A legend ...

Being an aviation buff, I was saddened to learn of the death of Chuck Yeager this week. He was indeed a legend and in 1947 was the first human to fly through the sound barrier. This was at a time when people didn't know what would happen to anything moving that fast. It was an amazing time in aviation history when people were flying faster and higher than ever before. He was a test pilot at a time when people were learning for the first time just how wild and crazy flying could be. Yeager was also a WW2 ace and in one case, shot down five enemy planes in one day! By the way, Glennis was Yeager's wife.

Numbers

I am not a math major by any means.

But this is working looking at.

161 million people voted in U.S. election.

Ten per cent of that is 16.1 million.

One per cent of that is 1.6 million.

One tenth of one per cent is 160,000 votes.

Trump supporters claim nearly 142,000 wrong votes were cast.

That's LESS than one tenth of one per cent.

Let that sink in. One TENTH of ONE per cent. 

I am okay with that. 

A presidential memoir

So within 24 hours after its release, Barack Obama’s new book a promised land sold roughly 890,000 copies this week. It is believed to be the highest ever opening day sale of a memoir of a U.S. president in modern history.

Associated press reports that copies are flying off the shelves and the publisher Penguin Random House is doing its best to keep up. 
Interestingly by comparison, Bill Clinton’s book My Life had opening day sales of about 400,000 and George W. Bush’s book Decision Points had opening day sales of 220,000.

This is the kind of book that should be distributed in colleges and universities so that young people can learn what it means to be presidential. 

The death president

President Trump's legacy is that he will be known as the Death President. I have tried to avoid commenting on him since he was defeated in the U.S. election. It upsets me that he is trying everything he can to overturn the popular vote. It is even more baffling that the Republicans seem to be going along with it. There was a time one could be proud of being an active member of the Republican party. Now it is an embarrassment. What is wrong with those people?
With Trump refusing to concede and fighting the Biden transition team, he is deliberately putting more Americans at risk. He does nothing to help. He is a do-nothing guy. People are dying. Not just hundreds of people, but hundreds of thousands of people. More than a quarter of a million Americans have died of COVID-19 on his watch. This will be Trump's legacy. The death president. 

During the time of president Herbert Hoover, in the 1930s, any small shantytown that housed poor people became known as Hooverville. I am thinking that overcrowded cemeteries will become known as Trumpville.

Canada's national war memorial is the best

 Have to say Canada's national war memorial is one of the most dynamic I've ever seen. A lot of these memorials around the world are just hunks of fancy granite. Canadians can be proud of this amazing sculpture in downtown Ottawa, topped by the symbolic bronze figures of Peace and Freedom.

 I remember when I first saw it I was about 10 years old and I stared at it for the longest time, just admiring the faces and grimaces of the exhausted soldiers busting through the gates, moving forward in apparent victory. Maybe they were just glad to be getting back home. But this sculpture is much more. There are sailors, airmen and even highlanders. There are nurses, stretcher bearers, artillerymen on horseback pulling a battlefield caisson and a cannon; 22 figures in all. What a fabulous tribute to all the amazing Canadians - the men and women-  who fought for our Peace and Freedom. 

(Photo Credit: Alan MacLeod

Boots!

Okay, so I guess I have been bitten by the boot bug. I was searching online earlier this year for some winter boots. I like the pull-on style and had some good ideas of what I liked. Then I saw western boots. Now I confess that over the years I have always thought of buying myself a pair of "Cowboy Boots". I have always like them, ever since I was a kid. When we moved to Manitoba -- or went out west as people would say -- My Grandma MacLean bought me a pair. They were black with white details and I really liked them. 

Anyway, back to the present. I was searching around in Amazon and saw some pop up on the screen. So I began a bit of research and found that as footwear, western boots are usually better made and use better materials than most other boots and shoes. They are also touted as being unusually comfortable.  That could explain why the price is usually significantly more than other boots and shoes. I think they're kind of cool, especially since your jeans cover most of the boot and you don't really notice them unless you look hard. 

