issue 13, montreal local herald, west end edition

SEE P. 3

“I say YES when your bank says no!”

Volume 3, Issue 13,

November 9, 2012 TH

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Canada’s realspaceman,Chris Hadfield,preparing tomake history Story by Bram D. EisenthalCover photo courtesy Canadian Space Agency

Canada’s realspaceman,Chris Hadfield,preparing tomake history Story by Bram D. EisenthalCover photo courtesy Canadian Space Agency

pg. 2 - NOVEMBER 9, 2012 - localheraldmontreal.com

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The Local Herald, West End Montreal EditionVolume 3, Number 13, NOVEMBER 9, 2012The Local Herald does not accept responsibility for errors,misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions andstatements of our columnists are not to be presumed as thestatements and opinions of The Local Herald.

So, yeah, the news regarding space has beenexciting me something fierce of late. First,Space-X builds the first commercial spacerocket and tests it successfully, then NASAputs a new and improved rover on Mars

that is on the verge of shattering all our previously-conceived notions of the Red Planet (and wouldn’t you justknow that the Martians really are us?) and, now, a Canadianspace station commander? Be still my pounding heart!

I was 12 on July 20, 1969 when NASA’s Apollo 11 spacecraftlanded the late Neil Armstrong and the still-living Buzz Aldrinon the Moon and I was glued to my family’s black and white TVset that entire period. Count me among the people who thinkconspiracy theorists are lunatics on this one. And three yearsearlier, a new TV show had me in its steely grip from its very firsttelevised episode and I have been a Trekker ever since. But,truth be told, my love for all things space is likely due to theTom Swift Jr. series of books I read as a kid – and which I stillcollect today. Tom Jr. was the son of a scientist and he himselfspent his time creating various gadgets and battling aliens andkiller robots… a lot like Jonny Quest did on that great 1960stelevised cartoon. Tom Swift Jr. was MUCH more exciting to methan the Hardy Boys ever were.

So, between all the science fiction and fact out there, it’shard for a big kid like me to concentrate on anything else.And when I was granted my wish to interview Canadianastronaut Chris Hadfield prior to his ascent to theInternational Space Station in December, when he will takeover as commander, boy, was I jazzed! The interview, brief asit was, gave me a tiny glimpse into the excitement and prideCommander Hadfield feels as his countdown continues andas you read his story in our paper, you also share in that “t-minus-and-counting” scenario. How exciting, huh? Note thatthe commander, who is 53, two years younger than me and awhole lot braver, also watched Star Trek as a child and wasinfluenced by its then avant-garde brilliance as well. And so,including Mr. Shatner in the mix here is an homage of sorts.

Welcome to outer space, good readers. We will also examineinner space, because what transpires on Earth is alsoexciting and newsworthy, as you will see. Let’s try to giveCommander Hadfield some good reading material while he’sup there, okay?

Apologies to MSOPA

Well, as happens now and again due to rushing to put thispaper to bed, I goofed. This time, I referred to my friend JosaMaule’s excellent theatrical school as The Actor’s Studio,which certainly had some people, at least, scratching theirheads. The Actor’s Studio is in New York and Californayayand Josa is founder and director of the MSOPA, which is theMontreal School of Performing Arts. So, my apologies again,Josa. Love you and your school… and say hi to James Liptonnext time you see him, ok?

Furthermore, more of the same… to the Pagan-community

You will read a tad more about a religion few of us knowanything about than was originally planned, due to an

Managing Editor: Bram Eisenthal Creative Design: Julia Lucio - [email protected]

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Space, the final frontier,thanks to the brave fewwho push the envelope

unfortunate message communicated in our last issue. Both FatherJohn Walsh and I acknowledge that insulting any religious group,no matter how unintentionally, is not what we are about. And inthe process, we learn a whole lot more about the people who keepPlanet Earth living – and spinning… at least until the third week inDecember, or so the Mayans tell us.

Ah, what would Phineas Taylor think?

You may have noticed an ad targeting advertisers in our last issueand that is totally by design, for I have fallen under the influence ofthe great 19th century showman, Phineas Taylor (P.T.) Barnum,since reading The Fabulous Showman: The Life and Times of P.T.Barnum, by Irving Wallace (Alfred A. Knopf, 1959). A more astuteshowman there has arguably never been and despite a reputationthat was not always filled with kind remembrances by the mediaand the public following his passing in 1896, he certainly turned anentertainment-hungry era on its collective ear. P.T. also published anewspaper called Herald of Freedom, so it is with some semblanceof homage that we run the ad again this issue and for many issuesfollowing this one. As for the line he is so often linked to, P.T.Barnum apparently never uttered the words “There’s a sucker bornevery minute,” but he did say so much more worth remembering,including his thoughts about the importance of advertising abusiness worth crowing about. Let’s think of the great showmanthe next time the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus rollsinto town, shall we?

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I have always been a space child. Maybe it wasthe TV I was exposed to waaaaay back, when I’dwatch shows like The Outer Limits in the early1960s, the eerie light cast by the black and whiteTV set making the tales even scarier. Or maybe itwas the sci-fi themed Tom Swift Jr. adventurebooks I hungrily gobbled up, when the other kidswere reading Hardy Boys mysteries… if theywere reading at all. More than likely it was the1969 moon landing that indelibly made space myultimate fascination. I was glued to that same TVset for an entire week, watching the drama unfoldand I have never forgotten it, more than 40 yearslater.

So it is with no small bit of pride that I present toour readers The Space Issue of The Local Herald,brought to you some six weeks before a Canadianastronaut becomes the first individual from thiscountry to command the International SpaceStation. Next month, Commander Chris Hadfieldwill grab that distinction as he takes a magiccarpet ride on a Russian Soyuz aircraft to the ISS,where he will spend six months, rent-free,undertaking a variety of important scientificexperiments and embarking on his third careerspace walk.

With the help of the good media people at theCanadian Space Agency, headquartered in St.Hubert, Quebec, we are honoured to present aportion of the interview conducted withCommander Hadfield . Thanks to them, as well asto the commander.

Commander Hadfield called from Ottawa onSeptember 25, just after being recognized in theHouse of Commons and receiving the Children’sJubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals from theGovernor General. “It’s been a great afternoon,”he said proudly, after our introduction.

I wanted to know, firstly, what inspired the 53 yearold astronaut to make his career choice. “It soundsalmost surreal and trite, but absolutely in truth, itwas the day that the first two people walked on theMoon,” he replied. “I was nine years old, just onemonth short of 10, and they didn’t have atelevision where I was, at the cottage, so we wentover to a neighbour’s place and everybody wascrowded into their living room. I was sitting onthe back of this battered old cottage couch withmy older brother (now 55), up against a plasterwall, watching grainy footage on an old black-and-white television.

“We watched and listened to the first steps on theMoon, stayed up late, then went outside to look atthe Moon. And even though I was only nine… Iwas thinking, that’s what I want to do when I growup. And I did it (became an astronaut), though atthe time it seemed almost impossible. But at thesame time, what they had just done had beenimpossible up to that day, so….”

From that glorious day on, the young ChrisHadfield started doing everything possible tomake his dream a reality. “I’ve gone into spacetwice and now I am going to have a chance to notonly ‘live’ in space, but also to command aspaceship, so, yeah, it’s pretty amazing. It soundssurreal, but it’s my life.”

I also wanted to know whether he had beeninfluenced by any of the TV shows of the day.There was a lot of sci-fi themed product on thetube back in the 1960s, including The OuterLimits, The Twilight Zone, Land of the Giants, TheTime Tunnel, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottomof the Sea, The Invaders and, of course, thegranddaddy of them all, Star Trek. “I rememberseeing 2001: A Space Odyssey… I was a Star Trekfan, but I lived out on a farm and our TV wasterrible. Star Trek - the original Star Trek, eventhough it was short-lived (three seasons) - wasvery motivational.”

The commander also had an opportunity to take anow-late legendary science fiction writer aroundhis work haunts. “I read Arthur C. Clarke and Ilater had a chance to take him for a day around theKennedy Space Centre and look up at a spaceshuttle with him, which was a real treat afterhaving read his stuff as a kid.”

I am sure that, while he is a hero to many people,Commander Hadfield has his own bevy of heroesthat he looks up to personally, so I asked him aboutthat. “You know, I think about that,” he replied.“And there are many, though I don’t know of anywho are heroes to me in the (traditional) sense ofthe word. Nobody is perfect and people makemistakes in their lives. But there is something to belearned from and something enviable in just abouteveryone that you meet. With everyone I talk to, Itry to figure out what they know that I don’t knowand what experiences they’ve had.

“If you look in Canada itself, there are some trulyinspirational people, not just in the space programbut in exploration with someone like DavidThompson. Alexander Graham Bell and what histeam of people did 100 years ago… that exampleof taking risks and doing something for the firsttime is inspirational. And I was inspired by the firstCanadian astronauts, the fact that Marc Garneauand the class of ‘83 got hired and that door wasopened. Specifically Marc, because by the timeRoberta (Bondar) and Steve (MacLean) flew, I wasalready selected as an astronaut.

