 | Kris Kristofferson - Me And Bobby McGee |  |
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 | Found at www.skreemr.com |  |
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A Song For Sally
From a Qaddafi Daughter, a Glimpse Inside the Bunker
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: April 26, 2011 TRIPOLI, Libya — Aisha el-Qaddafi, the daughter of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya, likes to tell her three young children bedtime stories about the afterlife. Now, she says, they are especially appropriate. “To make them ready,” she said, “because in a time of war you never know when a rocket or a bomb might hit you, and that will be the end.”
In a rare interview at her charitable foundation here, Ms. Qaddafi, 36, a Libyan-trained lawyer who once worked on Saddam Hussein’s legal defense team, offered a glimpse into the fatalistic mind-set of the increasingly isolated family at the core of the battle for Libya, the bloodiest arena in the democratic uprising that is sweeping the region.
Ms. Qaddafi has appeared in public twice since the bombings began, before cheering crowds at the colonel’s compound, but she seldom speaks in public. During the interview, she wore close-fitting jeans, Gucci shoes and a pale scarf that did not cover her long blond hair. At times, she laughed at her fate, recalling how the United Nations, after “begging” her to be an envoy for peace in the past, has now referred her to the International Criminal Court. Her staff presented an illustrated biography entitled “Princess of Peace.”
She said her experience as a volunteer on Saddam Hussein’s defense team offered relevant parallels.
“The opposition in Iraq told the West that when you come to Iraq they will greet you with roses,” she said. “Almost 10 years later they are receiving the Americans with bullets, and, believe me, the situation in Libya will be much worse.”... Continue Reading
Qu'Appelle surge expected. Officials call for volunteers to sandbag.
By Pamela Cowan, The Leader-Post April 26, 2011
Helen Anne MacDonald didn't leave her sister holding the bag this past weekend.
Responding to a call for help from her sister and brother-in-law who have a cottage at Katepwa Lake, the Regina designer became part of a human chain who filled countless sandbags.
"We did sandbagging around their cottage and then we went to help others," MacDonald said.
It's not the first time she has lent a hand.
She answered an SOS call to sandbag two weekends ago when the shore by her sister's cottage washed away.
"When the water started rising, we got called to go back on Friday," MacDonald said. "I was just amazed by how many people were there. . . . Sometimes people think, 'I can't lift a sandbag' but you can be holding an empty bag and handing it to another person or you can be driving equipment.
"Normally we go to church on Good Friday, but I said to my sister, 'This is sort of like church because we're helping people out.' "...Continue Reading
Photograph by: L-P Bryan Schlosser, The Leader-Post
Responding to a call for help from her sister and brother-in-law who have a cottage at Katepwa Lake, the Regina designer became part of a human chain who filled countless sandbags.
"We did sandbagging around their cottage and then we went to help others," MacDonald said.
It's not the first time she has lent a hand.
She answered an SOS call to sandbag two weekends ago when the shore by her sister's cottage washed away.
"When the water started rising, we got called to go back on Friday," MacDonald said. "I was just amazed by how many people were there. . . . Sometimes people think, 'I can't lift a sandbag' but you can be holding an empty bag and handing it to another person or you can be driving equipment.
"Normally we go to church on Good Friday, but I said to my sister, 'This is sort of like church because we're helping people out.' "...Continue Reading
Suicide bomber killed in Afghan blast
The suicide bomber's explosives-packed tractor detonated Sunday before he reached his intended target in Tor Tangi, an area of Barmal district in Paktika province, the Interior Ministry said.
As a result, the suicide bomber was killed, the statement said. There were no casualties among civilians or security forces... Read Here
Would you like me to give you a disease?
My son is in love with his bed bug, And now I can say my daughter has ebola the flesh eating virus. They animals come with a a card that shows what the actual cell looks like a brief background of it. They are pretty cool.