My research also found that some of the best made boots -- Boulet Boots -- are made here in Canada.  They have fans around the world, they hardly do any marketing and their boots are expensive, usually starting at about $300 a pair and going to more than $1,000. 

I opted for some U.S. made boots and found to my surprise that many of the companies in America make great boots at good prices. It might be the result of the pandemic, but some prices are amazing. I was pleased to find a nice pair that listed for nearly $300 in the company catalogue going for almost half price on Amazon. They were almost sold out and down to only two sizes. Luckily, my foot size is 10-and-a-half. So here I am as the proud owner of a pair of Ariat Heritage Roughstock boots. Nice eh.  

Nice work or what!

I have to say I am pleased to work in that part of Sudbury where local artists have been doing some nice work. Sudbury muralist Monique Legault, one of our neighbours here on Elgin Street, has just wrapped up her latest project. It's on one of the walls leading into the Elgin Street underpass that goes over to Riverside Drive. 

The work is a combination of poetry and paintings of older buildings from the downtown Sudbury in days gone by. I was happy to check in on Monique over a period of a few weeks to watch her work and take photos. Today I ran into some local Sudburians who had heard of the mural but had never seen it up close. They were amazed with what they saw. I have to agree with them.

Thanksgiving was good ...

 We followed to the rules as best we could last weekend and enjoyed a Thanksgiving celebration at the camp in Westree. Because of the pandemic, the Ontario government was asking that family celebrations be limited to 10 people. So we did and Denise had the cool idea of everyone posing for a photo with our masks on. It worked out pretty nicely. It was also cool that several of the Westree neighbours dropped by for a quick hello. It is always nice to see them. 

The big news is that Scott and Jennifer purchased the camp from Scott's parents, Don and Denise. It means the amazing Alexander Family tradition of hospitality will continue.  They didn't miss a beat and so we had an amazing turkey dinner. We really had the nicest time. We managed to get in an afternoon of ATV-ing off to see some great scenery and enjoy a bit of a picnic on a fall afternoon complete with a nice campfire. We also enjoyed another little tradition of setting up fizzy cans of pop and then shooting at them with the air rifles. It was fun. I am sure I would have had more photos but I was too busy eating and drinking.

I know I can't wait for my next trip to Westree. 

It's hard to explain bad behaviour

Distressing. Unlike a lot of people I was not smiling when Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19. After all he is an overweight, older man and definitely in a high risk group. He could have been seriously sick. Interestingly, unlike most Americans, he gets free health care so he was looked after. But Trump, who was born with a silver spoon, feels entitled. He put others at risk by having an entourage join him in a helicopter trip to the hospital. More than a dozen other people in the president's circle at the White House have tested positive. When Trump got back from the hospital on Monday, he posed for a photo op without a face mask and then walked right back into the White House. He may feel better, but doctors say he is still spewing virus germs. Why the hell does a person act like that? Who puts up with that bad behaviour?

Americans do.

Also, pollsters are finding that a huge percentage of his supporters still believe in Trump and that he is doing and saying the right things. People are baffled at that. When any right-thinking person would shake their head, so many others are willing to overlook his lying, his mental illness and his bizarre behaviour. Some experts have suggested that Americans are just afraid to speak out against bullies.

I am not surprised. As a student of history, I can think back to the days of the late 1930s when most Americans were not willing to speak out against Adolph Hitler and the Nazi movement in Germany. In fact, a lot of Americans supported him. It wasn't until December 1941, after the attack on Pearl Habour that America finally caught up with the rest of the world and did the right thing.

A new plane

I am always excited about seeing new aircraft, but in this case it is a bit of a mixed emotion. Canada has purchased 16 new search and rescue aircraft from Airbus.  This is the new C295 and it is a great looking plane, except that it is made in Europe. 