“I watched Marc in the House of Commons todayand he is 10 years older than me, but he was verymuch a direct role model and someone who hascomported himself really well.”

What does Commander Hadfield recommend toyoung people interested in becoming theastronauts of the future? “I would recommendthree things,” he stated. “One, keep your body inshape. That’s as easy as being careful with whatyou eat, take the stairs and lift things. The next isto get an advanced education in something thatinterests you… a deep and advanced education insomething that is fundamentally interesting andchallenging, something that is difficult for you.And the third is don’t just be a fit student, but seekeverything else. Learn how to make decisions andtake responsibility for things. Show that you candeal with the actual complexities of life and canmake good calls.”

What brand of guitar is the astronaut bringing intospace? His troubadour leanings are alreadyestablished and it is already reported that he plans

Canada’s real spaceman, Chris Hadfield, preparing to make history (Story by Bram D. Eisenthal, photos courtesy of the Canadian Space Agency)

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ryto perform while up there. “It’s a Larivee, made bythat company based in Vancouver.” A YouTubevideo is available, featuring him visiting the factorythat manufactured a guitar that has already “orbitedthe planet 60,000 times since 2001.” Take It fromDay to Day, by Stan Rogers about life among acrew exploring the Canadian Arctic, is one song hewill play prior to suiting up before the launch.

Finally, since most of us will likely never do this,what’s it like to walk in space, I asked the firstCanadian male to do so? “You are thrust into aplace your eyes can’t believe, in between the tumultof the Earth glowing right next to you and theendless, deep blackness of the universe just off toyour left, with you holding onto your spaceshipwith one hand between those two things, it’s amagnificent way to see the world.”

Canada’s Chris Hadfield, NASA’s Kevin Ford andTom Marshburn will join Russian cosmonauts OlegNovitskiy, Evgeny Tarelkin and Roman Romanenkoas they take off for the ISS on Wednesday,December 19, 2012, from Baikonur Cosmodrome,Kazakhstan. The launch vehicle will be SoyuzTMA-07M.


Of all the interesting and unusual interviews I have done, my visit withBetty Hill at her Portsmouth, New Hampshire home in the summer of2003, the year before her death, proved to be number one. The story,published in The Globe and Mail along with my photo, which they usedin their subsequent obit, is re-published here. Enjoy… no space issuewould be complete without it!

Visit with UFO legend Betty Hill a universalexperience by Bram D. Eisenthal

Renowned UFO abductee Betty Hill with a sculpture of Junior, one of the aliens sheand husband Barney encountered in 1961 (Photo: Bram D. Eisenthal)

PORTSMOUTH, N.H: Betty Hill sat in her living room, an inquisitive,intelligent, highly engaging 84-year old woman. Surrounded by themementos and clutter of a lifetime, she was quite serene when reflectingon the latter. She sports a petite frame, initially taking one by surprise,considering her role in one of the strangest and most publicized incidentsof the 1960s. You’d think she would be more physically imposing.

You could say, in a way, that Betty and Barney Hill’s last meal of a sort– at least one consumed while their lives still had any sense of normality- was eaten in Montreal, one of their favorite cities. The Portsmouth,New Hampshire couple, already fairly unique because he was black, shewas white, and it was the dawn of the racially explosive sixties, werereturning from a short vacation in Niagara Falls and swung through

Quebec before moving on to their home state.

At 11 p.m. on September 19th, 1961, the Hills were on Route 3,south of Lancaster, N.H., when what is arguably the best-documented case in UFO history began with the sighting of apuzzling object in the sky. Barney thought it was a satellite orstar initially, but its erratic movement brought a plane tomind. To Betty, it appeared to loom larger and brighter intheir car’s windshield. They were alone on a desertedroad and they were approaching the enormoussilhouetted shape of Cannon Mountain, when theynoticed the object heading straight for them.

Following some hair-raising moments recalledby the Hills only two years later, underhypnosis monitored by respected Bostonpsychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Simon, the Hillswere stopped by a group of aliens on aside road, taken aboard their craft,experimented upon and releasedunharmed. Psychologically, however,their ordeal had just begun. Constantanxiety plagued the Hills.Nightmares were experienced byboth of them. Barney developedchronic ulcers. And neither couldaccount for a disturbing sensethat something otherworldly hadhappened… and why two fullhours that fateful night werestill unaccounted for.

While Barney died in 1969,Betty Hill has activelydiscussed the incident in themedia and at conventionsacross North America eversince, although she officiallyretired from the speakingcircuit 12 years ago. “Theywere under five feet tall,” BettyHill recalled when asked aboutthe aliens, that recent afternoonin her living room. “They lookmore like us, like actual people,than weirdos. The main differenceis that their eyes are huge, and theyhave thin noses and thin lips Theleader spoke English, rather thanusing telepathy, as they are oftenportrayed.”

Why were they abducted? “They grabbedus to see if we were similar to them,” Hillstated. “I can understand why they wereinterested in us physically. I don’t hold thatagainst them, to this day.” Hill added that they(the aliens) were particularly interested in the tall,lanky Barney’s bone structure, while theyperformed a painful procedure on her similar to onethat would only be done on Earth eight years later, anamniocentesis. They were also, she had reported duringthe psychological sessions, interested in the structure andcolour of her skin.


Hill is still certain that somethingextraordinary happened to her and her husband42 years ago, a view shared by Dr. Simon, whocame to that conclusion following his sessionswith the couple. His findings – and transcripts of thesessions – can be found in John G. Fuller’s book TheInterrupted Journey: Two Lost Hours Aboard A FlyingSaucer (1966, The Dial Press, New York). Theirexperience was also the subject of an excellent 1975 movieof the week, The UFO Incident, starring James Earl Jonesas Barney and Estelle Parsons as Betty. “The movie wasquite accurate and I thought the actors did a good jobportraying us,” Hill said. “The producers had a big problemwith their portrayals of the aliens, though. They really dolook more like us.”

It’s easy to dismiss Betty and Barney Hill as a couple ofcrackpots at best or publicity hounds at worst and, certainly,for many of us, it’s understandable. This sort ofextraterrestrial experience is so foreign, so Spielbergian, somuch the stuff of science fiction and fantasy. Yet, if you hadthe occasion to meet the humble, affable Betty Hill, toexperience her sharp wit and keen mind, your leaningsmight change. Stanton Friedman, the New Jersey-bornnuclear physicist and lecturer who has been dubbed theFather of Roswell and now calls Fredericton, NewBrunswick his home base, certainly offers compellingevidence regarding the veracity of the Hills’s story.Friedman knows Hill well, having worked and socializedwith her, on UFO-related matters, countless times overthe years.

“First, the outstanding professional background of Dr.Simon, who kept a very tight reign on (author) JohnFuller, certainly lent legitimacy. He was a world-classexpert on the use of medical regressive hypnosis to helpWW II veterans make their way through traumaticexperiences. No one would call him a nut,” Friedmanstated.

“This was definitely a pioneering case (in the UFOfield). The publicity about the case helped otherabductees to have the courage to seek help inunderstanding their own missing time experiences.

“Considering Betty’s background, I would say theskeptic is ignorant and biased and not worthlistening to. She comes from an old NewEngland family (the Dows, the same lineageas Dow Pharmaceuticals and Dow Jones,dating back to the 17th century), she was asupervisor in the Welfare Department ofthe State of New Hampshire, she hascollege degrees, and she has beenwell-known, respected and active inher community.”

Friedman also evoked thememory of Barney Hill.“Remember that Barneywas respected in his ownright. He was on theGovernor’s CivilRights Commission.And remember thatDr. Simon’s work

unlocking the memory took care of Barney’s ulcer problem, whenmedication could not. They did not seek publicity, but were forcedinto the public arena when the Boston Herald article came out,without their knowledge. Add to that the fact there were physicalmarks on Betty’s dress, warts on Barney’s groin, and theextraordinary emotionalism of their sessions with Dr. Simon.

“There are, of course, many scenarios that a good science fictionwriter could conjure up, but not any that seem as straightforwardand simple as the one that shows them both being abducted.” Itshould be noted that the Hills were also administered lie detectortests by lawyer F. Lee Bailey, which they passed with flying colours.Hill also pointed out that the object which confronted them thatevening was tracked by nearby Pease Airforce Base.

Of all the evidence supporting abduction, none is more compellingthan Betty’s drawing of an unusual star chart, Dr. Simon’s post-hypnotic suggestion that she later carried out. While on the craft, sheasked the leader where his people came from and he showed hertheir solar system, on what appeared to be a hologram-like map.Betty’s subsequent chart illustrated something that made no sense atthe time. Several years later, in 1968, the controversial work of awoman by the name of Marjorie Fish showed the existence of aunique pair of stars, named Zeta Reticuli 1 and 2. The chart of thesystem was strikingly similar to the one drawn by Hill. Theramifications are indeed stunning, even to casual observers.

