Saturday, August 1, 2015

Salute to August ~ 2015

~ a Mosaic of Musings and Ramblings ~

Best Sermons are Lived: Today I asked my mentor, a very successful businessman in his 70's, “What are your 3 top tips for success?” He smiled and replied,
Read something no one else is reading.
Think something no one else is thinking.
Do something no one else is doing.”
(from Carolyn's collection)

Bizarre Facts: Usain Bolt, a runner from Jamaica, ate nothing but chicken nuggets while he was competing in Beijing...because that was “the only thing he knew” and won 3 Gold Medals!

Community Updates: Dundas Cactus Festival turns 40 and is celebrating its 40th anniversary the weekend of August 14 to 16 along King Street. Enjoy local musicians, the street vendors, ceramic tile painting, rides, free balloons...and more.

Inspirational Hardware: Pan American high-bar Silver Medalist, Kevin Lytwyn, shows his medal to campers of the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton where he started taking gymnastics at age of 8.

Cruise the Harbour: Bring the family aboard the Hamilton Harbour Queen Saturday & Sunday and see the sights aboard the 90-minute narrated tour that provides unique views and natural recreational and industrial aspects of the city. The cruise leaves Pier 8 on Discovery Drive at 3 p.m.

Panorama: The Royal Botanical Gardens is honouring the Pan American Games with a festival celebrating the nature, culture and heritage of the Americas and the Caribbean while promoting healthy, active living and environmental awareness. These regions are represented through plants, natural landscapes, food, art and music. The Gardens are open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Sports Technology: Three new companies are moving to Hamilton to form the nucleus of a centre of excellence for sports and analyties ~ the art and science using technology to improve the performance of competitors. Ron Foxcroft says, “The project could be worth $200 million and more...providing 500 jobs when fully developed. There is so much business opportunity in sports!”

Hamilton Author Named to Order of Canada is known internationally for his 2007 novel, “The Book of Negroes” which was the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Books and CBC's mini-series last year. The Order of Canada, established in 1967, recognized outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation...and for contributions that have enriched the lives of others.

Local Firm wins Randle Reef Contract: The Federal Government has awarded a contract to McNally Construction Inc. Randle Reef is the world's worst coal tar-contaminated site in Canada. Mark Johnson, spokesperson for Environment Canada said the $138.9 million project will be completed in 3 stages from 2015 to 2022. McNally's job comes in at nearly $33 million and involves building a steel box around the worst contamination at the bottom of the reef ~ expected to contain the materials for at least 200 years. A layer of rock will cap the top of the box and make the surface re-purposed for industrial purposes. It will take 2 years to build the box, 2 years to scoop up the excess and 3 years to cap and clear the landscape. Other funding: from the Federal and Ontario governments, City of Hamilton Port Authority, City of Burlington and from Halton Region. (Stages 2 and 3 will be tendered at a later date.)

Health is Wealth! Lemon juice and Salt Clean Wooden Cutting Boards. Don't throw them in the dishwasher! Once or twice a month, apply a thin layer of lemon or lime juice (vinegar works too) and coarse salt to the board. Let sit for a few minutes, then scrub it off. The acidity of the juice and the abrasiveness of the salt will help dig in to keep the board clean...and smelling fresh.

Health Drink Craze Taps Birch Trees: Harvested from the sap of silver birch trees and bottled immediately, the drink has many health-giving properties...which proponents say may help to reduce cholesterol levels.

Humour: When my husband got pulled over by a policeman on a trip in Switzerland, he wondered what the trouble was. “Didn't you notice the flash from the speed-control-camera ?” asked the officer. “Ah, that's what it was?” asked my husband, unaccustomed to this technology. “I thought it was a lightning strike.” Before handing him a ticket with a hefty fine, the policeman said, “Yeah, well...here comes the thunder!”

MBK's NewsBits: “So, Evelyn Jones (standing with team personnel), what's the secret to reaching 108 and throwing out 'the first pitch' at a Seattle Mariner's game?”
She replied, “Easy ~ keep having birthdays!

Homeless B.C. Man Finds $2,000, Brings it to RCMP. The honesty of a homeless man who turned in more than $2,000 he found on a suburban Victorian street, could pay off for the unidentified Good Samaritan. RCMP Const. Alex Berube said that police are looking for the man in his 60's to tell him his good deed has spurred people to donate to a fundraiser effort that's already hit $1,400. The man has no fixed address, but brought in the money because he believed it was the right thing to do.

Couple in San Diego Dies in Each Other's Arms Hours Apart: Jeanette and Alexander Toczko were 8 when they became smitten with one another. They married in 1940 and told their children they wished to die in each other's arms. Last month, at their home, just days before their 75th anniversary, that wish was fulfilled. KGTV reported 95 year-old Alexander's health was failing rapidly after he broke his hip. The children put Jeanette in bed next to him. According to their daughter, after Alexander died, Jeanette said, “Wait for me, I'll be there soon.” Just hours later, Jeanette died too.

'Leap Second' Will be Added to World Clock to make June 30...a second longer. “The move is to ensure time stays in sync with earth's rotation...which is slowing down because ocean tides are moving ahead of it due to events such as earthquakes while the moon, which controls the tides, is trying to pull them back into alignment,” says McMaster's Rob Cockcroft.

Nature: DiCaprio Foundation Awards $15 Million in Grants to evironmental groups including Amazon Watch, Save the Elephants, Tree People and the World Wildlife Foundation...stating, “The destruction of our planet continues at a pace we can no longer afford to ignore! We have a responsibility to innovate a future where 'habitability of our planet' does not come at the expense of those who inhabit it.” The 40 year old actor has been an active environmentalist throughout his career.

It's Possible Asian Crab Was Released into Cootes Paradise on Purpose...possibly for religious reasons by someone who smuggled the creature into Canada. For some 'faiths' it provides points for your karma after life. The live crab was captured at the RBG operated fishway near Hamilton Harbour.

Nova Scotia Gets 23 New Protected Areas: Hundreds of Crown-owned islands on Nova Scotia's eastern shore and 22 other sites across the province are being legally protected as 'wilderness areas or nature preserves.'

Did You Know? River otters prefer life on the shores of deep, clear rivers and lakes, large marshes and ocean bays. The playful animal is primarily nocturnal and remains active year around.

Notable Dates: August 3 (Monday) ~ Civic Holiday
August 12 (Wednesday) ~ International Youth Day
August 15 (Saturday) ~ National Acadian Day
August 17 (Monday) ~ Discovery Day (Yukon)

Samaritan Animal Award: The first time a Los Angeles shelter's 'Hero Dog Award' has gone to a cat!
In May, 2014, Tara, the cat fought off a dog that attacked her 6-year-old owner as he rode his bicycle in the driveway of the family's Bakersfield home. Tara body-slammed Scrappy, a chow-mix that lived next door, when the dog got out of his yard and ran for Jeremy, grabbed his leg and started shaking him from side to side. Tara chased the dog toward its home...it was later euthanized. Jeremy who is autistic, had to have 8 stitches. About Tara, he said, “She's My Hero!”
Footage of Tara's Heroics from home security videos made her an international celebrity ~ placed on You Tube having over 650,000 hits so far!

Space Discovery: NASA Scientists Thrilled About Earth's Cousin. Confirmed: The first near-Earth-sized planet in the 'habitable zone' around a sun-like star called Kepler 452b ~ an area scientists believe could support life. “ It's awe inspiring to consider this planet has spent 6 billion years...that's substantial opportunity for life to arise, should all the ingredients and conditions for life to exist on this planet.”

Merle Baird-Kerr...information compiled July 25, 2015
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