The plane will be replacing two amazing aircraft models ... the DeHavilland Buffalo and the DeHavilland Caribou, a couple of beautiful planes made in Canada back in the 1950s and 1960s. Not only were they made in Canada they were made in Downsview where I lived as a child. I remember going by the aircraft plant almost daily and seeing the new aircraft rolling off the line. The planes were so good they were purchased by air forces around the world, including the United States and Australia. I always had a bit of excitement over the years whenever I saw the Buffalo or Caribou in flight. By the way, this plane No. 501 will be based at RCAF Base Comox.

New gold mine

 I was more than pleased this past week to note that the Cote Lake gold project north of Sudbury is finally moving ahead. I covered this story as long as 10 years ago when other mining companies owned the property and and then again about five years ago when IAMGOLD bought up the land and promised to build a new mine. 

This one will be different. Aside from creating a residential camp in the middle of nowhere (apologies to my Watershed friends) to house the mine workers,  the mine will use new technology. We're talking about massive mining trucks that will have NO DRIVERS.  That's right, they will use proven robotic trucks to haul the ore out of the pit and up to the refinery. 

Another interesting tidbit is that the mine is being built on part of a lake bed. That means the existing Cote Lake is being moved to allow for mining. That's not an entirely new idea but it is indeed an incredible and expensive undertaking. I expect there will be plenty of stories... and good jobs. It will be interesting to see what this project does to the price of land nearby. 

Stay tuned. 

RIP Martin Chapman

 So it was a sad thing this week when I had a to write an obituary notice for a man who was a co-worker many years ago. I really admired Martin Chapman, the former CBC Radio newsman in Sudbury. He was a great reporter and an able mentor to so many young journalists. He was indeed an old-school broadcaster with a booming baritone voice, but he had a great sense of humour and loved to entertain people with stories and performances of bluegrass music. It was also hard to call up other co-workers to get their comments about Martin and to have them share some memories. He was a good guy. The world just seems a lesser place now that he is gone.

Tipping and other stuff

 I noticed in the National Post this week a long article about how some Toronto restaurants will stop tipping and will instead impose an 18 per cent surcharge.  Not everyone is in favour of that. 

Now having seen my two children working hard over the years in the hospitality industry I am generally inclined to tip generously. I don't do it for good service, I do it because the servers and restaurant workers deserve a better income.

That said I find that I am usually in a good mood when I go out to dinner or lunch and have others cook my food and serve it to me. How can I not be? How good can things get when other people feed you? Of course we have to pay for it, and I do not begrudge that for a second.

If you are going to complain about the cost of going out to dinner, then shut up. And stay home. I am just pleased that I can afford it.

I find that when I am enjoying myself in a restaurant then somehow the serving staff pick up on that and they too become nicer and work harder to please the customer. 

By the way I was in North Bay on the weekend and was pleased to spend some time in restaurants. Enjoyed myself immensely. I got a room for a couple of days at the Sunset Inn on Lakeshore. I enjoyed a good book, some beer and some time at the beach. Life is good.

Less clutter on the counter ...

This morning, I threw out the knife block I had in the kitchen. I mounted the new magnetic knife holder thingy on the wall. It works just fine. I was going to get just one ($25) but being the paranoid person than I am, I bought two of them. The magnets are strong enough to hold everything and the wall space is at the every end of the counter, so if I drop a knife it won't land on my toes.

Something old and new ...

Well this brings back memories for sure, so I figured I would give it a try, again This is a safety razor, first developed by the Gillette Company just over 100 years ago. When I was a teenager, everyone used these to shave every morning. I cannot remember when I switched over the cartridge style plastic razors, but I know they don't always give the best shave. Come Monday morning I will install a brand new ultra sharp safety blade into the razor and submit my face and neck to the what I hope will be an ultra clean smooth shave. If I can get five or six good shaves a week, then I will be pleased.

COVID news coverage ...

