Brampton, ON

How Many Days Do You Have Left?

If you were to google "life expectancy" you would find out that the average life expectancy is 75-80 years give or take a year or two. Let's use 80 years for easy math. 80 years times 365 days would give you a whooping 29,200 days of life. We could throw in an extra 20 days if you want to take leap years into account.

Let's say half of you reading this, are 40 years old. That means you have lived on the average 14,600 days. How's it working out for you? Don't worry you have another 14,600 days to work it out.

Now if you are 60 years old, you have a little more to think about. You have used up 21,900 days and only have 7,300 days to go. If you are good we will throw in another 4 days for leap years.

When you do these kind of calculations, you see that you really don't have that much time here on Mother Earth. By the way to make things sound even better, that 60 year old has 438,000 minutes left, but you just used up a few of them reading this article.

Guess what we are getting to is that "time" is your most important possession, use it wisely.

To calculate your average days left, subtract your age from 80 and multiply it by 365 (don't worry if you are half way through the year, what's a day or two here or there).

To make the most of what you have left, stay up late and get up early, every minute counts.

November 11th, Veteran's Day or Remembrance Day, what does it mean to you?

To many it brings back horrific memories, loss of limbs and most tragic, the loss of friends and loved ones, some right in front of their eyes. For us it means the right to enjoy freedom, every single day.

So the question has to be, how will YOU honour those that gave up so much for their country and for us?

In Canada the postal system is unveiling the newest commemorative stamp. It will display a close up of the National War Memorial in Ottawa (a portion of it has two soldiers looking up) with vibrant red poppies. Although the Canada Post has not officially released the stamp; in Orillia, Ontario, Canada the postal members convinced Canada Post to give a "satellite launch" and release it there early.

Two men were guests of honour at the unveiling, the city's second oldest veteran, Arthur Angus and Tim Aleman who was seriously injured by an improvised explosive devise in Afganistan. Tim told Arthur " The tanks they used in the early wars, I wouldn't want to be in them".

There will be all kinds of Remembrance Day ceremonies today. Please remember our Veterans on this day and give thanks for what they risked and what they gave up.

Give them a moment of silence and respect at 11:00 a.m. today, explain to the young ones just why they have a day off school and most importantly enjoy your day because Some Gave All for it.

LEST WE FORGET

 "Some Gave All"

I knew a man called him Sandy Kane
Few folks even knew his name
But a hero was he
Left a boy, came back a man
Still many just don't understand
About the reasons we are free

I can't forget the look in his eyes
Or the tears he cries
As he said these words to me

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

Now Sandy Kane is no longer here
But his words are oh so clear
As they echo through out our land
For all his friends who gave us all
Who stood the ground and took the fall
To help their fellow man

Love your country and live with pride
And don't forget those who died America can't you see

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall, yes recall
Some gave all

Some gave all

Sesame Street is turning the big 4-0 today!

Can you remember when those brightly coloured animated characters Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert, Ernie and of course the Cookie Monster, first bounced onto our television screens?  They had funny voices, lively movements, made us laugh and sing but most importantly taught us to spell, read and manners among other things. I remember being so engrossed in the show one day when I turned around the kids were no where in sight!

A lot of people are helping Sesame Street celebrate its 40th birthday. For the last week or so Google has been featuring a different character on its home page every day (wonder who gets the honours on the BIG day?), Big Bird was on the Jimmy Kimmel show, this week they will be on the "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" show and even First Lady Michelle Obama will make an appearance on the Sesame Street show itself. 

There is even a book being published about the show, it will be appropriately called "40 years of life on the Street"!

Many highlights of our life happened that year, Neil Armstrong utter the words "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", The Beatles continued walking through our days with the Abbey Road album and the trusty Boeing 747 first flew our friendly skies, but Sesame Street still plays on day after day on the television and in our hearts.

Which character was is your favourite?

Come and play, every thing is A - ok ♫♫♫♫♫♫

In Memory of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald 34 Years Ago This November 10, 2009

At 7:10 pm (est) today it was exactly 34 years ago that all communications were lost with the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, that disappeared without any distress signal.  It is believed that a rogue wave smashed into the Fitzgerald and took her down within minutes. 

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was launched on June 7, 1958 and with a capacity of 24,100 tons, being 729 feet long it was the largest ship on the Great Lakes and continued to be for the next 13 years.

On November 10, 1975 the Fitzgerald set out to Zug Island near Detroit.  As it crossed Lake Superior it encountered a fierce storm with high waves.  The Coast Guard had warned all vessels to keep away from the area due to an approaching storm. 

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sunk and the entire crew of 29 perished.

The Canadian song writer Gordon Lightfoot put the tradgey of the Fitzgerald to song.  In memory of the crew, take a few minutes and watch Lightfoot perform his award winning rendition of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.