Rachel Muenz Writes About a Character That Loves Garbage in Part Four of Her Series - Photo Courtesy of Stockexpert.com
By Zema Luncher
Charlene Rawston used to love garbage. Instead of keeping it in bins or in the garage, she kept the bags in the living room where she could talk to them and share stories. When Site 52 was first proposed she wholeheartedly supported it, happy that other bags like her close friends would finally have a proper home. But then the protestors came and everything changed.
Rachel Muenz Continues With Part Three of Her Series on Garbage - Photo Courtesy of Stockexpert.com
By Zema Luncher
Protests at Site 52 are putting a severe strain on the financial ecosystem, damaging the habitats of taxpayers and politicians, says Comise County Warden Tom Gudgeon.
Blockades at the proposed dump site in Teeny Township are not only harming these species but the protestors as well, he added.
This story aired back in 1993 with CJOH-TV in Ottawa, Canada while I was doing my undergraduate work in journalism at Carleton University. I was on internship there and found out about a 7-year-old at the time who had his own business:
Hyacinth Harewood's Poem Asks So Is This It? - Photo Courtesy of Stockexpert.com
By Hyacinth Harewood
I’m a parasite on an interminable past that will outlast my gourmet greed,
I’m Tantalus in consummation, never stopping eating – under the curse of my past.
Yesterday’s spices drive me to wishing wells of the future that never fulfill water,
Not a drip from the cup to the caking lip.
Come tomorrow ….
Tomorrow never comes,
Intercepted by an interfering today.
Citrus is Just One of the Many Flavours of the Shea Butter Market Lip Balm Products - Photo Courtesy of SheaButterMarket.com
Christen Bennett, in her early 30s, is a family friend of Gifty Serbeh-Dunn, owner of the Shea Butter Market company. For a time while in Ottawa, Serbeh-Dunn lived with Bennett’s family. Out of friendship and a deep belief in shea butter, Bennett tries to promote the Shea Butter Market products in the Ottawa region.
Rachel Muenz Does a Parody on a Dumpsite - Photo Courtesy of Stockexpert
The plight of North Comise garbage: Part one of a five-part series
By Zema Luncher
In homes across North Comise County, the garbage bag is kept hidden from sight in cupboards or garages, unable to socialize with the families it lives with and treated as less than the family dog. After a week, it is stuffed into a bin and left for hours until it is hurled into a truck for a long, crowded journey to an even more crowded landfill. Here, it is dumped in piles with thousands of other bags, left to be torn apart by seagulls, crows and other scavengers, never knowing the taste of clean water or the smell of fresh air.
BC Woman's Favourite Shea Butter Market Product - Photo Courtesy of Shea Butter Market.com
A 71-year-old woman in British Columbia (who preferred not be named) loves the Shea Butter Market products that Gifty Serbeh-Dunn owns. “I love them,” she says. “I’ve used pretty well everything that she’s had out. First of all I’ve used her shea butter and the moisturizing cream and the body lotion and the foot cream.”
Ethnic Newspapers Can Help You to Discover Many Things - Photo Courtesy of Stockexpert
Suggested Publications
*Aboriginal Voices
$45/2 years
-geared towards examining Native North American culture
*Atin Ito
$30/year
-Filipino publication has one of the highest circulations
*First Perspective
$24.95 – $26.70
-a national newspaper highligting a variety of events concerning Aboriginal
people
-also notes political events and issues
Paul da Silva and Donna Kakonge Worked on a Creative Concept Called Listen'in - Photo Courtesy of Stockexpert
A proposal for a thirteen part series exploring issues of race,
culture, and identity. The series will provide a forum for discussions on these topical issues through a Documentary approach as well as through discussions in an informal, and relaxed setting amongst people who are both well informed and passionate about these issues. The setting could be in a community, a cultural setting.
Larenz Tate is the Star of the Movie The Inkwell - Photo Courtesy of Starpulse.com
Set in 1976, this movie features the staple afros, braids and other various styles of Black hair at that time. The interesting thing of note is that the family of Drew Tate, the main character in the movie, are depicted as working class and activist.
A screening of Brüno (2009) in a German-speaking setting is one thing. A screening of it somewhere else is something else.
I explain.