They have over 100 types to chose from all different sizes, and other products as well. check it out here Giantmicrobes"Read Here
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Injured Turtle Gets Wheels To Walk
"Tzvika the turtle recently received a new set of wheels to help her walk.
According to MSNBC, she was brought into Israel's Wildlife Hospital in the Ramat Gan Safari, near Tel Aviv, because she had been run over by a lawnmower. She sustained fractures in her shell that became infected.
Over time, she became immobile and had difficulty eating. She had been dragging herself around, which made it more likely that her back legs could become injured or that the back of her shell could fracture further and get contaminated.
Because of this, the veterinarians gave her a set of wheels. The turtle liked them so much that the prototype had to be replaced with a stronger set.
Tzvika is now happily rolling around the hospital, as seen in the Reuters video below."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/13/turtle-on-wheels_n_805941.html
According to MSNBC, she was brought into Israel's Wildlife Hospital in the Ramat Gan Safari, near Tel Aviv, because she had been run over by a lawnmower. She sustained fractures in her shell that became infected.
Over time, she became immobile and had difficulty eating. She had been dragging herself around, which made it more likely that her back legs could become injured or that the back of her shell could fracture further and get contaminated.
Because of this, the veterinarians gave her a set of wheels. The turtle liked them so much that the prototype had to be replaced with a stronger set.
Tzvika is now happily rolling around the hospital, as seen in the Reuters video below."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/13/turtle-on-wheels_n_805941.html
From Me To You - A Photography Blog
Rain– a poem by Giulia
Reaching for a hug.
As the rain was pouring,
I thought I saw a bug.
So I stared a little better
Out the window in the rain.
But it was just a feather…
And I felt a weird pain.
The alarm was set to 8
But it was barely 7.
I tried to put my thoughts all straight
And picture me in heaven.
I tried to smile and understand
Why all the things have changed,
I tried to stop and not expand
The pain that was so strange.
Can I be ready for tomorrow
If I regret today?
I locked away my sorrow,
As faith was coming, on the way…
I fully opened all my windows
And received the chilly rain.
I could swear I saw some halos
Or maybe I was just insane…
http://www.furrytalk.com/2010/04/rain-beautiful-poem-and-pictures/
Goose looks after blind dog
Blind boxer dog Baks has got a new lease of life - after being taken under the wing of a pet goose called Buttons. 
Buttons the four-year-old goose leads her pal around everywhere either by hanging onto him with her neck, or by honking to tell him which way to go.Owner Renata Kursa, 47, of Lublin, Poland, was heartbroken when Bak was left blind after an accident last year.
‘But gradually Buttons got him up on his feet and starting walking him around. They’re inseparable now – they even chase the postman together,’ she said.Read Here
Monday, April 25, 2011
Canadian politics - Latest Results and Current Stories- EKOS
Canada Goose
About EKOS Politics "We launched this website in order to showcase our election research, and our suite of polling technologies including PROBIT© and IVR. We will be updating this site frequently with new polls, analysis and insight into Canadian politics. EKOS's experience, knowledge and sophisticated research designs have contributed positively to many previous elections..." read here Canada is having a national election on May 2 read here 
coin
Unlocking secrets of the universe part of Endeavour's last mission
photo
By Greg Pallone, Brevard County Reporter
Last Updated: Thursday, April 21, 2011 9:42 AM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER --It's fitting shuttle Endeavour's final mission is once again to the International Space Station, as its cargo includes a tool to find potential origins of the universe.
By Greg Pallone, Brevard County Reporter Last Updated: Thursday, April 21, 2011 9:42 AM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER --It's fitting shuttle Endeavour's final mission is once again to the International Space Station, as its cargo includes a tool to find potential origins of the universe.
The project is truly an international effort, and the largest scientific instrument ever to be installed on the orbiting outpost.
