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Sunday Newsletter 2000-24Su. December 10, 2000. Only two weeks left until Christmas eve. I hope you are making progress with your shopping. Like the Christmas mailing deadlines I gave you a couple of weeks ago, and this week's link to the lyrics of many Christmas carols, I intend to continue the trend next week with a little more on Christmas. Yes, FactsCanada.ca will publish an issue on Sunday, December 24. That issue I intend to devote entirely to Christmas and stories of Christmas in Canada. So, if anyone has a heartwarming Canadian Christmas story they would like to share, please send it on to john@factscanada.ca and I will pick my favourite for inclusion in that issue. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == TABLE OF CONTENTS == = Announcements from the technical geek = Question of the week = Biography -- Emily M. Carr = Quote of the week = Place names -- Midland, and Mundy's Bay, Ontario = Joke of the week = Festive food information = Inflation, Christmas style = Health watch = Christmas carols = Answer to this week's question = Preview = Links ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE TECHNICAL GEEK == I had big plans as far as announcements go this week but, as usual, I was aiming too high. However, the good news is that I have less to announce. First, we are in the process of setting up the factscanada.COM domain so that we can offer free, Web-based e-mail on it (starting later this week). As a result, there were some of the inevitable technical glitches this week, and for a couple of days all e-mail to any addresses @factscanada.COM (not factscanada.ca) bounced. If you happened to have e-mail bounced back to you, please resend it. Thanks very much. I was really hoping to have the new site ready by today, but we all know what happened last time I pulled an all-nighter! Anyway, it should be ready this week. It looks a heck of a lot better than what you see on the site right now. Along with the new site we will offer free e-mail (as mentioned above) and a book store, as well as access to the FactsCanada.ca archives. Plans for the future include Web and site search capability, message boards and news. We will also offer an HTML version of the newsletter that looks similar to the new site design. Lastly, I have been asked by several people this week who I can recommend for free Internet access, as the company that provides the infrastructure for about 130 free ISPs in North America is closing its doors today. This is going to leave millions (according to reports I have seen) of people without Internet access, and overload the free ISPs that remain. As you can imagine, most free ISPs cater only to the American market. I have signed up for two that have access points in Canada, and will probably sign up with a third to check them out as well. The two I have signed up with so far are dotNow! and NetZero. If John doesn't mind, I'll provide a quick evaluation of them in next Sunday's newsletter. Now, if only Telus would get off their rear ends and do something about the lack of availability of ADSL in Richmond, BC, because there's no way you can pay me enough to use Rogers @Home! ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == QUESTION OF THE WEEK == America's movie industry celebrates its best of the best on an annual basis by honouring its films with an Academy Award, or "Oscar". My question is: What is Canada's equivalent award? The answer is to be found near the bottom. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == BIOGRAPHY == Emily "M." Carr. Painter, writer and potter, Emily Carr accomplished much during her lifetime, including attaining honorary membership in Canada's "Group of Seven" painters, an influential group whose works defined much of Canada's emergence in art circles. However, most of her accomplishments were not recognized until after her death. In fact, Ms. Carr spent her last days at a home for the elderly and infirm, run by the Sisters of the Love of Jesus, in a building which is today known as the James Bay Inn. (The inn is located in the Beacon Hill area of Victoria, BC, near the province's legislature buildings.) It was here that Emily Carr died on March 2, 1945. She was buried in the Carr family plot at the Ross Bay Cemetery in Fairfield, another Victoria-area community. Carr is an artist who is closely associated with British Columbia. Born on December 13, 1871 in Victoria, British Columbia, Emily grew up in a disciplined and orderly household run by her English parents. She seemed to be a child of independent spirit and her artistic evolution was hampered by the upbringing she endured. Having only one younger brother, but four older sisters, she referred to herself as "The Small", which became part of the title of a 1942 memoir. Emily Carr actually had no middle name. The initial "M" which she used to sign her art work (e.g., "E.M.C.", "M. Emily Carr", or "M.E. Carr") refers to her family nickname, "Millie". She used the initial "M" to distinguish herself from her mother, Emily Saunders Carr, and her sisters, Edith and Elizabeth Carr. She was orphaned in her teens and followed her heart to San Francisco in 1891 to study art at the California School of Design, escaping her older sister's strict rule. Upon her return from the USA two years later she set up a studio and started art classes for children. In 1899 Millie ventured to England on a study trip, but this did little to advance her art. While there, a lengthy bout of depression resulted in her stay at a sanitarium until 1904. She then returned home, but made another, more beneficial, trip abroad six