As a German speaker, I have a healthy list of reasons as to why this film vexed my ears. The whole grammar thing does a number on me. File it under occupational hazard.
Brikena Ribaj Comments on Lost in Translation - Photo Courtesy of IMDB
By Brikena Ribaj
Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003) is another good Fall title for me. It takes place in Tokyo and the most relatable bits in the film are Charlotte and Bob, the two main characters, exploring the busy, urban streets of Tokyo together, thus sharing their isolated togetherness and bonding in a place where the leading currency is utter linguistic unfamiliarity and unequivocal confusion.
Sico Flat for Ceilings - Photo Courtesy of Gail Bergman and Indira Tarachandra
by Gail Bergman and Indira Tarachandra
Sico to Donate a Portion of Ceiling Paint Sales to Breast Cancer Research
Longueuil, Quebec – July 20, 2009 – Think pink. That’s the message Sico is sending to Canadians this fall with the announcement that it will donate a portion of sales of its disappearing-pink Flat for Ceilings paint to support lifesaving breast cancer research.
A Rookie's Story is Told by Rachel Muenz - Photo Courtesy of Stockexpert
By Rachel Muenz
Jo Henday, Sister:
I should be proud of you but I’m not. Not of a single shot.
Your first goal came off my stick, remember? The puck was pinned to the boards by a couple pairs of skates and there were five of us from both teams working at it in a clatter of wood. Some kid kept cross-checking me in the back – no penalty – but I fought my way through the press of jerseys and dug the puck out. I flung it towards the net because I knew you were there.
EPRI Did a Revealing Study on Electricity - Photo Courtesy of Stockexpert
A study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has found the replacement of fossil fuels technology with electric ones would result in energy savings. The energy savings are as high as 71.7 quadrillion BTUs.
These savings would cut CO2 by 4,400 million tons between 2009 and 2030.
When It Comes To AIDS, It Is Better to Light A Candle - Photo Courtesy of StockExpert
It was a Saturday afternoon and the radio was on. I was living in Uganda in the fall of 1996 and the winter of 1997. The radio was calling out a list of names. I could not understand why.
I often refer to the music-loving Socrates as Nietzsche portrays him in his work Birth of Tragedy. Music is the best form of language, per Socrates. And I concur fully not just because it is Socrates’ attitude per Nietzsche but because I happen to share the same attitude experientially. So, those who get mad over not getting showered with attention when music is playing an active part in the discourse need to, well, find other ways to cope.
I don’t think one chooses music. I truly believe it chooses one. I was asked recently why I’m such a fan of indie music. I remember saying something like, ‘well, I suppose I was born that way. Or something. It’s one of those truths, you know? You just know it. Sort of like knowing your name, you just do, you know?’ The awkward-sounding answer made full sense to me. Can’t say the same for my interlocutor.
Brikena Ribaj Ponders on Puns - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Brikena Ribaj
Tip of the hat to Chris for the pointer. He and I have such a great time together playing with language. I thought I’d share with you all what he just sent my way.
Enjoy. And as a medievalist, my very favorite would have to be number one.
Brikena Ribaj Reviews the Musical Work of Camille Nelson
By Brikena Ribaj
This is Camille Nelson, my very good friend.
Camille Nelson is one of my all-time favorite people. Among so many other things, she is also an artist par excellence. Camille is also the one who patiently taught me how to play the guitar, the one with whom I’ve had many an adventure over the years, and the one who simply excels at all she does. And she manages to do it all by being unapologetically good and quintessentially Camille.
Rachel Muenz Explores Bicycle Time in a Short Story - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Rachel Muenz
The road unrolls before him, cracked and purple-grey. The pavement is worn but good, better than that behind him, cratered and half-repaired with uneven disks of tar. On either side, trees slide past the corners of his eyes, their branches reaching for his arms. Beyond the trees, the hunched forms of hills, shadowed and filmed with pale green, rise and fall. He feels the hum of the tires in his chest, right through to his heart. It is pure joy.
Brikena Ribaj Loves Portland, Oregon - Photo by Brikena Ribaj
By Brikena Ribaj
One of the reasons I love Portland, OR, well, other than it being home to the best bookstore I have seen in North America, Powell’s, is how quiet it is.
