My After-School Snack

Ah, good ol' handi-snacks - can you even remember the last time you had one? Of course, this one isn't the classic version with the little red stick to spread the cheez-whizzy goodness, but it was still pretty tasty. It harkens back to a simpler times. Sure they are a bit juvenile, not to mention a bit ghetto, but they remain a classic, not to mention handy, snack.

It's Census Day

It is census day where, theoretically every Canadian will fill out a form and let the government know who and where they are. The governments use these statistics for all kinds of reasons including making decisions about the allocation of resources.

Typically, after 92 years, the census records are released in their entirety and, as many of you saw with my post on the recently released 1911 census records, they are extremely fascinating and are highly useful for genealogists and other researchers. This year, however, for the first time, there is an "opt in" necessary for the release after 92 years. This means that if you check no for question 8 or leave it blank your information will be used only for primary, governmental purposes and not released to genealogists or others in 2098. You may ask - so what? why is this important? For anyone who has tried to find anything about their family history, or about demographics, or done any historical research they know the value of having census data available. If you opt out your decendents will not be able to find you and neither will anyone else. As far as they are concerned you will not have existed. So do genealogists (and archivists) of the future a favour and check yes.
rgsc

Random archival thought of the day

I was flipping through the Carr McLean catalogue today and ran across this:

It is their new product, a Human Remain's Box, (only $39.95, get yours today!).

My first thought was:

"I could totally use one of these."

Have i ever told you the story about the bones I found here? I found some bones...

There is some weird stuff in my archives.

rgsc

On this day...

May 8th has witnessed some illustrious events over history. Some notable events include:
1886 - Pharmacist Dr. John Styth Pemberton invents a carbonated beverage that would later be named "Coca-Cola".
1914 - Paramount Pictures is formed.
1933 - Mohandas Gandhi begins a 21-day fast in protest of British oppression in India.
1945 - World War II: VE Day. German forces agree to an unconditional surrender.
1974 - The Canadian Government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau is defeated in the House of Commons.

And there are a number of notable births, including:
1828 - Jean Henri Dunant, Swiss founder of the Red Cross, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
1884 - Harry S. Truman, President of the United States
1911 - Robert Johnson, American singer and guitarist
1926 - Sir David Attenborough, British television presenter and producer
1926 - Don Rickles, American comedian
1937 - Thomas Pynchon, American novelist
1976 - Martha Wainwright, Canadian musician and songwriter

And now we shall add to the list the birth of Kieran Carter, my nephew. Born May 8, 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio.



I'm looking forward to meeting the little fellow (is 6 pounds 12oz little for a baby? big? i haven't a clue. He is, at this moment, smaller than me so I'll go with little) and am very glad to hear that mother & baby (and father, too, I assume) are doing well.

rgsc

Images of Vimy Ridge

Peter MacCallum, Allegorical Figure Representing "Peace" Atop the West Pylon of the Allward Monument, 2005. silver print

The annual Contact Toronto Photography Festival runs throughout the month of May in more than 175 galleries all over the city featuring the work of over 500 photographers. As a part of this festival, the Peak Gallery is featuring a series of images produced by Peter MacCallum of the Vimy Ridge Monument. The monument, which commemorates the 11,285 Canadian soldiers who died in World War I whose remains were never found, was designed by Toronto sculptor Walter Allward and was completed in 1936. It is now what MacCallum calls "the object of a significant engagement in the perpetual war against time and forgetting," as it undergoes significant restoration and reinforcement in preparation of the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9th, 2007. Based on what I have seen online, these photographs offer a unique vision of Vimy Ridge as it undergoes restoration as they successfully convey the power and majesty of the monument as well as the beauty of the site.

Peter MacCallum, Sheep at Pasture on the Preserved Battlefield, 2005. Image Size: 14" X 14" silver print

"The shell pocked battlefield is still off limits to visitors because of unexploded munitions lying below its surface. But as one of my photos shows, sheep are allowed to graze in the shell holes. (No sheep has ever been lost in an explosion). In addition to the practical function they perform as efficient grass mowers, the sheep have an obvious symbolic role. The Commonwealth infantry soldiers of the Great War, who wore standard issue sheepskin coats, were at times characterized collectively as trusting sheep, and their officers as protective or incompetent shepherds" - Peter MacCallum

For more stunning images of Vimy Ridge be sure to visit the exhibition David Milne Watercolours: Painting towards the Light at the AGO (until May 21)

David B. Milne, "The Twins" Crater, Vimy Ridge, 28 June 1919, watercolour over graphite on wove paper, 35.3 x 50.6 cm, National Gallery of Canada. Image from CyberMuse.

Clavicles & Cleveland

Illustration by Nicolas Henri Jacob from Marc Jean Bourgery's Traité complet de l'anatomie de l'homme (1831-1854). From Anatomia 1522-1867: Anatomical Plates from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

The strangest things will set a roadtrip in motion. Unless it is one of those aimless 'let's get in a car and go' sort of things, there is usually a reason to go somewhere. This weekend we went on a very spur of the moment trip down to Cleveland. The reason: my brother taking a rather poorly timed fall off his mountain bike, breaking his collar bone in what I can only assume were a number of pieces, since it involved some surgery, a metal plate and all the kings horses and all the kings men to put him back together again.

Since he was going to be incapacitated for a bit, what with the pain and the inability to lift stuff and all, and since his wife is about 8.75 months pregnant, we went with my mom to help out where we could.

All in all it was a pretty good trip. We were quite lucky with having great weather and little to no traffic so it was a pretty nice drive both ways. We worked in the yard (I got my first sunburn of the year: either i am building an early base or I am gonna be in trouble this year. This is why i spend most of my time inside, hiding from the sun), cooked about a months worth (give or take) of freezer-ready meals and did some shopping. Not a terrible way to spend a few days.

While it was not the weekend I had planned - well, perhaps "planned" is a bit of a stretch since I had sitting on my couch playing video games as a "planned" activity - it was nice to get down to Cleveland to see my brother even if we didn't venture too far from the house and despite the less-than-wonderful reason for the trip. Anyway, Rob, hope you take it easy for the next little while and get well soon.

In other news - Happy International Worker's Day.

rgsc