It's called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, and it's already stowed inside Endeavour's cargo bay, awaiting its chance to begin the search for dark matter and antimatter far away in the universe. Dark matter is unseen, unlike the stars, and makes up 90 percent of the universe we know so far...Read Here
Stuxnet called cyber warfare's 'Little Boy'
"Have Little Boy and Fat Man, the nuclear devices dropped on Japan to end World War II in Asia and the Pacific, been replaced by Stuxnet? The question is raised in a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
Analysts who have viewed the Stuxnet virus, which sabotaged the Iranian nuclear centrifuges, call its use a watershed moment in cyber warfare, because it was the first instance of a specially designed cyber weapon used to attack the industrial infrastructure of a sovereign nation.
The success of the attack has demonstrated that cyber attacks can be not only successful but devastating..."http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=290221
Analysts who have viewed the Stuxnet virus, which sabotaged the Iranian nuclear centrifuges, call its use a watershed moment in cyber warfare, because it was the first instance of a specially designed cyber weapon used to attack the industrial infrastructure of a sovereign nation.
The success of the attack has demonstrated that cyber attacks can be not only successful but devastating..."http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=290221
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Assignment Kandahar: Feast or go fish
I left the mess tent and walked towards the Afghan National Army encampment. There I found a young Afghan sergeant, clutching a fresh fish. A big fat one. A bizarre sight, here in the desert. Brian Hutchinson/National Post
Apr 23, 2011 – 12:00 PM ET | Last Updated: Apr 23, 2011 11:34 AM ET
“How is the food,” I asked an Afghan interpreter, as we traveled to another combat outpost, this one near the village of Salavat in Panjwaii district. “Fine,” he said. “There is ice cream, and there are sausages.” Hmmm. An unlikely combination, but perhaps worth a try some other time. Supper on Saturday was strip loin steak off the barbecue,
baked potato and Caesar salad. After a hot mid-afternoon foot patrol, I was ready for all that. I wolfed down the meal.
Rest assured, Canadian soldiers and even journalists working in remote areas of the district don’t suffer from malnourishment. The food is generally of excellent quality, and usually prepared and cooked on site. Full disclosure: We were served lobster tails the other night.
Tucking into that juicy delicacy, I laughed at the memory of a news story served up last summer by a reporter back in Canada. It was about a supposed dearth of food choices in Panjwaii’s forward operating bases and combat outposts. The story made it sound like the troops are half-starved scurvy cases who might enjoy one glass of fresh milk in their tour. The report got a lot of laughs out here, I recall. There are more fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products on offer than in most Canadian university cafeterias...
Read More
baked potato and Caesar salad. After a hot mid-afternoon foot patrol, I was ready for all that. I wolfed down the meal.
Rest assured, Canadian soldiers and even journalists working in remote areas of the district don’t suffer from malnourishment. The food is generally of excellent quality, and usually prepared and cooked on site. Full disclosure: We were served lobster tails the other night.
Tucking into that juicy delicacy, I laughed at the memory of a news story served up last summer by a reporter back in Canada. It was about a supposed dearth of food choices in Panjwaii’s forward operating bases and combat outposts. The story made it sound like the troops are half-starved scurvy cases who might enjoy one glass of fresh milk in their tour. The report got a lot of laughs out here, I recall. There are more fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy products on offer than in most Canadian university cafeterias...
Read More
Hank Williams Jr - Won't It Be Nice
"From the fields to the greenhouse to your home, the Easter Lily remains the traditional, time-honored flower of Easter. Symbolic of a resurrection, Easter Lilies rise from earthy graves as scaly bulbs, and bloom into majestic flowers that embody the beauty, grace and tranquillity of the special region from which they originate. The Easter Lily -- the Latin name is Lilium longiforum - is native to the southern islands of Japan. In the 1880's, it was widely cultivated in Bermuda and bulbs were shipped to this country. Around the turn of the century, the Japanese took over the annual growing exportation of Easter Lilies to the United States, and continued to dominate the U. S. export market until the start of World War II..." Read Here
He is risen!
image
2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
Mark 16:1-7
1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.2And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
Royal Wedding Official Guest List
That's 1,000 Friends & Family Members; 52 Members of the Royal Family and 46 Members of Foreign Royal Families
For any number crunchers out there, that means 1,000 friends and family members, 52 members of the royal family, 46 members of foreign royal families and 80 guests from Prince Will's charities.
