Federal Court to review the evidence and decide whether to overturn the results.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/5-loose-ends-past-federal-elections-092907847.html

More than a year after the election, the Conservative Party replaced Labrador MP Peter Penashue's official agent with their own chief financial officer, who notified Elections Canada that she plans to file corrections to the campaign's spending records. Penashue took a loan from a local company representing Innu communities, but still hasn't paid it back, and a local airline wrote off thousands of dollars that he owed them when the previous official agent said the campaign couldn't afford to pay the bill.

Had that airline bill been paid, the campaign would have spent 20 per cent more than it should have in a race where Penashue beat Liberal incumbent Todd Russell by 79 votes.

It is not just a matter of being a poor loser, there are too many inconsistencies to be a coincidence, there is a pattern of deceit.

Guilty by association

Ignorance is no excuse.... How many times can this Prime Minister and his cabinet claim ignorance of the criminals they surround themselves with?

In recent years, Jacobson had spent much time in the corridors of power, both in Israel and Canada, and in March a smiling Jacobson was photographed between both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu at a reception in Ottawa. Jacobson claimed to have worked on the 2008 campaign for the Tories and was also considered a friend of cabinet ministers Jason Kenney and John Baird.

Really Canada it is never ending

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/fugitive-businessman-tory-ties-arrested-toronto-032017586.html

U.S. Justice authorities in San Diego had told CBC they were upset that no Canadian law enforcement agencies had responded to their July 30 warrant for his arrest when Jacobson failed to attend court after pleading guilty to money laundering.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/former-harper-adviser-charged-by-rcmp/article4444231/

Mr. Carson, who worked off and on as a political adviser to Mr. Harper between 2006 and 2009 and was known in Conservative circles as “the Mechanic” for his ability to fix tricky situations, is accused of using his association with the power brokers of Ottawa to sell filtration systems to Canada’s first nations.

"I wasn't aware", is not an excuse particularly for a cabinet minister or a Prime Minister. They MUST be aware and they MUST heed their staff when warned however it appears that they chose to ignore the facts that were readily available and had appeared in the news.

If the Carson incident were an anomaly then one could say it was an error however we must also look at the Rahim Jaffer fiasco where the Conservatives were caught with their hand in the cookie jar and they tarred everyone else.

Test for you

27 Most misspelled words ... try it!! Click here: The 27 Most Commonly Misspelled Words   Thanks Margaret

Ave Maria

Actually sounds not bad. (maybe)

http://youtu.be/RH-cKpXvA0E

Thanks Sylvia

May the strongest M&M survive…

Thanks Kerry

Sunday's Vehicle

Thanks Millie

Sad News

I have just been informed by Marty that he and Lou lost their son Wade on Friday night. They are both still in shock and unable to discuss their loss face to face. Emails of condolence and support would be appreciated I am sure.

Marty is just making the necessary arrangements for the funeral. As soon as I know I will advise you all.

Rest in peace Wade

Sharing a 3-minute homily.

It was quoted in 1965 and is happening now and just sharing of what was told 47 years ago could happen to the world ... right now.

Do you remember the famous ABC radio news commentator Paul Harvey? Millions of Americans listened to his programs which were broadcast over 1,200 radio stations nationwide. When you listen to it, remember the commentary was broadcast 47 years ago .... April 3, 1965. It's short ... less than 3 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/H3Az0okaHig?rel=0

 

Thanks Margaret

Greenfield Park Corner

AMERICAN MOTEL 860 DEVONSHIRE G.PK.

HERE IS A RARE POSTCARD I GOT IN FLORIDA OF THE AMERICAN MOTEL OWNED BY THE IVERSON'S IN THE FIFTIES IT WAS AT 860 DEVONSHIRE NEAR REGINA STREET IN GREENFIELD PARK. AROUND 1961 IT BECAME THE GREENFIELD PARK PRIVATE CHRONIC HOSPITAL, IT WAS DEMOLISHED YEAR ??? NOW THERE IS A DENTIST THERE, AND IN THE BACK IT IS WATSON PARK.

NORMAND SIMARD

PS ANYBODY REMEMBER THAT PLACE.

 

 

Thanks Normand

What's the Breaking Point out of uniform, eh?