years later when she journeyed to France. She returned home in the autumn of 1911 imbued with a vigorous, colourful, post-impressionist style of painting. The new approach marked the end of her earlier English watercolour style. By 1913 Emily had produced a large amount of work on the Native Indian theme but, unable to live off the sales of her art, she built a small apartment house in Victoria and spent most of the next 15 dispirited years managing it so that she could support herself. Due to the setbacks and disillusionment suffered earlier on in her career, lack of encouragement and having always to scramble for financial support outside the realm of her chosen profession, not to mention her bout of depression, she painted very little between the years 1912 to 1927. Then, in 1927, some of her work was included in a National Gallery exhibition. She travelled east for its opening and met members of the "Group of Seven". Seeing their work, and being encouraged by them (especially through a long correspondence with member Lawren Harris), gave her renewed determination to paint. For the next 14 years she refined and expanded her understanding and expression of the spirit of the landscape. A heart attack in 1937 signalled the start of her declining health, and she began to devote more time to writing. In 1941 she published "Klee Wyck" which garnered her the Governor General's award. This was followed by "The Book of Small", a last few paintings, and "The House of All Sorts", which was published in 1944. Works published posthumously included, "Growing Pains", "The Heart of a Peacock", "Pause" and "Hundreds and Thousands". Her journals where also published after her death. Although "The Group of Seven" was disbanded in 1932, a part of its legacy was the formation of a national organization for the support and promotion of modern art in Canada -- a so-called Canadian Group of Painters. The subject matter studied by these artists was diverse, including the exploration of particular regions of the country, urban and industrial subjects, and the pursuit of abstractive as well as figurative painting. My thanks to Jan Ross at The Emily Carr House Gift Shop and Interpretation Centre, which is located at: 207 Government Street Victoria, BC V8V 2K8 Telephone: +1-250-383-5843 Web: www.emilycarr.com ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == QUOTE OF THE WEEK == "It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw, not because she is Canada but because she's something sublime that you were born into, some great rugged power that you are a part of." --Emily Carr. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == PLACE NAMES == Midland, and Mundy's Bay, Ontario. This town boasts a 1996 census population of 15 035. There doesn't seem to be a specific reason for the name "Midland", other than the fact that it is located on Midland Bay, an inlet in the Georgian Bay landscape. It is about 145 kilometres north, by road, of Toronto. It is located in Simcoe County and was granted its charter status in 1890. It was first settled around 1878 after the Midland Railway of Canada (based in Port Hope, Ontario) laid out its town site plans in 1872 and 1873 at Mundy's Bay. After the first train arrived in 1879, Midland became the principal shipping centre for the south end of the Georgian Bay region. Mundy's Bay, named after Asher Mundy who had settled into the area around 1829, presents a clearer picture however. The Midland area first carried with it the moniker "Aberdale", and was named after the home town of the Welsh wife of Thomas Gladstane -- Midland's first postmaster. This changed in 1872, however, when the railway company president, Baron Adolf von Hugel, changed it to Midland. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == JOKE OF THE WEEK == Sorry, but I can resist no longer, the cry of the dumb blond(e) joke. Why do blondes like the GST? Because they can spell it! ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == FESTIVE FOOD INFORMATION == What size turkey do you need? For turkeys weighing less than 12 pounds, plan to purchase 1 pound per person being served. If your turkey weighs more than 12 pounds, you will only need 3/4 pound for each guest. With boneless breast of turkey, allow for 1/2 pound per person. Breast of turkey, bone in, look at 3/4 pound per person. Generally a 16-20 pound turkey will feed 10, with leftovers for later pickings. Figure on a 20-24 pound turkey for 16 people. How long should it be cooked? (So that everything lines up properly, you will need to view the table below with a fixed-width font such as Courier.) Weight Weight Un-stuffed Stuffed (lbs) (kg) Cooking Time Cooking Time 8-12 3.6-5.5 2:45-3:00 3:00-3:30 12-14 5.5-6.4 3:00-3:45 3:30-4:00 14-18 6.4-8.2 3:45-4:15 4:00-4:15 18-20 8.2-9.1 4:15-4:45 4:15-4:45 20-24 9.1-10.1 4:30-5:00 4:45-5:15For additional help and ideas regarding your turkey, you can call the following hotlines: Butterball, 1-800-323-4848, Foster Farms, 1-800-255-7227, Reynolds, 1-800-745-4000. You did want leftovers, right? Each year the holiday season brings with it tales of woe that usually are the result of improper food handling practices. So, to help you plan for a safe and secure festive season, here are some great tips. These are for all of your leftovers, not just turkey: 1. You must store your leftovers promptly and properly. 2. Do not leave the feast remains out for more than two hours. 3. Separate all leftovers into shallow containers. This allows for quick cooling. Refrigerate or freeze promptly. 