All 27 members of Prince William's search-and-rescue unit, C Flight 22, have been invited along with their partners.
As for celebrities, we already knew soccer star David Beckham and wife Victoria are attending will attend (they confirmed it themselves), and now we have confirmation of other famous names like Elton John, Joss Stone, Rowan Atkinson and Guy Ritchie.
In terms of foreign royals, look out for the following on April 29: Spain's Queen Sofia; Belgium's Crown Prince Philippe and his wife Princess Mathilde; Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja; Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and her husband, and Prince Daniel and Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee Charlene Wittstock.
Religious leaders include Britain's Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and the Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, director of the London Buddhist Vihara monastery.
As for politicians and diplomats, Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg will be at the abbey. We know the Obamas are not attending the wedding, but the American Ambassador Louis Susman will be there.
There will also be ambassadors from other countries, including Germany, and Poland.read here
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Bambi Protects Mother Goose
BUFFALO, NY - It's a scene right out of a Disney movie, a mother goose has lost her lifelong mate and was left alone to create and tend to her nest. She spends the day sheltering her eggs from the cold spring air inside an empty cemetery urn chosen as home.
The loss of her male partner now makes her vulnerable to any would-be predators who choose to approach the nest. But, in an unlikely twist of fate, an adult deer has befriended the mother goose, taking over the role of protector.
This animal arrangement is highly unusual, since there's no known way that a deer and goose can communicate...read more
The loss of her male partner now makes her vulnerable to any would-be predators who choose to approach the nest. But, in an unlikely twist of fate, an adult deer has befriended the mother goose, taking over the role of protector.
This animal arrangement is highly unusual, since there's no known way that a deer and goose can communicate...read more
Mental Floss magazine
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13 Delicious Recipes Using Cadbury Creme Eggs (with links to each). The Eggs Benedict is a lot sweeter than it looks.
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A new world record has been set for the most complex Rube Goldberg machine ever. This contraption uses 244 steps to water a flower. (via Boing Boing)
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Weird Al Yankovic released his parody song “Perform This Way” free online. It was supposed to be on his next album, but Lady Gaga declined to approve it… or so we thought.
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10 Young Female Composers You Should Know. “Contemporary classical music” seems like a contradiction in terms, but it really just means some good tunes!
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A parakeet wakes a sleepy cat. That’s all that happens, but it’s incredibly cute.
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How scary can a planet-destroying ray be if you can’t see it? Darth Vader gets his Storm Troopers to help illustrate the concept.
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How to Buy, Slaughter and Spit-Roast a Sheep. A report from a friend in Afghanistan, with pictures.http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/85655
Virgins recruited to pick tea with their lips
By ninemsn staff
The Jiuhua plantation has advertised for pickers in Gushi, Henan province, specifying applicants must be women with no sexual experience and a bra size of a least a C cup, the Daily Mail reports.
Virginity and curviness are believed to promote well-being and purity.
The girls are paid more than $75 a day, a fortune in China...continue reading
A Chinese tea company is seeking busty virgins to pick tea leaves with their lips in a bid to keep their brew as pure as possible.
Lip tea is reportedly billed as the most refined in the world, and the company behind it believes virgin leaf pickers are the key to keeping it that way. The Jiuhua plantation has advertised for pickers in Gushi, Henan province, specifying applicants must be women with no sexual experience and a bra size of a least a C cup, the Daily Mail reports.
Virginity and curviness are believed to promote well-being and purity.