Gotcha'! Got ME! THE END IS NEAR!
Heather McKeown
Ye Olde Berkshire Libraree

        Basically, every flight attendant goes through the same sort of life experiences while up there with the customers. We hear everything, see more and sometimes are targets for the angst, frustration, fear or bullying of those who sit in our comphy leather seats. We were hired because we are capable of rolling with the punches, well, the verbal sort, anyway. Wisdom and our positive reactions are honed from flight to flight. Creative ways to respond to some untoward comments or the usual complaints of the traveling public are in the back pockets of the average flight attendant. These tools are easily whipped out and employed to calm, encourage, empathize, sympathize or deflect misdirected anger of those who see a uniform and plan their attack. Right now, I'm sitting in an A-320, commuting to JFK from BTV. I've watched every crewmember aboard do something amazing since boarding began. Sandra Bailey tactfully and with such grace, made sure a Vietnam Veteran with prosthetic legs was seated comfortably. Jamie Calcutt saw a woman crying and delivered some water and kindness. Sarah Zarzuela noticed that I was bleeding from a cut on my arm and whipped into action with alcohol pads, healing antibiotic cream and a bunch of bandaids. All these positive considerations were bestowed before take off! It's my opinion that these women would be just as marvelous and sweet, full of initiative and kindness OFF a plane as when they're on it. I know I'm not...the situation I experienced last week proved that this stewardess has crossed the line of demarcation between 'Jeckle and Hyde'. You all knew I had it in me, but how would you have handled this scenario?

        I try to live up to the example of my brothers and sisters in blue, both on the plane and at home. I've learned so much from my wonderful crashpad friends, too. To say they counsel wisely would be to grossly understate their positive influence on me, my life and my personality. On planes, I always have one or two other peers to inspire or help me with everything from lifting bags, to getting me through service before landing. Yes, I'm slow with service. Everyone gets 'something' before deplaning, but I enjoy the experience more than the passengers do!

        I digress. Now, why am I writing this? This story poses a question to all who serve and smile 'even when out of Bloody Mary mix”.* Are you as nice, poised, patient, kind and forgiving out of uniform as you are IN it? The challenges are usually the same at home as they are in the air, right? On the ground we have bills to pay, family and friends to see, groceries to buy, issues and problems and more issues on a personal level. I do, anyway. I try to think about what I'd do on duty when faced with people who know me as a plain old town librarian, granny and former herdsman on a dairy farm. Until last week, consistency was easy. I roll with the punches at home in pretty much the same way as I do at 35,000 feet. Yet, even an old flight attendant can reach the end of her tether if an insult is so offensive that all poise, charm, sense of humor and temper are lost. Have you ever wondered what YOUR breaking point might be? At which mark on Life's graduated scale of moods would you find yourself tipping, uncontrollably, onto the side that leads to 'total meltdown', 'this is too much', 'get outta' my way, 'cuz I'm coming atcha' using the worst naughty words in the Universe!' Thank heavens my vulnerable state and subsequent incident happened when I was out of uniform, out of position, out of work for a few days. I was also out in my back yard. I now know where my patience end and a killer emerges. In short, I know when I go from mature and maternal to kid-in-a-sandbox, my-dad-can-beat-up-your-dad to: NEVER MIND-I'LL KILL YA' MY OWN SELF!!!!

        Well, I arrived in my little Vermont village at about 9:15 on a cool autumn night. Deciding that, before the snow falls, the varmint living under my house needed catching, I baited and set the Have-a-Heart trap right beside the beast's entryway to its cave. The overriding purpose of this sort of trap is to catch some destructive or toxic trespasser on your property, place the caged beast into your car and drive the mucker over the mountain and release it alive and healthy, with your blessing to invade another basement in the next county. This was not the first time I'd set the trap, but, in the past, the bait's eaten and the empty cage is halfway across the garden by the next dawn. On the last setting of said humane trap, I put a huge rock on top, and bigger ones on every side. “A-HA! It'd take a black bear to move this trap!” I thought. I was totally happy with my efforts and, when I was falling asleep, there was a smile on my face because there would definitely be a trespassing furry thing confined and ready to be trucked to the other side of the mountain by morning.

        The following morning, I sallied out in my best flannel jammies and heavy rubber knee high boots. There it was. Black with a white strip and huge. To move the animal, I would have to throw a cover over the cage. Skunks won't spray if covered, for some reason. However, the rocks were so heavy that I approached with my trusty rake to move them. Did you know that a six-foot handle isn't long enough to escape the fecund weapon of a skunk? Well, take it from me, when you hear, “I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole!” you should probably never shoot for anything less than a 25 or 30-foot tool when dealing with a trapped skunk. Maybe longer? Don't do as I do or, in this case, what I say, because chances are I'm wrong with any estimate of safe distance.

        My neighbor, Jamie Doe, once told me that a skunk can't spray if his tail's not up. I wasn't exactly sure where its tail was, in the dusk of early morning, but I hadn't had my coffee so I wasn't focused anyway. I also believed that any spray would squirt out like water out of a hose. Wrong again. Very, very wrong. Instead, I saw nothing. Felt nothing. Yet, in the poetic way of a Robert Frost moment, I fell under an invisible aura of the best any skunk could offer. I suppose it could be painted in a holy way, like someone suddenly getting the spirit of acceptance into the kingdom of the born-again world of religiousity. The heralding angels in attendance, looking down with unconditional love and the peaceful countenances of Mother Teresa, would fill out the picture. However, I didn't feel the love. Nope. I grabbed that cage and tossed it into the pond. As it disappeared into the depths, I felt no guilt. P.E.T.A. would have me stoned in a public square even if I had no plans to make a fur stole out of the remains. I apologize to no man. Sorry animal activists.