4. Stuffing removed during the meal, should be placed in its own, separate container. Ditto for the turkey and gravy. Use the stuffing and gravy within two days. 5. Remove any remaining turkey meat from the bones and prepare it for freezing or plan on using it within the next 2-3 days. Frozen turkey should be used within the next 6 months. 6. When serving up leftovers, reheat to at least 75 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit). Bring to a slow boil any soups or sauces. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == INFLATION, CHRISTMAS STYLE == There are "Twelve Days of Christmas", as the song goes. How much would it cost to bring the song's gifts to today's Christmas tree? Here is a breakdown of some research into the matter. For the twelve days it would most likely cost (at non-union rates -- musicians and dancers don't come cheap and hopefully you already have some of the accessories such as pear trees and the like): Day one: A partridge in a pear tree, $ 42. Day two: Two turtle doves @ $41 each = $82. Day three: Three French hens @ $23 each = $69. Day four: Four calling birds @ $10 each = $40. Day five: Five golden rings @ $450 each = $2250. Day six: Six geese-a-laying @ $27 each = $162. Day seven: Seven swans-a-swimming @ $77 each = $539. Day eight: Eight maids-a-milking @ $16 per hour each = $128. Day nine: Nine ladies dancing @ $24 per hour each = $216. Day ten: Ten lords-a-leaping @ $22 per hour each = $220. Day eleven: Eleven pipers piping @ $38 per hour each = $418. Day twelve: Twelve drummers drumming @ $41 per hour each = $492. This venture would cost your true love more than $5000, including GST, and assuming that you only wanted one hour of entertainment from each of the hourly-paid entertainers. Quite an extravagant gift. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == HEALTH WATCH == The exact text of a press release from Heinz Canada appears below: Heinz Canada launches voluntary recall of 14-oz Original Beans in Tomato Sauce. TORONTO, November 22, 2000 -- Heinz Canada announced today that the company is launching a voluntary recall of one variety of its bean products: Heinz 14-oz Original Beans in Tomato Sauce UPC 057000007034. Consumers should look for a bright green label. They should then check for an eight-digit code located at can end and beginning with 2420. This action was taken after analysis by the Company revealed that some cans may not have been processed in a manner to prevent the presence of Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a life-threatening illness. Consumers are requested not to consume the product as ingestion may result in serious health consequences. While no consumers have reported any adverse health effects, Heinz Canada is taking this action in the interest of maintaining the Company's high product quality and food safety standards. No other Heinz bean varieties, nor different production codes from this variety are affected by this recall. Consumers who have purchased the Heinz 14-oz Original Beans in Tomato Sauce with the affected code date can return to the place of purchase for exchange. Heinz has undertaken immediate action to contact all its retail food store customers to advise them about the product recall and to retrieve the product. The recall applies only to Heinz Original Beans in Tomato Sauce produced and sold in Canada and does not affect any Heinz bean products available in the United States. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been advised of this voluntary recall. Consumers may direct questions to Heinz Canada Consumer Services Department at 1-800-268-6641. Links to the text of the press release on the Web site of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and an index of food recalls are at this link. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == CHRISTMAS CAROLS == As a service to you, our loyal reader, we have published the lyrics of the following Christmas carols on the FactsCanada.ca Web site at this link: "O Christmas Tree." "We Wish you a Merry Christmas." "Jingle Bells." "Winter Wonderland." "'Twas in the Moon of Winter Time." "Silent Night." "Oh Holy Night." "Angels we Have Heard on High." "Away in a Manger." "The First Noel." "God Rest you Merry Gentlemen." "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." "Good King Wenceslas." "What Child is This?" "Oh Come, All ye Faithful." "Deck the Halls." "O Little Town of Bethlehem." "We Three Kings of Orient Are." "The Twelve Days of Christmas." "Go Tell it on the Mountain." "Joy to the World." We hope you enjoy. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == ANSWER TO THIS WEEK'S QUESTION == What is Canada's answer to the Oscars? Presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, the "Genies", as they are known, celebrate outstanding achievement in Canadian film. The Academy, created in 1979, established the award and its innovative name to replace the old, and somewhat outdated, generic Canadian Film Awards. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == PREVIEW == On Friday Mike takes a look at some privacy and security issues as they affect Internet users. ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø I hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter. We tried something new this week, by providing you a link to further information (Christmas carols in this case) on our Web site. We hope to continue to add items to our database and will have a search function installed on the site in the New Year. Until next week.... ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø == LINKS AND RESOURCES == FactsCanada.ca -- http://www.factscanada.ca NinerNet Communications Today's resources |
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