“Remember that nobody doing what Ms. Fish did in 1968, back in1961, could have correctly identified the pattern stars, since thecorrect distance data was not yet available. We have new data fromthe Hipparchos satellite that solidify Zeta 1 and Zeta 2 as a uniquepair of stars.”

Were Betty and Barney Hill the victims of some sort of masshysteria? Or were they indeed abducted for two hours by alienvisitors from another solar system? One thing is certain, accordingto Hill. We are not alone…. and our leaders are quite aware of that,too. “I am totally convinced that our government leaders haveknown about these UFO contacts for decades,” she said.

“I have proof of their landings,” she added, pulling out a large blackand white photo showing something large, bright and cylindricalstanding in a clearing of what she says is a forest. It’s hard to tell forsure, as the detail is not sharp…. but you never know.

As for what her experience with these aliens has taught her, Hill’sresponse was frank and sounded a hopeful note. “They’ve proven tome that God is universal.”

Now 84, Betty Hill is engaging, intelligent, and totally convinced she and Barney had anextraterrestrial encounter in 1961 (Photo: Bram Eisenthal)


CUISINE

I must come clean atthe outset of thisreview. After mymany visits toThailand, Thaicuisine holds a veryspecial place on mypalate. It always

evokes wonderful memories of the manymeals I have enjoyed there, both in thecity of Bangkok and in more rustic andtraditional surroundings in thecountryside.

Unfortunately, as is the case with far toomany ethnic restaurants in Montreal, theowners and chefs sadly feel they have tocompromise their traditional recipes andflavours to assuage the less adventurouswestern palate. This is a shame. I am adevout purist when it comes topreparing ethnic dishes of any kind,whether it is an Indian or Thai Curry, aMalaysian Laksa or a Vietnamese Pho Bo.I will never fall prey to that “you cansubstitute this if you can’t find this”syndrome. We have so many ethnicneighbourhood grocery stores now inMontreal that all the requiredingredients are readily available and canbe easily sourced with just a little effortand a mildly adventurous spirit!

I have dined at several Thai restaurants inthe city, but have yet to find one thatevokes the same exhilaration Iexperienced dining in Thailand...untilnow, that is!.

Recently, I dropped into Phayathai onGuy St. for lunch and, boy, was Iglad I did. My long search fortraditional Thai cuisine may atlast be over. Phayathai literallymeans “Lord of the Thais.” ThePhaya Thai Palace was built inBangkok in 1909 and served as aroyal residence for many kingsuntil it was fairly recentlyconverted into a hospital.

Thai cuisine is, at its roots, a verysimple one to master and dependsgreatly on the freshness of itsingredients and its subtle use offresh herbs and spices. It is meant tobe quickly prepared and servedfamily style as soon as it is finished.

At Phayathai we were warmlygreeted and seated at a linen-adorned table at the window by oneof the two friendly and attentivewaiters on duty.

The lunch menu at Phayathai iscomprised of a large selection of Thai

dishes featuring poultry, beef, pork, seafoodand vegetarian options. All main dishesinclude your choice of a Lemongrass VegetableSoup or Imperial Rolls and Coffee or Tea, all atprices ranging from $12.95 to $15.95 for thecomplete meal.

We both chose the Lemongrass VegetableSoup to start. The flavours were sublime, fresh,fragrant and redolent of citrusy lemongrass,galangal and salty fish sauce. This body-soothing broth was rounded out with just ahint of Thai chillies and sweet palm sugar. Verysimilar flavours to the national soup ofThailand, Tom Yum. The only complaint I hadwas that the vegetables needed to be cut intosmaller pieces, as they proved a bit difficult tohandle as served.

For my main course I chose the asterisked“three chilli” Sautéed Chicken with Holy Basil($14.95). This immediately evoked those fondmemories of Bangkok: The chicken slivers weretender and the accompanying juliennedpieces of zucchini and sweet peppersmaintained a crispness that blendedwonderfully with the fish sauce, palm sugar,chicken stock and chillies, which added alustrous glaze to the dish. It was garnishedwith the wilted leaves of liquorice-scented Thaiholy basil and was accompanied with a tian ofsteamed jasmine rice and shredded raw carrotand cabbage. It was delicious and left apleasant fiery glow on my palate for the rest ofthe afternoon.

My companion chose the Thai Green Currywith Chicken ($14.95). As with most Thaicurries, it included tender pieces of chickenb a t h e d

in a wonderful slightly-sweet –and-creamycoconut curry sauce. All the flavours of garlic,galangal, kaffir lime, Thai basil and Thai chillieswere present in each mouthful. As with all Thaidishes, it, too was accompanied by steamedjasmine rice to soak up all that wonderful sauce.

With our coffee and tea we were offered twocomplimentary flakey fried won tons drizzledwith honey and sprinkled with toasted sesameseeds.

I am elated to have finally found this oasis ofThai cuisine in Montreal, one that has firmlyheld to its traditional roots and has not felt itnecessary to succumb to the frail andunadventurous palates of the uninitiated. I willdefinitely return to this piece of Thailandwhenever I get homesick for all those wonderfulSouth East Asian flavours.

Our lunch, not including tip or taxes, came to$29.90

Phayathai1235 Guy StReservations 514 933-9949Mon-Fri Noon - 2:30pm and 5:30pm – 10pm Sat and Sun 5pm – 10pmAll credit cards and Interac accepted

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Chef Cayennewith Chef Michael Minorgan

Chiang Mai... Rose of thenorth

Chiang Mai, founded in 12296 AD, is the hub ofNorthern Thailand, located among the rolling foothillsof the Himalayan mountains. It is the home of some ofthe finest cuisines in Thailand and has many top notchcooking schools, where you can enjoy an excitinghands-on experience with many local chefs and tribalcooks exposing you to amazing Thai specialties andtraditional cooking techniques.

Chiang Mai restaurants offer a tremendous variety andrange of food, second only to Bangkok.

Visiting this historical walled city as often as I have, oneappreciates its propensity for amazing food. One suchChiang Mai specialty immediately coming to mind isKhao Soi, its most famous dish, a mix of crispy yellowwheat noodles in a savoury curry broth traditionallyserved with chicken (kai).

As with the rest of Thailand, the street food available atroadside food stalls is not to be missed! It is Thai foodat its most authentic and it can be enjoyed for about $2a plate...what could be better!. One such place wherethis food can be found is the Warorot Market, a hugesprawling indoor market on the shores of the PingRiver where all the locals shop. The plethora of foods,spices, teas and kitchenware is amazing and all itemsare available at very cheap prices... just remember thedoctrine in all areas of Thaiiland: Bargain! They expect

it and it’s is a wonderful and friendly way to reachan agreement on a fair price. While you are there,don’t miss the neighbouring outdoor fresh flowermarket,with all its wonderful colours and scents.

Thai people have long been known for theirpreparation of appealing and healthy meals,withbold and exotic flavours that not only taste goodbut look fabulous, too, and they are more thanhappy to share their secrets in some of the verybest cooking schools in Thailand. These schoolsoffer half day, full day or even week-long courses forthose with more time on their agendas. Prices willvary greatly depending on the location. Some areheld in more upscale restaurants and others may befound in rustic, Thai hill tribal houses where you willall sit on the floor in the kitchen around an openfire (some of the best food I have had in Thailandhas been in these surroundings, by the way). Inevery class you will enjoy the fruits of your labourat either lunch or dinner depending on when yourclass is scheduled. Before each class you will visitthe local market with the chef to discuss and gatherthe ingredients for your cooking class. These placesare a great way to show off your newly-acquiredThai cooking skills to your friends back home.

Of all the cities in Thailand, Chiang Mai and itssurrounding countryside is probably one of themost picturesque locales in the entire Kingdom andits traditional northern cuisine some of the mostdelicious.

The cuisine in Thailand varies greatly from

region–to-region, but they all derive from one simpleformula: Meat, seafood or vegetables in a sauce,served over rice. The four basic flavours of all Thaifood are sweet, sour, creamy and salty with plenty ofadded spice.

The Thais’ love of condiments is also well known andthe four most popular found on every table are: NamPla (fish sauce), spicy Prik Pon (crushed chillipeppers), palm sugar and a spicy vinegar withchopped chilli peppers. Chiang Mai cuisine reflectsstrong influences from neighbouring Burma andChina, resulting in much milder curries than thosefound in the central plains surrounding Bangkok. Inaddition to Khao Soi, Chiang Mai’s signature dish, it isalso well known for its very distinctive style of garlic-infused sausage that can be found roasting at almostevery roadside food stall. Another Chiang Maispecialty is Gaeng Hang Lay, a dish made with pork,turmeric, tamarind and.... NO CHILIES!