Sitting in the newsroom on Tuesday I asked a co-worker what I could use at a press conference to hold my little audio recorder. Normally I just hold it close to the face of the person talking to get a good recording of what the person has to say. Not anymore. We all have to keep our distance.
"Use a hockey stick" said the co-worker. I thought he was joking. He wasn't. He said Molly from the TV station used a hockey stick to hold her microphone. Good idea. I drove out to see Jennifer. We went to the shed in the backyard. There had to be a dozen old sticks there. So I showed up at the news conference with the hockey stick this morning and no one even blinked. I taped the recorder to the end of the stick and it worked just fine!

Heat

Well it’s the Fourth of July and I feel terrible for many American friends who are struggling with the COVID-19 comeback. Too many people are sick and dying. More people need to take this seriously.

In the meantime, I am struggling. Sudbury has a 30+ heat wave and I have a rough time with that. Stayed in the apartment all day Friday with two fans running. Oh well, at least there is no ice on the windshield to scrape. My car is like a sauna unless I drive for ten minutes so the AC can cool it down. Gotta take another cooling shower.

A love song...

I was amazed recently to see a YouTube video of a 1960s song that appears to be making a comeback of sorts. It is a love song that hit the charts in 1965.  It was in Billboard’s Top 100 that year – Number 4 in August ’65 performed by The Righteous Brothers. These guys; Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, were not brothers. They were performing in night clubs in the early 1960’s. In one place, a group of U.S. Marines, mostly Blacks, couldn’t believe how intense and soulful their songs were. Many people didn’t believe the singers were white. One marine remarked “You brothers have righteous music.” And so the name stuck.
The interesting thing on YouTube is that so many young people – young women mainly – are reacting to the song like it is the most wonderful thing they’ve ever heard. It is easy to understand why.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYj2hex99gY
When you think about the time this song hit the charts, the Viet Nam war was ramping up. Ten of thousands of young men were on the other side of the world. Their sweethearts were back at home. People were in love and missing each other. It didn’t matter if you were black or white.
So then you have Bobby Hatfield in a voice as smooth as warm chocolate crooning;

“Ohhh,  my love, my darling, I’ve hungered for your touch….

“I’ll be coming home. Wait for me. Wait for me.

You’ve got to go and listen to this song on YouTube to get the full effect. Hatfield is amazing. He performed the song live, with just an orchestra, no Auto Tune, no back up singers. Just the man, singing his heart out.
Don’t forget that when these guys hit the charts – twice that year – The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Supremes, The Four Seasons, Stevie Wonder, Elvis and Bob Dylan were already dominating the scene.  
Hatfield sings solo on this song, but the Brothers  were in full bloom that same year when they released You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, another chart topper. Fans of Bill Medley will remember his voice when he performed a duet years later with Jennifer Warnes in the movie Dirty Dancing, singing I’ve Had The Time of My Life. Another amazing song.

Hoping for the best ...

So here we are with the first full day of summer. It used to a wonderful time for young people finishing up the school year and looking forward to a time of fun and relaxation. But now there is a lot of worry for what the future holds.  Education is the most important thing we can provide for our young people. Ontario has two and half months to figure out how to get it right. When students return to school in September they might be in classrooms, they might be doing remote learning online or have a combination of both. I don’t have the answers but I hope our education gurus can find a way to help our young people learn and get they answers they need to go forward and make good decisions. And if we have to pay higher education taxes then I am okay with that.

Sudbury Saturday night ...

Was more than pleased to have a nice Saturday night fire in the valley with the gang at Scott and Jennifer’s place. Don and Denise moved back into Sudbury so they were there along with Christine and Victoria who made the drive up from the city. Tyler and Emilie joined along with Nathan and Dara. So it was nice to sit around and chat even though the bugs were out. But there was just enough woodsmoke to keep the bugs from being too nasty. A few drinks, some great conversations and it was the perfect way to kick off summer. It was the best way to catch up with everyone and I was thinking how perfect it was after two and half months of isolation.  I think we will have to do this again.