A bit shocking for some ...

Folks who have not been in Timmins for awhile might wonder how things are changing with the new Hollinger open pit mine. I snapped this shot this morning in the parking lot by Feldman's and Shopper's Drug Mart. It shows that the berm surrounding the mine pit is closer that some people might imagine. It is a bit shocking to some people right now, but in 10 or 15 years from now, the berm will be completely covered by grasses, shrubs and trees. It is going to interesting to watch the change.

Trump in the dump...

Well I spent part of the morning drinking coffee and reading the New York Times, among other things. Of course, I got caught up on the antics of Mr. Trump at the debate in Cleveland. I am amazed that Americans, who are so aware of common sense, would put up with Mr. Trump who does not seem to have much respect for the U.S. political system. Canadians have much to be thankful for. Our political leaders do not always inspire us, but they're usually a pretty common sensical, and bright, group of people. I am confident Canadians would not put up with the likes of Mr. Trump as a political leader. Yeah yeah, he can be okay to watch on a TV show, but really, you don't let someone like that in government. In my fantasy political debate, I can imagine Mr. Trump going up against Stephen Lewis, Pierre Trudeau, Robert Stanfield or even John Deifenbaker. They would leave Trump, in the dump, on his rump! LOL

The dollar

I know I should be happy that the Canadian dollar is down. It's good for exports. I am not any sort of economics person, but I am aware that a low dollar is good for our natural resources; things like lumber and mining products. That said, I am not pleased since I am a person who likes to buy stuff online. And the United States has the best selection with online stores such as L.L.Bean. But with our dollar at 74-cents compared to the U.S. dollar, I am out of luck. L.L.Bean has been sending me all sorts of urgent e-mails, inviting me to enjoy up to 10 per cent off. Still not good enough. Oh poor me, eh!

Story gave me goosebumps ...

We were talking in the newsroom this week about famous journalists we had met over the years. One of the guys had met Bob Woodward of the Washington Post. I was impressed. I have to say the most famous for me was a fellow who anchored at CNN in the 1990s and was very highly regarded by his peers. His name was Bernie Shaw of CNN and many other well known new agencies. I met him at a broadcast convention in Toronto in the late 1998 or 99. When I say I met him, I mean it was a social gathering and there were five or six of us standing together, making small talk. We shook hands, said hello and chatted. I told Mr. Shaw I admired his work. I asked what his most memorable story was. I expected him to tell us about the night he was hunkered down on a 9th-floor hotel room in Baghdad at the very moment the Gulf War was breaking out in 1991. He gave a live account as the bombs and missiles were falling. As incredibly exciting as that was, it was not his big story as far as he was concerned. Shaw said the big story was when he was in Memphis in 1968, the evening that Martin Luther King was shot to death. As he continued speaking, he told us the most amazing story. It was sometime after the shooting that Shaw told us he was approached by King's widow, Coretta King who asked Shaw to stay with her husband's body while arrangements were being finalized. King's wife did not trust the FBI with the body of Martin Luther King. What an incredible story. We stood there, utterly silent. I was amazed to hear this man recount this bit of modern history, right in front of me, from his own personal experience. I had goosebumps.