When contemplating a trip to Chiang Mai we couldall benefit from Mark Twain’s meanderings on the joysof all things food...

There are people who strictly deprive themselves of eachand every eatable, drinkable and smokeable item whichhas, in any way, acquired a shady reputation. They pay thisprice for health. And health is all they get for it. Howstrange it is. It is like paying out your whole fortune for acow that has gone dry.

Chiang Mai is prominently featured on our upcoming21-Day Culinary & Cultural Excursions to Thailandand Viet Nam in March 2013, personally organizedand conducted by me for all the fabulous food loversin this great city.

www.chefmichel-concepts.comwww.culinaryculturaltours.caEmail: [email protected]/Chef-Michel-Concepts-Global-Cuisine-in-Montreal

Khao SoiThis coconut milk based soupy curry is usually madewith chicken or beef and served over Chinese eggnoodles garnished with crispy fried noodles, pickledmustard greens, shallots, lime, sweet soy sauce andspicy chili oil.Ingredients: 18 oz. fresh Chinese egg noodles • 2 1/2cups of cooking oil• 8 small chicken drumsticks (about2.2 lbs total) • 2 cups coconut cream • 2 cups coconutmilk • 1/2 cup water •1 Tblsp. palm sugar •1 Tblsp.white sugar •2 Tblsp. Thai soy sauce •2 Tblsp. fish sauce• Paste Ingredients: 1/2 tsp. curry powder •3-4 Tblsp.red curry paste • Additional Ingredients:Garnishing: Chopped coriander leaves and springonions.Chili Oil: 3/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup dried ground red chilipeppers.Accompaniments: pickled mustard greens, slicedshallots,cut limes and sweet soy sauce.

Preparation:1.Blend the paste Ingredients together and set aside.

2.Over medium high heat, put 1/2 cup of coconutcream into a wok and fry for 3-5 minutes, stirringcontinuously, until the coconut oil begins to separateout. Add the prepared paste and fry for 1-2 minutes,stirring constantly. Add the chicken drumsticks, water,

Recipes remaining coconut cream and half the coconut milk.Bring to the boil, add palm sugar along the side of thewok until it melts, followed by the white sugar, soysauce and fish sauce. Simmer over low heat for about30 minutes or until chicken is tender. While simmering,if it becomes too dry, you may add more coconut milkor water.

3.Meanwhile heat the oil for frying the eggnoodles in a wok over medium heat and whenit is at almost smoking point add 1/2 cup ofegg noodles and fry until crispy and just lightlybrown (30 seconds). Strain and set aside.

4.For the chili oil, heat the 3/4 cup oil in asmall saucepan and when it is hot add the chillipowder. Stir together and immediatelyremove from the heat. Set aside to cool.

5.When you are ready to eat, lower theremaining fresh egg noodles into boiling waterto cover, separating the strands of noodles asyou add them. Boil for 2 minutes, then drainand portion into 4 individual serving dishes.Top with the chicken curry and serve garnished withthe crispy egg noodles, coriander leaves and springonions.

6.Serve along with the accompaniments, which areadded to taste. Use only 1-2 drops of Sweet Soy Sauceper portion. Serves 4.


What? Your cardoubles as a diner?Kids eating in the car. This has got tobe the bane of my existence. I havethree sons and I swear every day thatthere will not be food in my van. Butsomehow, food ends up in my van…

every day! I feel like I am driving around ina garbage can.

The question of whether or not kids should be eatingin a vehicle is more of a parenting issue over anutritional one. If you want your ride to stay clean, Iurge you not to bring food into it.

It doesn’t matter what food comes into my van,healthy or junky, half of it always ends up on the flooror smooched into the upholstery. I have triedbananas but I forget to remind the boys to dispose ofthe peel and I find it days later when it looks likenothing resembling a banana.

We’ve tried water canteens, but that caused water tosaturate the mud mats with tissue paper stuck to it.Rice crackers are a favourite crunchy snack in thishouse, but when it comes into the van we get littlefinger marks on the back of the seats. Apparently,this is how kids wipe their hands. Who knew?

Birthday parties have lead to popcorn, chocolate andchips scattered hither-dither all over the back of mymommy bus. I never had a chance.

If you have a strong character, I urge you to just keepfood out of the car. I am one of those moms whoworry that food eaten in a moving vehicle could be achoking hazard.

Sadly if you are like me, you let them eat food in thecar so there will be some peace and quiet! Truthfully,this is a bad parenting and a bad nutritional move.Letting kids eat in the car could result in mindlesseating. There is no reason to eat in the car. Itcreates a habit that driving equals eating. We shouldeat for hunger not for boredom.

That being said, I swear that peace and quiet is worthall the gold in the world.

Caryn J. Roll P.Dt. (514.817.0135)Twitter: @MTRLnutrition Join me on Facebookwww.montrealnutrition.com

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The world journeys into space once morewith a Canadian, Chris Hadfield, ascommander. As he and his crew are poisedto touch off, we have yet to cull all thelessons space travel has provided us tocreate a better world in which to live.There is no greater lesson than to realize

the magnitude of our universe and those by which weare surrounded.

Not that many years ago, a journey into space was sciencefiction. Now, our horizons have been stretched to allow us toagain use our imaginations. If there is life beyond ouruniverse we can only imagine what kind of life is sustainable.The lesson: To imagine in our wildest dreams how we canbuild better lives on Earth and make them sustainable. I canimagine a world of peace, which is a brotherhood andsisterhood of all human beings and where the word war isremoved from our dictionaries. I can imagine a world wherepollution has been managed and eventually eradicated,where air and water no longer threaten the loss of lives, butoffer the assurance that what we breathe offers a “high”beyond the use of any addictive substances and that water isnot to be sold as a commodity but to be respected asessential to life. I can imagine that poverty is eliminated,where people throughout the world will have the time (untilthen, life is spent merely surviving) to make new and perhapsstartling contributions to our intellectual and spiritual lives.

I can imagine a county like Canada welcoming peoples whoare of a different languages, cultures and religions, anddeveloping a serious dialogue that can open the floodgatesof new and exciting worldviews, which can then transformpettiness into greatness. I can imagine every persondiscovering the incredible privilege some of us have in

exercising our full freedoms of speech and action and bringing truefreedom to all peoples wherever they are on the planet Earth.Elizabeth Kübler-Ross learned from the dying incredible lessons forthe living.

Our space travel is the fountain of lessons for life on Earth. To date,eight Canadian- trained astronauts have flown in space, all on SpaceShuttle missions. Can you name them? They are Marc Garneau,Roberta Lynn Bondar, Steven Glenwood MacLean, Chris AustinHadfield, Robert Brent Thirsk, Bjarni Vladimar Trygvasson, DaffydRhys “Dave” Williams, Julie Payette, as well as one space tourist, GuyLaliberté (founder of Cirque de Soleil). The best estimate is thatCanadians have been in space for 146 days 02 hours 34 minutes.These women and men have opened our eyes to what we thoughtwas unimaginable and how we can imagine far beyond what weknow.

Now I can actually imaginemyself sitting down for therest of the day in a verycomfortable chair,imagining how wemight travel intoanother space, theopen space of ourimaginations and learnhow significant ourlives on Earth are. St.Ignatius of Loyola,centuries ago, said thatthe use of ourimaginations is our bestway to understandGod.

In my large network andcircle of friends, I knowpeople who aresalariedas well as some who areself-employed. There arepositivesand negativesto both so I will discusshow each affects your

familylife and also your ability to getfinancing. Let's face it....finding a job intoday's economy is extremely toughandcompetitive. Many graduates are leavinguniversity with greatgrades and promise,only to be disappointed by littleopportunityand/or little pay. Should you beemployed, there is a risk that yougetreplaced by someone who will work forless, or worse, a computerprogram.

In terms financing though, banks prefersalaried people overself-employed people.They see you as less likely to default onyourmortgage, since you receive a consistentpaycheque every twoweeks. In terms offamily life, it gives you the peace of mindthatyou can budget your expenses. On the

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FINANCE & REAL ESTATEother hand, it gives you littleflexibility when itcomes to family time. You have your weekendsfree,but if you want to take a Friday off becauseyour son is sick, youdon't have that sameflexibility. As tough as it is to find a job in today'seconomy, starting your ownbusiness isn't mucheasier. It usually takes a strongfinancialinvestment to start up. If you go into afield like real estate, youusually need money tosurvive at the beginning. It takes time togrowyour client base and, while you pound thepavement to get yourcommissions, you needsavings to be able to feed your family. Life canbestressful on a family waiting months for acommission cheque, sounless your partner issalaried and bringing in good money, it canbetough.