The girls are paid more than $75 a day, a fortune in China...continue reading
B.C. woman adopts dog rescued from Japan quake zone
By Tracy Sherlock, Postmedia News: A B.C. couple is adopting Belle, a red-haired dachshund that was abandoned after the massive earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan last month.
The dog — who is believed to be four or five years old and in good health — was left with an animal shelter in Niigata, when her guardian fled the country because of radiation concerns.
PETA animal rescuer Ashley Fruno, who worked with the shelter immediately after the earthquake, heard about the dog's plight and contacted her parents, Karin and Brian Fruno, in Surrey.
The couple were eager to adopt the dog, and Ashley Fruno set off on a 23-hour journey...read more
A man walks with his dog at a destroyed residential area of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. A B.C. couple is adopting a dog rescued from the Japan quake zone.
Photograph by: Issei Kato, Reuters
The dog — who is believed to be four or five years old and in good health — was left with an animal shelter in Niigata, when her guardian fled the country because of radiation concerns.
PETA animal rescuer Ashley Fruno, who worked with the shelter immediately after the earthquake, heard about the dog's plight and contacted her parents, Karin and Brian Fruno, in Surrey.
The couple were eager to adopt the dog, and Ashley Fruno set off on a 23-hour journey...read more
A man walks with his dog at a destroyed residential area of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. A B.C. couple is adopting a dog rescued from the Japan quake zone.
Photograph by: Issei Kato, Reuters
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Labatt's new campaign against drinking and driving, Join other prominent Canadians and Take the Pledge
TORONTO, April 14 /CNW/ - Labatt Breweries of Canada launched its new Take the Pledge moderation campaign today with billboard and street level ads across Canada showing images of people in unexpected scenarios that illustrate how determined they are to drink responsibly. They humourously depict people sleeping in a variety of unlikely places, such as the back of a statue, a park slide and a tree branch, rather than driving after having consumed alcohol...keep reading
DWI On A Motorized Cooler? Yep..Memorial Day.. Beer.. Motorized Cooler.. Beer.. what could possibly go wrong? Well for this guy in New York, everything, as he was busted for a DUI for “driving” his Cruizin Cooler.. ouch!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Holy Rats! Karni Mata – Rat Temple (32 PICS)
The Untapped Power Of Smiling
smiling face 
Post Written by Ron Gutman "Recently I made an interesting discovery while running – a simple act that made a dramatic difference and helped carry me through the most challenging segments of long distance runs: smiling. This inspired me to embark on a journey that took me through neuroscience, anthropology, sociality and psychology to uncover the untapped powers of the smile.
I started my exploratory journey in California, with an intriguing UC Berkeley 30-year longitudinal study that examined the smiles of students in an old yearbook, and measured their well-being and success throughout their lives. By measuring the smiles in the photographs the researchers were able to predict: how fulfilling and long lasting their marriages would be, how highly they would score on standardized tests of well-being and general happiness, and how inspiring they would be to others. The widest smilers consistently ranked highest in all of the above..."read here
Post Written by Ron Gutman "Recently I made an interesting discovery while running – a simple act that made a dramatic difference and helped carry me through the most challenging segments of long distance runs: smiling. This inspired me to embark on a journey that took me through neuroscience, anthropology, sociality and psychology to uncover the untapped powers of the smile.I started my exploratory journey in California, with an intriguing UC Berkeley 30-year longitudinal study that examined the smiles of students in an old yearbook, and measured their well-being and success throughout their lives. By measuring the smiles in the photographs the researchers were able to predict: how fulfilling and long lasting their marriages would be, how highly they would score on standardized tests of well-being and general happiness, and how inspiring they would be to others. The widest smilers consistently ranked highest in all of the above..."read here
EYE on the UN
Eye of Providence
" eMission Hudson Institute is a nonpartisan policy research organization dedicated to innovative research and analysis that promotes global security, prosperity, and freedom.