Nick Goodwin Writes About 24 Hour Toronto That Can Help You Find a Late Night Snack - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Nick Goodwin
Are you ever awake late at night and can’t find something to do? Sometimes people want to get out on a weekend but can’t find something creative enough to maintain their interest. This site is full of interesting places that you may not know exist within the city of Toronto.
Franz Ferdinand is on tour promoting their new album Tonight with Franz Ferdinand. We saw them in concert last night and I am happy to report that they delivered. They performed for one and a half hours and the energy of the band was in harmonious synch with that of the crowd.
Nick Goodwin Knows that Being a Freelance Artist is For Him - Photo Courtesty of Morguefile.com
by Nick Goodwin
I think one of the hardest things about trying to be a successful artist is the reality that your ability to serve your community isn’t entirely practical. I have experienced many types of work apart from art-related jobs and they have helped me to become at least more practical than I would be had I decided to be strictly an artist.
The reason I say this twice is because, well, for lack of a better phrase, I don’t do country. I don’t know why. I just can’t. I am not attracted to it. I never was. While I’m sure that country music feeds many people, it doesn’t manage to feed me in any way. Not even with carbs. It’s a preference issue, you see. For example, I love Verdi, Wagner, Beethoven, and Mozart but I don’t care for Schumann. I love Indie rock but basically everything about Grunge bothers me. And, yes, Nirvana is an exception. Kurt Cobain is bigger than any genre. And I loved him. Very much. I still do. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” continues to be a high-frequency track. It’s not grunge, it’s classic. So there are exceptions within certain genres, of course.
Just recently The Remix Project had a fundraiser at Circa nightclub for their “Give Money Make Change” campaign. At this fundraiser members of the project (including myself) were granted the opportunity to showcase their artwork at the event. I had three of my paintings on display at this momentous gathering. The Remix Project put together a great art show as well as a silent auction. The artists came through with beautiful photography, computer artwork, creative paintings, and more.
Nick Goodwin Adds His Own Designs to Clothing - Photo by Nick Goodwin
By Nick Goodwin
I love to create original clothing. I am a design guy. Not too long ago I took the time to hand paint a whole bunch of plain clothing that I picked out. For some of the garments I created stencils so I could reuse my choice of design. For other items I simply created something one of a kind.
Hypocrisy is Highlighted in this Essay by Co-Authored by Brikena Ribaj - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Brikena Ribaj & Scott Bradford
Hypocrisy and the Lies of Time:
An Angelic Dilemma
Hypocrisy of Time
He is ageless, the hunter
With neither beginning nor end
Changeless, yet the father of all change.
His gaze is eternal
Without preference or guile
He loves, yet loathes all.
And…thus…Cassiel…falls…
This is the Cover Art for the Book Spiderwoman - Photo From Dreamstime.com
Spiderwoman is the third book that I officially published, actually the fourth if you include the short story I did for Headlight Anthology. This book was a long process that started with stories I did in a Carleton University creative writing class with Tom Henighan. You can buy the book at: http://stores.lulu.com/kakonged.
Nick Goodwin Writes About Happiness Being Shared - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Nick Goodwin
One thing that I believe in is that happiness is most real when it is shared. It is the good and truth of understanding between two individuals. All of life’s greatest joys are based around a perceived connection.
Cover Art for Listening to Music By Donna Kakonge - Photo Courtesy of Dreamstime.com
By Nick Goodwin
My best writing is done while listening to music. Music is my vice and my motivation. My parents are the reason why I love music so much. They used to take us on car trips when we were young. Every car ride with my dad we would listen to music on the radio or tapes. He would ask “Who’s this?” to quiz us and we would listen even more carefully to try and figure out who the artist is.
Nick Goodwin Comments on Toronto's Garbage Strike - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Nick Goodwin
Okay, so Toronto’s morale doesn’t seem to be out of whack at all. Maybe a little unfocused but somehow people are remaining happy even with the increasingly gross trails of garbage leading from overflowing containments. Are we to improvise and use our creative minds to construct this trash into something we can all gawk at? We need to come up with something.
This is the Cover Art for the Book The Write Heart - Photo From Dreamstime.com
Can you imagine that I am offering free life coaching on any of your life’s challenges for the low, low cost of one book sale from you? Yes – this is not a gimmick – it is true.