On a positive note, you can deduct expenseslike your gas,phone, Internet etc., which in turncan lower your net income, thuslowering thetaxes you have to pay the government. Theseexpenses mustbe legitimate, but this is a hugeadvantage. Another advantage is that youarepaying yourself first. If you make a real estatecommission inJanuary 2012, you only have to

pay taxes to the government in mid-2013. Ifyou are salaried and you get a $3,000paycheque, you willhave about 50% deductedfrom that paycheque at source right away.Youhave to budget for income taxes, true, butthink about the advantage ofholding on toyour money for an extra year and a half.Unfortunately,banks have tightened their rulesfor mortgage financing forself-employedindividuals. These applicants pay higherinsurancepremiums for their mortgages andtheir self-declared income is highlyscrutinized.In most cases, you also have to be self-employed for twoyears. My specialty ismortgages for self-employed individuals, so ifyouhave any questions, please don't hesitateto contact me.

Jason Zuckermanwww.mortgageratesmontreal.comHypotheca Mortgage Brokers(514) 771-1352 /1-800- [email protected]

Self-employed – To your advantage or not?


The Local Herald has never featured a regular letterspage to date, mainly because we can count thenumber of letters we have received on the fingers ofone hand. But this last issue, in response to FatherJohn’s column regarding Halloween and Paganism,broke the mold. This issue we will run just a few of themany letters received by e-mail, on Facebook and viathelocalseeker.com. We are sorry we cannot run themall, but there really is limited space. This is in no waymeant to be a commentary on the importance of anyone letter over the others and we thank you for yourcomments. If we receive enough mail in the future,perhaps this will become a regular feature of ourpaper.

Religious intolerance in TheLocal Herald

This letter is in regards to the article published byFather John Walsh in the Halloween issue,regarding Paganism. I realize that Mr. Walsh iswriting from his own Christian perspective, but Iwould suggest that when he is speaking of religion,he focuses on his own spirituality rather thansmearing and denigrating others, of which he hasvery little knowledge.Speaking as a Pagan myself, Iwish to address some of the untruths that Mr.Walsh felt he could list with such authority.1.Witches do not worship Satan. Satan and Satanismare solely Christian concepts and have no placeand no equivalence in pagan belief. Stating thatwitches worship Satan is like saying atheistsbelieve in God.2. Diana is not the sole Goddess ofWicca and pets of Witches are not demonic, norare the pets inhabited by evil spirits. Pagans havemany Gods and Goddesses to choose from, butDiana does not hold sole market share overWicca.3. Paganism was not created to instilirrational fear in people. The irrational fear ofPaganism comes from narrow-minded propaganda(like this article) which encourages people to fearand shun what is unfamiliar by distorting the truth.Paganism is a nature-based polytheistic spiritualitythat celebrates balance in all things. It does notfocus on darkness as you suggest: rather itacknowledges balance in all aspects of this life --light and dark, day and night, creation anddestruction. 4. "Fire was the best weapon againstevil spirits and Witchcraft was punished by burning“at the stake." Every day, there are hundreds ofpeople who are killed because they are branded asbeing different, for not conforming to the norm,for being labelled as "the enemy." I find thissentence especially troubling since, not only doesit associate witchcraft with evil, but it also suggeststhe solution.I'm also disappointed that the LocalHerald would publish an article that celebrates

To the members ofthe PagancommunityIn last month’s Halloween Issue, Istressed what a fun holiday it wasfor me and actually promised inmy editorial column, The LocalSeeker, that I would stay awayfrom sex and religion as centraltopics in the future. So it is withno small amount of regret that Istand before you, admitting that Idid not follow this lead.

When Father John Walsh, one ofmy most valued and widely-respected columnists, wrote hispiece on Halloween’s need to berid of its Pagan roots, I had no ideawhat can of worms this would

open. I admit I am extremely naïvewhen it comes to Paganism or anyof its levels, including Wicca. And itappears that this naivetémanifested itself in my receipt of adozen or so extremely angry anddisappointed messages fromPagans locally, as well as manymore from individuals far andwide.

While I do stress that FatherJohn’s comments are entirely hisown and not shared by me or thispaper as an entity, I also feel I owean apology to anyone who feelsslighted or insulted by the columnin question. A few of thecommentaries I received made avery valid point: If the word Jewish,Muslim or Black had been

substituted for Pagan, would thispaper have run the column? Iadmit that I would have not doneso and that really caused me toreflect deeply on how adherentsto Paganism felt as they werereading.

Now, I know Father John to be acaring and informed individual whois, I say again, highly respected bypeople of many religions. And I amnot going to condemn hisviewpoints, because I really knownothing about Paganism, just as Iknow almost nothing about beinga Jehovah’s Witness or Scientology,which is certainly a religion, aswell, to its followers. There is noone on this plane of existence, asfar as I am concerned, who can

decide what is religion and what isnot, although they can certainlymake that decision for themselves.The Raelians? If hundreds ofpeople want to follow Jean-ClaudeVorhillon (as Rael) and histeachings, that’s for them todecide.

What I AM also doing, however, isrunning both a clarification fromFather John, as well as a rebuttalfrom the Pagan community, as Ifeel this is the fair thing to do. Butit’s also because I think we shouldhear the views of people fromother groups. It’s good for us tolearn as we live, isn’t it?

Bram EisenthalPublisher and EditorThe Local Herald, Montreal

such religious intolerance and hatred. I know that itstates at the front of the paper that the opinionsand statements made by the columnists do notrepresent the paper itself, but you chose to printthis article that gleefully paints Pagans and Witchesas evil and something to be feared. For that choice,you must bear some responsibility for spreading thiskind of hate.

Do we live in an age where established media feelthat it's okay to spread lies such as “Jews eatChristian children” and “all Muslims are terrorists”?Of course not - and yet Mr. Walsh used his forum toplant the seeds of hatred with a spirituality that heclearly knows nothing about, aside from his ownselective perspective. Not very Christian of you, Mr.Walsh. Not very responsible to your readers, LocalHerald.

Post comment: While the article enraged the Pagancommunity, both locally and abroad, within hours ofcontacting Mr. Eisenthal, I received a response thatincluded an apology and a willingness to makeamends. My initial outrage has led to seeing this asan opportunity to educate and build bridges.

- JD Hickey

ED. NOTE: Agreed. And we address the issue from ourperspective following the Letters page.

We are more than that andnothing like that

Dear Sir,

I recently came across your newspaper throughFacebook and wasdirected to read the article aboutleaving paganism out of Halloween.As a pagan of theAsatru path I was curious and read the article. Tobevery honest I was rather insulted and found myselfquestioning whyany newspaper would allow suchhate speech to be printed in theirpages. The articlevilified Wiccans and pagans in general asSatanists,which we are not as we do not believe in theChristianSatan. As for the concept of paganismbreeding fear, I find this mostupsetting, as I wasraised a Christian and found that paganismbycontrast has only nurtured the concepts offriendship and openness. I found this article insultingand almost pure hate speech. Furthermore,the ideaof leaving paganism out of Halloween is absurd onits own andinsulting as this is a holy day to mostpagans, regardless of path. Iwant to say that's likecalling Christians to leave Christianity out ofsomeholiday, but off hand every holiday I can think

of that’s celebrated byChristians is based in a pagantradition. I understand there are people out therethat believe these things. Irealize this is not a perfectworld. I know that these people willspout lies anddrivel, especially when it comes to religion. I acceptthat paganism is a minority religion and has beenattacked byChristianity since they first encounteredone another and that somepriests harbour thosesame feelings today. But I cannot believe thatanewspaper of any quality that is not a church’snewsletter wouldallow the printing of such obvioushate speech toward any group. I truly hope you donot share this priest’s views that paganism isevil, thatwe worship your Satan. That we only wish to breedfear. Weare very different from this and I suggestyour getting to know anynumber of groups in anumber of areas. We are in quite a few places andI’msure you could find a group willing to speak to youand show we aremore than that and, in fact, nothinglike that. Have a good day, sir.

- Matthew Gulliver

Understanding is at the centre ofmutual respect

Hello. I am a Pagan. I am not writing this letter totell you what Paganism is. There are probably asmany answers as there are Pagans (if you would liketo know my response, you can ask your editor formy email address). I am writing this letter to tell youhow happy I am that the Halloween column situationhas resolved itself.

There was no drama, no name-calling, just arespectful email from your editor and an apologyfrom Father Walsh, both of which I did not awaitwith any prior expectations but for which I amgrateful. I am happy, most of all, that a bridge hasbeen thrown between our communities. I am happythat you were willing to listen to our view of theworld, to read more about us who are Pagans.

There need to be more respectful approaches likethis in general, more curiosity about each other,more willingness to learn about what otherscherish. The modern world is a mosaic of manycultures and many faiths. We all have to live withone another. If resolving issues between twofaiths/communities were always as simple as itproved to be here, the world would be a betterplace.

I send you all my love,

- Morrigane Feu (Roselyne Caron)

LETTE

RS


Paganism: A rebuttal by Greg Currie

In the NOVEMBER 9, 2012 edition ofThe Local Herald, Father JohnWalshwrote an article that was receivedby the Pagan community asbeingmisinformed, hateful andpropagating of harmfulstereotypes.