About Hudson Institute
Hudson Institute challenges conventional thinking and helps manage strategic transitions to the future through interdisciplinary and collaborative studies in defense, international relations, economics, culture, science, technology, and law. Through publications, conferences and policy recommendations, we seek to guide global leaders in government and business..."continue reading
" eMission Hudson Institute is a nonpartisan policy research organization dedicated to innovative research and analysis that promotes global security, prosperity, and freedom. About Hudson Institute
Hudson Institute challenges conventional thinking and helps manage strategic transitions to the future through interdisciplinary and collaborative studies in defense, international relations, economics, culture, science, technology, and law. Through publications, conferences and policy recommendations, we seek to guide global leaders in government and business..."continue reading
"EYEontheUN is dedicated to making transparent the UN's record on its fundamental promise - to identify, condemn, and protect against human rights violations and confront and respond to threats to international peace and security. The site will provide an information base for the re-evaluation of priorities and directions for modern-day democratic societies.
At the foundation of the UN in 1945, democracy dominated the character of the majority of member states, despite pockets of instability. Nevertheless, democracy was not made a pre-condition for membership in the UN. Sixty years later, the majority of UN members are not full-fledged democracies. The consequences for UN operations and outcomes are profound.
The United Nations rose from the ashes of World War II and the Holocaust. The UN's original vision was that of a beacon for moral values. The Organization was intended to insure the international peace and security that is a precondition for human dignity and mutual respect. In the Charter's words, "We the peoples of the United Nations determined ... to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small ... have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims .." The starting point of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights was clear: "Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind..."
The foundational UN principles of equality, universal human rights and fundamental freedoms emanated from a real and immediate sense of wrong and responsibility. As the Nuremberg Tribunal taught, "Crimes against international law are committed by men, not by abstract entities." The UN was to play a central role in the so-called "naming and shaming" of transgressors, and where necessary, was to garner the political will to stop egregious violations of dignity and freedom. The UN, however, has not lived up to the task of "naming," let alone shaming or intervening.
Human rights are the most powerful political currency of our time. But the UN human rights system has squandered the commitment and passion of its original benefactors..."Eye on the UN
Monday, April 18, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
2011 Saskatchewan flood watch
Flood waters threaten Highway 11 between Regina and Saskatoon at Lumsden.
Photograph by: Global News
First Nations proud of scholar's life journey
Freda Ahenakew
Freda Ahenakew was a leader and educator who fought for the retention of the Cree language.
Her death on Friday marked the end to the great life of a successful mother and academic. Her work as a Cree linguist will be felt long into the future.
Freda was born on the Ahtahkakoop First Nation in 1932. Her parents were Edward and Annie Ahenakew.
Ahtahkakoop was one of the few reserves in the province that had a "day school," where the children could attend at the elementary level. Freda attended school at the Sandy Lake Day School and stayed with her parents at home, where their first language was Cree.
This close connection to her parents, her culture and her language would prove valuable later in life.
She married Harold Greyeyes in 1951 and moved to the Muskeg Lake First Nation.
Freda made it a point to be a role model to her children. In 1968, at age 38, she decided to complete her high school education.
Each morning she got up and rode the bus to the Marcelin School along with 10 of her 12 children.
After graduation she helped the rest of her children complete high school. Later she attended the University of Saskatchewan, graduating with a bachelor of education in 1979.
That in itself should have been seen as a major achievement, but Freda wasn't about to stop there. She attended the University of Manitoba, where she received a master of arts in Cree linguistics in 1984.
Her thesis was titled Cree Language Structures, and today it is used as a guide to teaching an aboriginal language through the use of literary texts. It is used widely in the classroom and is currently in its 18th printing.
Freda was a prolific writer, and her bibliography includes a number of children's books, classroom readers and written translations of stories from Cree elders.
But she was not restricted to the ivory tower. She taught in Saskatoon and the Lac La Ronge First Nation. Later she would head the Saskatchewan Indian Language Institute.