        Back to my original question: Am I as nice out of uniform when a blast of disagreeable abuse comes my way? In a word, NO. I lost every bit of my original kindness and patience last week in one nano-second of reactive KARMA. So...I guess the travelers who board my flights from now on are dealing with a new being. New to me, anyway. I had no idea I could go from a Have-a-Heart user to a sociopath with the ability to end a life. I guess everyone has a breaking point, eh?

*the famous line from VIEW FROM THE TOP...everyone's favorite flight attendant flick
Author of: ABOVE AND BEYOND Inspiring Adventures into the Blue (Flight Attendant stories)

Thanks Heather .... I truly appreciate your stories and perhaps a preview of your next book

Must watch video

Take 10 minutes, watch this, beautiful photography and filming.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=gXDMoiEkyuQ&vq=medium>

Thanks Norman .... beautiful

NHL LOCKOUT No More Hockey Games

Thanks Ralph

Michael Jackson's Ghost

Michael Jackson's Ghost as seen by millions on Larry King Live. Watch and listen carefully to the footage .... you won't believe it! It is a must watch!

Thanks Richard

Saturday's Vehicle

Visit from the second family

Joan Taylor- Mandzy .... me .... Terry Mandzy (Joans Husband)



Charles H Taylor (sitting)

Joans grandfather - my great grandfather

with my aunt Eva, Arthur (my grandfather) and my aunt Helen

Charles then married Joans grandmother

http://www.charleshtaylor.blogspot.ca/

Charles death notice from 1953 as posted by the second family

Over the years the second family were not permitted to speak of the first family (us) and there was only cursory mention of our family with little actually being known from 1910 through to around 2005-6 when I contacted the museum in Cobalt Ontario and the curator asked me questions about Charles activities after 1910 and I responded with the age old family quip "you would have to ask the illegitimate side of the family"

We had a laugh and carried on our conversation. Two weeks later Terry Mandzy called the same museum and was informed about my call weeks before. Terry, Joan and I have corresponded over the past 6 or 7 years and I did drop by her fathers house Charles (Bud) Jr. with my mom and we had a short visit. I spoke with Roy Taylor also Charles Sr. son and I had a visit with Connie Charles Sr. daughter. All have since passed away.

This was the first face to face meeting between Joan and myself and as I said yesterday it was a pleasure.

The Great Canadian Rockies

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4CMb7yj8Cyk?rel=0&%3bhd=1

Thanks Millie

Ever wonder where old expressions come from

Note: This list of old expressions is their most likely origin. Unfortunately it is very often impossible to say for certain where an old expression came from.

ACHILLES HEEL In Greek mythology, Thetis dipped her son in the mythical River Styx. Anyone who was immersed in the river became invulnerable. However Thetis held Achilles by his heel. Since her hand covered this part of his body, the water did not touch it and so it remained vulnerable. Achilles was eventually killed when an arrow hit his heel.

BAKERS DOZENMeans thirteen. It is said to come from the days when bakers were severely punished for baking underweight loaves. Some added a loaf to a batch of a dozen to be above suspicion.

BEE LINEIn the past people believed that bees flew in a straight line to their hive. So if you made a bee line for something you went straight

BIG WIGIn the 18th century when many men wore wigs, the most important men wore the biggest wigs. Hence today important people are called big wigs.

BITE THE BULLETMeans to grin and bear a painful situation. It comes from the days before anaesthetics. A soldier about to undergo an operation was given a bullet to bite.

BITTER ENDAnchor cable was wrapped around posts called bitts. The last piece of cable was called the bitter end. If you let out the cable to the bitter end there was nothing else you could do, you had reached the end of your resources.

BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN YOUR MOUTHOnce when a child was christened it was traditional for the godparents to give a silver spoon as a gift (if they could afford it!). However a child born in a rich family did not have to wait. He or she had it all from the start. They were ‘born with a silver spoon in their mouth’.

COPPER
The old word "cop" meant grab or capture, so in the 19th century policemen were called coppers because they grabbed or caught criminals.

CROCODILE TEARS
Are an insincere display of grief or sadness. It comes from the old belief that a crocodile wept (insincerely!) if it killed and ate a man.

CUT AND RUN
In an emergency rather than haul up an anchor the sailors would cut the anchor cable then run with the wind.

FLYING COLOURS
If a fleet won a clear victory the ships would sail back to port with their colours proudly flying from their masts.