Pagans, witches and Wiccansare neither evil nor Satanists.Satan isa figure of Judaeo-Christianity, not of paganism. Pagan culturedoesnot “instil fear.” Our beliefs do not threatenan otherworldly hellnor believe that otherworldly demonstempt our daily actions, ratherthey celebrate nature, thecycle of life and the Divine. Pagans arenot “shallow” in theirbeliefs; like members of any culture orreligion, we hold ourbeliefs as sacred and meaningful as any otherspiritual personwould. Samhain is not the “lord of death,” it isGaelic for themonth of November and historically was a festivalcelebrating theend of summer and the harvest.

A Pagan is absolutely not a godless person or a devil worshiper.APagan is a person whose spiritual beliefs come from suchclassiccultures as Greece, Rome, Egypt, England, etc. We seedivinity asbeing portrayed in both female and male guises asboth Gods andGoddesses, or sometimes as being genderless.That same divinity isalso seen as being present in thepeople, plants, animals and landaround us. Pagans generallyhave very benevolent ethics and hold thatthe individual isresponsible for their actions and making amendswhenthey have caused harm. Pagans have a rich,beautiful, and meaningful culture.

Samhain is one of the most personal and intimate ofthe Pagan holidayscurrently celebrated. It is a timewhen we remember and pay homage toour lovedones that have passed on… our mothers, fathers,children,grandparents, etc. It is deeply emotional and deeplybeautiful. Itis also, unfortunately, the time when the media bringsup stereotypedimages of green-skinned witches or maliciousevildoers over a steamingcauldron. Curious members of themedia may be phoning or showing upon a doorstep unknowinglyasking deeply personal and insensitivequestions, or asking to filma deeply private experience.

These stereotypes can be even more hurtful when they comefrom people suchas Father John Walsh, who comes from anorganization that organized anddrove the historic destruction ofPagan cultures and the torture andmurder of witches and Pagansfor political and economic gain. Whilefew modern Pagans holdanimosity towards the Catholic Church, there isan underlyingsensitivity given that history.

This Samhain, I will be sitting down to a candlelit dinner andputtingout an empty table setting for my loved ones that havepassed on. Iwill quietly remember them, their impact on my life,and my love forthem. I may end up singing or reciting poetry intheir honour, and Iwill likely raise a glass of wine in theirmemory. I will likely cry.

I have received and read the apology from Bram Eisenthal (ED.NOTE: An on-line apology I made earlier, not the one found in thisissue), the publisher of The Local Herald. I accept the apology assincere and consider the matter closed.

About myself: I currently live in London, Ontario and have been apracticing Wiccan and Pagan for over two decades. I am the founderof www.thewicca.ca and a poet and musician in the Pagancommunity.

Clarification from Father John Walsh

In my column on Halloween, all thereferences to Paganism were

intended to indicate their influenceon Halloween. I also point out

that All Hallow’s Eve actually precededthe Roman Catholic Church’s adoption and

adaptation of some of these references,especially

when juxtaposed against the Feasts of All Souls and All Saints.

My column was not intended to be an attack on Paganism orPagans, as some readers have taken it to imply. I take full

responsibility, however, for any misinterpretations of Paganism andwhen these offended some readers, I do apologize.

I should also remind many that, as is the case with most of thepeople who partake in its festivities today, I do very much view

Halloween as a fun festival, not the spiritual holiday celebrated byPagans for a very long time. And while All Souls and All Saints aretaken very seriously by me, based on my religious education as aCatholic priest, I still see Halloween as a day when pumpkins are

carved, children trick or treat and a good time is had by all.

That is admittedly my take on the matter, but I concede that therecan certainly be interpretations quite different than mine.

We share one world… together we can make it a better world.- Father John Walsh

Reprinted From The Local Seeker Montreal West End Edition (a.k.a. The LocalShrieker), Halloween 2010 issue:

Jezza’s Wiccan ChickenMarinade: 1/3 cup lemon juice * 1/3 cup olive oil * 4-6 garlic cloves * Pasted *1 bottle of Seduction Spice

Seduction Spice: 3 teaspoons ground cumin * 3 teaspoons paprika * ½teaspoons cayenne * 1 teaspoons ground coriander * 1 teaspoons saffron powder* ½ teaspoon ground cloves * 2 teaspoons ground ginger * 3 teaspoons salt**Makes 1 bottle

Other ingredients: 1 whole chicken * 2 lemons, quartered * chicken stock, asneeded. * 1 cup potatoes, carrots * 1 cinnamon stick

Pre-mix your spices the night before, while performing you usual seductionritual. This will help the spices better marry together and allow enough timefor the magical ingredients to complement each other, working as a whole.Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all of the ingredients for themarinade and rub onto chicken. Refrigerate for one hour. Stuff the bird withlemon quarters and place into an oven-proof pot. Place vegetables aroundthe bird, then fill the pot halfway with chicken stock, submerging all of thevegetables. Add cinnamon stick to the stock. Cover with a lid and place intothe oven for 40 min +/- or until the legs fall off easily. Remove the chickenfrom the pot and place onto an oven-proof rack. Place back into the ovenfor 20 min, or until the skin has become a crispy golden brown. Turn birdover and repeat. Meanwhile, remove vegetables from the sauce and strainthe leftover juices. Reduce the sauce in a sauce pan and serve as gravy.

Merry Meet,-Jezza

ENTERTAINMENTHistoric lunacy had its musicalthemes of warning andtriumphThe summer of '69 proved to be a pivotal time formuch more than a reminiscant Bryan Adams. Alleyes were up and optimistic about man's first stepson the moon and the musical landscape wouldtake its likely natural turn.

Each discovery not only represents where we aregoing, but also where we are moving. That's progress

for ya. Full respect for what was, as it propels us further ahead andtakes what we've learned along with it.

The ‘60s had begun with the presidential promise to get to the moonbefore the end of the decade and, musically, it started with a hitsoundtrack song that carried over from its successful release in '59.Percy Faith had orchestrated a swirling instrumental as the Theme froma Summer Place, which not only matched the film's love stories, butalso the more innocent approach of the time (whether innocent ornaive, since at that time segregation would still be providing differentwashrooms and entrances for people with different skin colour…ridiculous, but I digress). I suppose “innocent” in a way that wouldfeature an instrumental as the longest running number one song of1960.

Throughout this decade of worldwide growth and exploration – onethat would get us to the point of confidently sending men into space-our broadened horizons would be reflected in the music that saw thearrival of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and all the other Britishinvaders, Motown's success story, the widening of folk music and so

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much more. The world was readyfor it all.

After careful testing and planning,the “space race” would see NASAas the clear winner, boasting thefirst manned mission to the moonon July 16, 1969. It was theultimate in optimism.Interestingly, the song spendingits second of six consecutiveweeks at number one at that timewas In the Year 2525, by Zager &Evans: A folkie, psychedelic soundto a dismal look at what we couldbecome... kind of like a one hitwonder warning them to becareful in the face of all this spacetravel success.

While trips to space have happened for mankind ever since, Zager &Evans made their one and only appearance on the charts with theirfuturistic look at the world's potential demise.

It is tied for longest running number one song in 1969, with The 5thDimension's Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In. Despite all the dancinghippies that come to mind, it is wildly more optimistic.

There's something to be said for smiling in the face of adversity,knowing success will come even if we are careful.

Sharon Hyland is a DJ with classic rock station CHOM-FM in Montreal.

Dawkins’ latesteffort tries to bridgegapFor most of us, childhood is awondrous time when anything ispossible and we can still believein Santa Claus, the Easter

Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and other mythsand legends. But we all have to grow up sometimeand when we hang on to the aforementioned beliefsfor too long, we end up with a society that is certainJesus Christ will come out of the sky like some kindof superhero within the next 50 years and remedy allour woes. More than 40 percent of American adultsbelieve this, despite the fact there is absolutely noscientific evidence that it will happen.*

In his latest book, The Magic of Reality: How WeKnow What’s Really True, best-selling author andscientist Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion, TheSelfish Gene, The Greatest Show on Earth), tries toforge a smooth transition from childhood fantasies toadult actualities without being patronizing.

Dawkins begins most chapters with myths (several ofwhich are quite interesting and were previouslyunknown to me), and later explains the rational,scientific reality of the subject at hand in a style thatis direct and easy to understand. It is similar to atextbook in style, (although definitely much lessbland than the ones we had at Barclay ElementarySchool), designed to get young readers interested inscience. On that level it works, however theillustrations by Dave McKean may prove a little too

abstract, if not creepy, forsome. To me they arereminiscent of theartwork in Pink Floyd’sThe Wall, but I digress. The Magic of Reality isnot a serious sciencebook for adults, unlessDawkins planned to useit as a means of reasoningwith religious yahoos andJesus freaks in Minnesotaand Kentucky, wherecreationism is still taughtin schools. Maturereaders or traditional fansof Dawkins’ previousworks may find it a tadlight. For them I say gofind a copy of Bill Bryson’s brilliantly amazing A Short History of Nearly Everything, nowavailable in a marvellous illustrated edition.