From 1989 to 1996 she was an associate professor of Native studies and head of the Native studies department. Freda then moved back to Saskatchewan, where she worked as a Cree language consultant for the Prince Albert Grand Council. She held that position until she retired in 1997.
While she was completing her studies at the U of M, she would often consult with my dad, Stan Cuthand, who was the acting head of the Native studies department. One of her pet projects was to translate nursery rhymes into Cree. She and Dad tried to translate "the cat and the fiddle," but the words came out so ridiculous at first that they didn't think it would make sense. But the poem still exists in all its splendour.
Translating the Cree language was a labour of love and it showed in her work.
Her final project and one that must continue was her written account of traditional literature. She collected the stories and autobiographies that were told to her by elders. She wrote down these stories in Cree, with an English translation.
Her stories showcased works of traditional literature such as stories about Wesakechak, the Cree trickster, as well as autobiographical accounts from elders, women in particular.
Freda Ahenakew was a leader and educator who fought for the retention of the Cree language.
Her death on Friday marked the end to the great life of a successful mother and academic. Her work as a Cree linguist will be felt long into the future.
Freda was born on the Ahtahkakoop First Nation in 1932. Her parents were Edward and Annie Ahenakew.
Ahtahkakoop was one of the few reserves in the province that had a "day school," where the children could attend at the elementary level. Freda attended school at the Sandy Lake Day School and stayed with her parents at home, where their first language was Cree.
This close connection to her parents, her culture and her language would prove valuable later in life.
She married Harold Greyeyes in 1951 and moved to the Muskeg Lake First Nation.
Freda made it a point to be a role model to her children. In 1968, at age 38, she decided to complete her high school education.
Each morning she got up and rode the bus to the Marcelin School along with 10 of her 12 children.
After graduation she helped the rest of her children complete high school. Later she attended the University of Saskatchewan, graduating with a bachelor of education in 1979.
That in itself should have been seen as a major achievement, but Freda wasn't about to stop there. She attended the University of Manitoba, where she received a master of arts in Cree linguistics in 1984.
Her thesis was titled Cree Language Structures, and today it is used as a guide to teaching an aboriginal language through the use of literary texts. It is used widely in the classroom and is currently in its 18th printing.
Freda was a prolific writer, and her bibliography includes a number of children's books, classroom readers and written translations of stories from Cree elders.
But she was not restricted to the ivory tower. She taught in Saskatoon and the Lac La Ronge First Nation. Later she would head the Saskatchewan Indian Language Institute.
From 1989 to 1996 she was an associate professor of Native studies and head of the Native studies department. Freda then moved back to Saskatchewan, where she worked as a Cree language consultant for the Prince Albert Grand Council. She held that position until she retired in 1997.
While she was completing her studies at the U of M, she would often consult with my dad, Stan Cuthand, who was the acting head of the Native studies department. One of her pet projects was to translate nursery rhymes into Cree. She and Dad tried to translate "the cat and the fiddle," but the words came out so ridiculous at first that they didn't think it would make sense. But the poem still exists in all its splendour.
Translating the Cree language was a labour of love and it showed in her work.
Her final project and one that must continue was her written account of traditional literature. She collected the stories and autobiographies that were told to her by elders. She wrote down these stories in Cree, with an English translation.
Her stories showcased works of traditional literature such as stories about Wesakechak, the Cree trickster, as well as autobiographical accounts from elders, women in particular.
Freda's good works did not go unrewarded. The University of Saskatchewan awarded her an honorary doctor of laws in 1997. She also received the Order of Canada and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit. In 2001 she was the recipient of a National Aboriginal Achievement Award.
In her later years she suffered a stroke, but continued with her work.
Several years ago I was retained by the En'owkin Centre in Penticton, B.C., to video record a statement from her for a language conference planned for the centre. I drove out to Muskeg Lake and visited her at the beautiful log home that her family had built for her.