We can do the life coaching through email if you are long distance, or we could do it over the phone if you are local. We can also use such services as MSN and Yahoo Messenger if you prefer a more instant approach to the life coaching. I look forward to hearing from you. Make your dreams come true!
Cover Art for Story Ideas - Help For Writer's Block by Donna Kakonge - Photo from Dreamstime.com
Donna Kakonge has written 25 books that you can choose from along with FREE life coaching for your challenges in life. You can contact her at: dkakonge@sympatico.ca to find out more.
Nick Goodwin Says You Should Treat Others How You Want to Be Treated - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Nick Goodwin
What is honourable? My idea of honour is living by a code of unconditional love and trust. I also feel honourable when I practice my abilities as an artist and express myself honestly. I don’t believe in a good defense or offense. Life isn’t a game, after all.
Kirk Verner Discovers a Potential Thief on the TTC
By Kirk Verner
July 4th/2009 11:14 p.m.
The 60C bus rattles loudly down Yonge Street as I sit in a scotch induced haze; I’m heading home after a long night in the studio. I’m sitting in the back half of the bus, staring at a middle-aged Asian man with a curly, black mullet and a brown leather jacket. He seems suspicious to my keen sense for the unusual. He nibbles at his fingernails; a hideous habit he seems to have a problem with. I simply continue to watch the man, I guess trying to make him feel even more uncomfortable than he already appears.
Rachel Muenz Writes About Muttlucks for Dogs - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Rachel Muenz
They protect your feet from extreme cold when playing in the snow. Military personnel use them to keep the pads of their feet from burning up on the hot ground of Afghanistan. Broken glass and other hazards won’t hurt you because of these boots. You are a dog, after all, and you don’t always pay attention to where you’re walking whether you’re just fooling around or saving lives.
Discovering Appreciation Can Be Difficult in Our Busy Lifestyles - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Nick Goodwin
Sometimes the hardest thing is being able to appreciate something when you know you have it the best. People can be insatiable and often the truth is that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. If people could appreciate the “now” to a greater extent they could be more conservative, creative, and intelligent.
Nick Goodwin Does a Review of a Website - Photo Courtesy of 1LoveTO.com
By Nick Goodwin
A couple of friends of mine have put together a great website. It is a blog website which showcases Toronto’s arts and entertainment, as well as culture and cause.
The Simply People Festival is Happening on July 21st - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
Simply people was formed about five years ago after forming CANWAPPS. CANWAPPS stands for Canada-wide Accessibility for Post-secondary Students. This is a national non-profit organization that is geared towards increasing accessibility and inclusion for post-secondary students with disabilities.
Feeling Inspired Can Sometimes Be an Effort - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Nick Goodwin
I know what it is like to feel uninspired. Sometimes the only option is to channel this frustration and use your strength of mind. Create an opportunity for moving forward with something. Sometimes you won’t find the inspiration you’re looking for until you try something first. I’ve heard it said that experience comes from making mistakes, trial and error. If people did everything right on the first try we would have no need for communication.
Nick Goodwin Pays Tribute to His Brother - Photo Courtesy of Morguefile.com
By Nick Goodwin
I don’t see as much of my brother as I would like to, however, we got together for my aunt’s wedding and Father’s Day the day after. He’s busy working all summer. It has been weird being away from home. It has been especially weird since when I do visit home I notice the changes. My brother going away to school and then away working hard. My younger brother, I had considered the day we would both leave home but I was never ready for it.
Some People Will Do Anything to Blow Things Up - Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile.com
By Rachel Muenz
It begins with a flash of light just below the windows of the aircraft. Then, the fuselage buckles outward and bursts into thousands of pieces which flutter to the ground like shreds of paper. A cloud of thick smoke engulfs half the plane. A shot from inside shows the craft rocking to one side as the floor begins to disintegrate, the camera lens going black as everything is destroyed.
Finally she started a business, and like the Frank Sinatra song, she did it her way (with a lot of help from good people). When Donna Kakonge was 29, she began working on a long held dream to own a multimedia magazine.
The magazine she created with the help of a ... Continue reading »