True story: By some bizarre and eerie coincidence, in the wee hours of Wednesday, October10, 2012, while on Chapter 10 (which deals with the subject of seismology), Montreal washit with a 4.5 magnitude tremor that I felt at the exact moment I read the word “earthquake.”I think the next book I read should be about winning the lottery! But if I do that, I would bemissing the entire point of The Magic of Reality, because as I stated earlier, it was just astrange coincidence. And Dawkins is correct: Science and nature are more beautiful, more“magical,” than any myth or legend. It’s time to wake up and tune in the real universe.

Read on!

* If you want to learn more about the possible consequences of hanging on to childish,irrational beliefs for too long, be sure to read my story Superstition is Not the Proper Meansof Getting Things Done on my website www.essaysbyandreas.com.

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ENTERTAINMENTScience fiction that intelligentspace buffs would enjoy

As a long-time science fiction buff, I rarelyfind SF films to be as good as the bestnovels in the field. That’s becauseHollywood usually dumbs down thecomplex tropes of science fiction –alternate history, time travel, dystopias,etc. – in order to make the genre’s ideasas palatable to as many filmgoers aspossible. Here, however, are ten SF

movies you should see.

One of the earliest SF movies, Fritz Lang’s 1927 silentMetropolis is still one of the most original. Two worlds, aslave world and one that oversees it high above in theskies, interact, changing everything for good or forworse. Its ideas about master and servant percolate inmany SF movies that follow, including, 40 years later, anepisode of TV’s original Star Trek.

The 1950s were the golden age of SF films and 1951’s TheDay the Earth Stood Still was one of the finest. Klaatu, anextraterrestrial, visits Earth but does he bring words ofpeace or of war? The film’s message, about co-operationamong man and his neighbours still reverberates today.Forbidden Planet (1956) transplants Shakespeare’s TheTempest to another planet. Dated, but still veryintelligent filmmaking.

Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971) / RidleyScott’s Blade Runner (1982): Neither film fully holds up –the former is cold around the edges, the latter narrativelyslack – but they both offer views of a dark future that isarresting and vivid. More significantly, they don’t look likethey’re set in our time, no mean feat when so many SFmovies have us dress and talk the same way decadesdown the road.

As depictions of dystopias go, A Boy and His Dog (1975),based on Harlan Ellison’s award winning novella, is one ofthe raunchiest and most viciously satirical. Its messageattacking conformity and rigidity still holds true.

George Miller’s 1981 Australian classic The Road Warrior(aka Mad Max 2) is one of the most exciting andengrossing renditions of the end of our world as we knowit. Canadian Don McKeller’s delicate and gentle Last Night(1998) is one of the most touching.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) / E.T.: theExtraterrestrial (1982); Steven Spielberg’s two views ofalien visitation. One is about the wonder of it all, theother about friendship between a boy and anotherworldly visitor. But they’re both films for the ages.

And two more: Arnold Schwarzenegger as a murderoustime traveling cyborg in James Cameron’s’ riveting, grittyThe Terminator (1984). Michael J. Fox goes back in time inRobert Zemeckis’s clever and imaginative comedy Backto the Future (1985).

A graduate of Ryerson University’s School of Journalism,former West End Montrealer Shlomo Schwartzberg is aveteran film critic, has regularly reviewed films for variouspublications and lectures on film and TV studies. He was thedirector of programming for the Toronto Jewish FilmFestival for eight years.

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When I first became aware of the fact that music was going to be mypath in life . . . my primary focus and passion, and more . . . I did notreally see or understand what was in store for me. I knew I had tolearn to play music, and became obsessed, to say the least, for thelongest time. It was somewhat like trying to solve a great big puzzle.A puzzle that, just when you think you might be getting close tounderstanding how it works, or how big it is, it suddenly becomes100 times bigger and even more mysterious than ever.

Now, a little over 40 years later, a touch of wisdom is finally creepinginto my psyche. Whereas in the past, I was (and yes, of course, largelystill am) rather self-absorbed with my musical pursuits (one has tobe, to be a musician!), I am finally "getting" it. What I am "getting", isthat this gift I have been blessed with all these years is not about meat all. It's about connecting with others, in any and every waypossible. Whether it is with a student, a group of preschoolers indaycare, a sing-a-long with a group of elderly people, or a concertsituation, the whole point of it all is that music feels good when it isshared. It brings people together in a way that is unique in all theworld.

And now I find myself in a peculiar situation. I have learned to play agreat deal of musical styles on a great many musical instruments,know a great many phenomenal musicians and have very little work!And so it is in this spirit that I am offering to anyone interested, asmall musical combo (duo, trio, quartet) to play at any type of socialgathering, at a very reasonable cost. It has been my experience, overand over again, that when I bring live music to a party, no matterhow large or small, the result is always the same. People arepositively thrilled by our musical presence. It is nothing at all likehaving recorded music playing in the background. There is a life forcethat cannot be equalled in any other way.

Between now and December 31, I know that many people will beentertaining guests, in the home, at the office, and elsewhere. If youare one of these people, and want to add a dimension of elegance,joy, and sophistication that only music can create, then give me a calland I know we can work something out to make everyone happy!

Contact info at: www.jeffmaymusic.com

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SPORTS AND FITNESSNHL lockout a greatopportunity to rediscoverother sports, heroes

I was among the group of people whobelieved there was no chance the NHLand the Players Association would allowthis labour dispute to stretch beyond amonth. I mean how could they? This isa league that nearly sunk itself a shorteight years ago, when it cancelled theentire season for the exact same

reason. I guess I should have known better. Since thattime, the game has gotten faster and more intense. The last twoseasons featured some of the best playoffs I can rememberfrom Round 1 through the Stanley Cup Finals.

The league is making money hand-over-fist and the players arerich beyond belief. So it makes sense there should be a labourdispute. Problem is that everyone involved is channelling theirbest Gordon Gecko (see MDB: Wall Street), but this is a caseof greed triumphing over good.

I have been watching a lot of classic games, some of the bestfrom when I was a kid. It’s the hockey fix I am getting for now.It’s strange to watch the games from your youth so many yearslater. The play was intense, but not nearly as good as Iremember it. It’s strange to think that today’s (ok, last season’sversion) of the Columbus Blue Jackets could probably beat thefamed Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the 1970’s. The playersare so much faster, in better shape and more skilled now.

But watching old games is not enough during this quiet time inthe world of sports. I don’t really pay attention to the NBAuntil it is closer to the playoffs, although I am hoping to finallyget down to Boston this year to watch my beloved Celtics in

person for the first time. I am a big fan of NCAA Basketball, having beento nine Final Fours. But again, this doesn’t fill my need for things to do insports. So, I am planning to go to some amateur hockey games aroundMontreal until this lockout ends. I have plans to go to Concordia andMcGill hockey, which I can attest, is very exciting. I am also going to attendmy first Montreal Stars game in a couple of weeks, mainly because I wantmy daughter to be exposed to sports and I thought ‘what better way thanto see some of the best female hockey players in the world?’

And since one of my jobs has me working in Kahnawake, I will watch theKahnawake Condors Junior AAA team play. It’s exciting to be in the arenaas every game has tons of goals and hitting. All of these games are why Ifell in love with sports in the first place, anyway. The participants are there,not for the money obviously, but because they love the game. They play itwith passion. There is no taking a night off despite making millions ofdollars (see Gomez, Scott). I remember that during the last lockout I didvery much the same thing. I even thought about writing a thank you noteto the league and the Players Association for helping to restore my faithin sport. I realized at the time that I didn’t miss the NHL all that much.But I fell back under the league’s trance when play started up and theHabs once again became theonly game in town. Well, thatwon’t happen again. And Iknow that there are moreand more fans who vownever to come back. We areinto the second month of thelockout and at this point Idon’t really care when theysettle this dispute. In themeantime, my hard-earnedmoney will be spent onplayers and teams who deserve it.

Spotlight on Sports - Paul Graif

The Cyclopath - ROB CALLARD

I must tell you the truth. It has been so long that Ihave lived this lie and now that you have stripped meof my titles, I have nothing left to live for.

I would prefer to stay here on your planet, for onmine, there is no opportunity left for my type ofhumanoid. You see, when I landed here fromLivestrongia in the late ‘70s, your world was in need

of a hero and my mission was to save you all from the wrath ofinsecure Type-A Europeans who were beginning to dominate thesport of cycling, or Dual-Hubbed Propulsion Generation (DHPG) asit was called on my planet.

I was given the task of attempting world-domination in your sportand while the rules were different here on Earth, in my quadrantthey were quite acceptable. So I rightly chose to adhere to therules of my planet. Can you blame me?