She began her speech in English, but told me that her stroke had left her deficient in the language. She gave her statement in Cree and I added English subtitles.
Freda was well liked across the country because of her knowledge and dedication to the preservation of aboriginal languages. Her prolific body of work stands out as gift to the Cree people and their language.
We compare our lives to a journey. For Freda that journey was monumental.
She went from being a child on the reserve with her parents, to a mother of 12 on a neighbouring reserve, to becoming an internationally recognized scholar.
Hers was a journey that gives us a great deal of pride.
In her later years she suffered a stroke, but continued with her work.
Several years ago I was retained by the En'owkin Centre in Penticton, B.C., to video record a statement from her for a language conference planned for the centre. I drove out to Muskeg Lake and visited her at the beautiful log home that her family had built for her.
She began her speech in English, but told me that her stroke had left her deficient in the language. She gave her statement in Cree and I added English subtitles.
Freda was well liked across the country because of her knowledge and dedication to the preservation of aboriginal languages. Her prolific body of work stands out as gift to the Cree people and their language.
We compare our lives to a journey. For Freda that journey was monumental.
She went from being a child on the reserve with her parents, to a mother of 12 on a neighbouring reserve, to becoming an internationally recognized scholar.
Hers was a journey that gives us a great deal of pride.
© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix
Porter Wagoner ~The Rubber Room
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When a man sees things and hears sounds that's not there
He's headed for the rubber room
Illusions in a twisted mind to save from self-destruction hmm it's the rubber room
Where a man can run into the wall till his strenght makes him fall and lie still
And wait for help in the rubber room
From his blurry vision of doom a psycho in the rubber room
The man in the room right next to mine screams a woman's name hits the wall in vain He's in the rubber room
I hear footsteps poundin' on the floor God I hope they don't stop at my door
Hmm I'm in the rubber room
Now they've come to get me but they find
I'm a screamin' pretty words tryin' to make 'em rhyme
I'm n the rubber room hmm a psycho I'm in the rubber room hmm
The Mother of All Languages
By GAUTAM NAIK
The world's 6,000 or so modern languages may have all descended from a single ancestral tongue spoken by early African humans between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago, a new study suggests.The finding, published Thursday in the journal Science, could help explain how the first spoken language emerged, spread and contributed to the evolutionary success of the human species.
Quentin Atkinson, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and author of the study, found that the first migrating populations leaving Africa laid the groundwork for all the world's cultures by taking their single language with them—the mother of all mother tongues.
"It was the catalyst that spurred the human expansion that we all are a product of," Dr. Atkinson said.
About 50,000 years ago—the exact timeline is debated—there was a sudden and marked shift in how modern humans behaved. They began to create cave art and bone artifacts and developed far more sophisticated hunting tools. Many experts argue that this unusual spurt in creative activity was likely caused by a key innovation: complex language, which enabled abstract thought... continue reading
Japanese risk radiation to rescue stranded dogs
By RYAN NAKASHIMA, Associated Press TOKYO – When Etsumi Ogino saw a news photo of a pack of shelties wandering through an abandoned town near Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant, she thought of her own 13-year-old canine Kein and jumped into action.
"My heart trembled," said Ogino, a 56-year-old volunteer at an animal shelter in Chiba prefecture. "They looked just like my dog. I started searching for them right away."
She and others around Japan called Asahi.com, the website of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, which had run the photo. An Associated Press photographer had snapped that photo and others of the dogs on an empty street in Minami Soma city, an area evacuated because of radiation fears...., continue reading, more photos
"My heart trembled," said Ogino, a 56-year-old volunteer at an animal shelter in Chiba prefecture. "They looked just like my dog. I started searching for them right away."
She and others around Japan called Asahi.com, the website of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, which had run the photo. An Associated Press photographer had snapped that photo and others of the dogs on an empty street in Minami Soma city, an area evacuated because of radiation fears...., continue reading, more photos
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