FROM THE HORSES’S MOUTH
You can tell a horse’s age by examining its teeth. A horse dealer may lie to you but you can always find out the truth ‘from the horse’s mouth’.

GET THE SACK (get fired)
Comes from the days when workmen carried their tools in sacks. If your employer gave you the sack it was time to collect your tools and go.

GO TO POT
Any farm animal that had outlived its usefulness such as a hen that no longer laid eggs, would literally go to pot. It was cooked and eaten.

HAT TRICK
Comes from cricket. Once a bowler who took three wickets in successive deliveries was given a new hat by his club.

KICK THE BUCKET
When slaughtering a pig you tied its back legs to a wooden beam (in French, buquet). As the animal died it kicked the buquet.

KNOW THE ROPES
On a sailing ship it was essential to know the ropes.

LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG
Is probably derived from the days when people who sold piglets in bags sometimes put a cat in the bag instead. If you let the cat out of the bag you exposed the trick.

TO SEE A MAN ABOUT A DOG
This phrase first appeared in 1866 in a play by Dion Boucicault (1820-1890) called the Flying Scud in which a character makes the excuse that he is going ‘to see a man about a dog’ to get away.

WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE

In the Middle Ages knights who fought at tournaments wore a token of their lady on their sleeves. Today if you make your feelings obvious to everybody you wear your heart on your sleeve.

 

Thanks Joe Y

i think I might start using the laundry mat :))) *nudity*

Thanks Ellen/Sam

Hot rods

Thanks Kerry

So Real it's Scary

http://youtu.be/NeXMxuNNlE8

 

Thanks Sylvia

Friday's Vehicle

Thanks Millie

First encounter

Well folks Pat and I had our first encounter with my great grandfathers granddaughter ... are you confused yet?

My great grandfather left my great grandmother in 1910 and married another woman having 5 children with her.... and failed to divorce my great grandmother. I, quite by accident came in contact with the other family around 2005 or 6.

Tonight I got to meet my step aunt.... or whatever relation she may be and we hit it off like we were family .... really .... we had a great time.....

Name that song (answer below)

Moon River

Thanks Joe Y.

Thursday's Vehicle

Thanks Millie

Murray Dobbins Blog

Hi Bob

I notice that the weather these days doesn't favour e-bike touring

so you may have time to dabble over Murray Dobbin if only to put to rest

the Western claim that we Easterners never give them a hearing.

His blog starts October with two interesting and challenging pieces

one on Trudeau and one on Chavez.

I don't quite know what to make of them yet but he poses demanding questions.

Cheers, Ed B.

http://murraydobbin.ca/

 

Thanks Ed ..... Murray makes some interesting and valid statements that are brought more to the front by the intrusion of CNOOK and Petronas bids for Canadian resources. The Harper government claims they will clarify "net benefit" so all potential foreign investors will know the rules. If the Harper regime had a clue on what they were doing we would have had rules in place after the "Potash" fiasco. The feds told us that the deal was not of "net benefit" to Canadians when in reality it was the Conservatives fear of Brad Wall similarly when the Quebec government rejected the Lowes bid for Rona.

 

"Net Benifit" simply put is "what best serves the Harper Regime" and not of interest to Canada or Canadians.

 

Murray states in part....

 

A couple of other examples come to mind – nationalizing the oil industry and establishing a public, commercial bank to compete directly with the big six private banks. Outrageous? Impossible? Any time soon – of course. But even a cursory examination of the crises that face Canada suggests that these ideas are not unthinkable – they will actually be necessary to save the country from further rapid decline to a de-industrialized and corrupt petro state.

 

His point on the Fraser Institute is well taken in light of their latest statement about BC's offshore oil.

 

Seriously, who in this government has the intelligence to determine what is the true meaning of "net benefit" and if they could find someone trustworthy Harper would ridicule and belittle them.

Classy response to a thoughtless remark

If being a heartless, cruel piece of scum is what it takes to impress conservatives then paint me liberal red .....

This young man is not only a class act but a better man than I .....

http://specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/an-open-letter-to-ann-coulter/

I certainly cannot be considered thoughtful or elequent in my political views and postings but no one can accuse me of not speaking my mind.

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EVENING

Quality of life rapidly deteriorating under Harper

"Despite years of prosperity, our economic growth has not translated into similar significant gains in our overall quality of life, says the report, to be released Tuesday.

"Even more concerning is the considerable backslide Canadians have experienced since 2008."

Researchers have spent years devising a methodology and compiling data to put together the index, which is meant to serve as an improvement over GDP as a measure of how well Canadians are faring.

"GDP tells us nothing about our people, our environment, our democracy, or other aspects of life that matter to Canadians," Romanow and board co-chairwoman Monique Begin state in the introduction to the report.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/canadian-quality-life-hammered-recession-despite-growth-gdp-083008400.html

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