With extensive knowledge gained from compulsory militaryDHPG training, I devised ascheme in which I became theMastermind behind an intricatenetwork of blood-dopers withinthe ranks of the world’s bestDHPGs, or “cyclists,” as youcommonly refer to them. Inessence, I did what everyone elsewas doing… but better.

What followed was an impressive run at seven world titles, instant fame,lucrative endorsement deals that ensured my financial well-being forlife and the chance to avoid having to go back to my planet.

You see, in recent years, with global warming touching the far ends ofour galaxy, cycling had taken a back seat to a new sport calledBettmonockey. And now, the kingpin of that sport, a small wiryindividual simply named Gary, was threatening the livelihood ofmillions of people associated with his sport.

But above all else, I just wanted to stay here on Earth. It’s a cool placewhen it works. And I really hate Bettmonockey. It’s full of goons andspoiled brats whacking around a little round disc made of titanium… Ithink. Maybe it’s rubber... who knows…

So all I ask of you is to recognize me for the good I have done. When Iwas set back with some health issues a few years ago, I found it in me tohelp those suffering from the same ailment. I wrote a few books to tellmy story and inspire others and regardless of the rules I have broken, Ihave tried to expose as many young Earthlings to the sport of Dual-Hubbed Propulsion Generation as possible. I think I have succeeded onthat level to a certain degree.Whatever the case, I have finally come clean. Will you ever forgive me?

May the Farce be with you...

Rob Callard is a restaurateur in Westmount who cycles to work fromBeaconsfield eight months of the year. He is married with three youngboys. They all support his cyclopathic passion.

I came from outer space


Sacred space A natural choice for this issue of The Local Herald would be to discuss yoga as apath for cultivating inner space. Instead, I would like to take this opportunity todiscuss yoga and outer space -- not the outer space of stars and galaxies, but thephysical environment that sets the stage for our practice.

Where do you practice yoga? Where do you feel centred, peaceful and still? In itspurity, yoga can be practiced anywhere -- on a train, in a yoga studio, or inside a

doctor's waiting office. But if we want to create sacred space to bring connection andintention to our practice, we can take small actions to manifest an environment that will be moresuited to supporting our yoga and meditation.

In your own home, find a quiet corner, one that has, perhaps, held no real function until now, andconsider turning it into an area of sacred space. How?

First, clear the space. Clutter of the physical reflects clutter of the mind. Even if the rest of the roomis not clear, commit to clearing this one corner.

Next, find a few, choice objects that are particularly meaningful to you, and that inspire a peacefulstate of being. They could be pieces of driftwood that connect you with nature; rocks and shells from the beach; pine cones you collected on a recentwalk; a favourite stuffed animal from childhood; a photograph of a beloved. Place the objects on a small, low table if you have one.

Next, try placing a candle (natural beezwax or soy is preferred, as these contain no chemical additives) in the centre. Place a small green plant on thetable, if you have room.

Find a yoga mat, comfortable cushion, or chair that you will use for sitting in your sacred space. Commit to visiting this space for a few minutes everymorning and evening. If the space is large enough, practice yoga asana here. If not, simply sit and close your eyes, breathe deeply in and out through thenostrils and take a few moments to meditate in tranquility and without distraction. Remember to light your candle at the start of your practice, as away of initiating the space and marking your presence here each time. Extinguish the candle safely when you finish your practice, to mark the endingeach time.

You can change the objects on the table as you feel. Let yourself be guided by your intuition -- you will know what you need and do not need in yoursacred space. Experiment with good-quality incense, a lovely fabric for the table and some healing gemstones... Honour yourself and connect tosomething greater, by creating sacred space.

Chantalle Kudsi leads small group classes in her zen yoga space in Cote Saint-Luc. Pregnancy Yoga, Mom & Baby Yoga, and Toddler Yogacoming soon....contact her at [email protected]

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On Inner

Space

Quebec’s inner space cosmonautstaking the world by storm -Story and photos by Bram D. Eisenthal

As mentioned in my editorial thisissue, there are many excitingdevelopments taking place in outerspace, but we are also makingtremendous advances in innerspace, as well, right here on Earth.

I recently interviewed two youngQuebecers who are really usinghigh-tech innovation to the fullestand making all Quebecers proud asthey leave their marks on theinternational stage.

For Kennedy, 19, her passion wasgleaned through her burgeoning educational experience. Hailing fromsmall-town Ontario, she did most of her high school at Kuper Academy.From there, she partook in an artificial intelligence program at Stanford,then entered university one year early at The Clarkson School, althoughshe has not yet graduated.

How did Kennedy develop her deep interest in robotics, though? “Maybeit was all the Pokemon,” she joked, referring to the popular Asiancomputer game characters. “But I really think it happened when I boughtmy first humanoid robot (she and her parents split the cost), which tookmy experience beyond the Lego Mindstorms material I had been into. Therobot, MANOI AT01, was a complex build and involved electronics muchmore. The controller board didn't work so well, so that's when I startedto learn about Arduino.

This led to Kennedy’s first successful product as a creator , RoboBrrd, notyet a household wrrd… but quickly getting there. “It's a robotic birdcharacter, designed as a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) kit,” she tells us. “It startedout as popsicle sticks, but I've learned how to design my own circuitboards and model the robot in 3D for laser-cutting the pieces. It's unlikeother robots in that it really encourages creativity with its appearance andbehaviours.”

Kennedy then started hosting a Robot Party each week. “It's a Google+Hangout for hobby robot builders all around the world. It's a fantastic wayto meet new friends, learn some new skills for robotics and show off yourrobot as well!”

She also began participating in creator shows, involving thousands ofpeople, and not simply as an interested bystander, but as a winner ofawards. “At the most recent one, Maker Faire NY 2012- we won twoEditors Choice awards and also an Educators Choice! At the end of theweekend, however, I found the real award to be how many kids were leftfeeling inspired to try building a RoboBrrd.”

Kennedy also started her own small business and RoboBrrd is much morethan the corporate mascot. “It's pretty straight forward: I plan onlaunching RoboBrrd as a DIY kit and I plan on making additional kits. Weare aiming to get more people interested in robotics, at a lower cost thanfound with other robot kits.”

Finally, what about being a young role model for even younger kids, Iasked? “Well, kids really seem to enjoy RoboBrrd,” she said with a humbleshrug.

For the Dorval-born Jean-Francois Gauthier, dabbling with electronicsstarted, literally, in that palace of creative thought, the sandbox.

“Electronics has been my hobby since I turned 12, but I even have photosfrom my childhood around 2 -3 years old, in the sandbox and playing withelectrical extensions!

“As a child, I was always been interested in technology, being curious bynature. I dismantled so many devices just to see how they worked inside,I can't recall how many gadgets I pulled apart. While I received my firstcomputer in the ‘80s (a Texas Instrument TI99) and learned Basic

programming by reading books, my aunt gave me a Radio Shack 200 in one projectboard kit that got me started designing my own electronic projects, as I said earlier, atthe age of 12.

“I later moved onto the famous Commodore 64 and continued learning programmingon that machine. My father worked at the Montreal School Board in InformationTechnology, so I had the chance to see the evolution of computers and servers fromthe 1980s, ‘90s and 2000. Like a high tech child artist, I always felt proud to finish yetanother electronic project that was built from ideas that ran through my mind.”

Much later (1994) schooled at Institut Teccart , a private technical electronic college,Gauthier eventually landed full-time work as an electronics technician with a specialtyin telecommunications. Then, the ultimate opportunity presented itself.

“I met Jean Marc Pitet in the office of Shawinigan electrical contractor LaurentCossette, from Le Groupe Cossette. Mr. Pitet was looking for an electronic consultantto design and build a GridBOT residential charging station, to charge the electrical carsthat will soon change the face of transportation (and already are). I was available totake on more electronic design contracts, so I accepted his offer and started workingon this project early in 2012.

“I have been interested in energy saving projects forever, maybe because mygrandmother used to tell me 'Shut the lights off when you leave the room! ' I guessshe would be happy to see me now, working in energy saving projects.”

Gauthier is quite certain that electric cars are the face of the future and that Quebeccan be a leader in this field. “Here in Quebec, we are blessed with ecological greenrenewable hydro electricity. We are now up to 99 percent hydro power, thanks to therecent decision by the Quebec government to close down our old nuclear powerplant, Gentilly-2. With all the electric surplus that Hydro Quebec has, an estimated onemillion electric cars can be put on Quebec roads with no impact whatsoever on ourpower grid. That's a nice way of saving and the world benefits, because we are going tostop sending our money to other polluting oil producing countries and start buyinglocal green power to put in our new green ecological electric cars.”

Gauthier then volunteered a startling statistic: “Did you realize that for about onedollar of electricity, you could drive from Montreal to Trois Rivières? A 130 km. trip!”

Gauthier also challenges us to do our part, rather than simply paying lip service toenergy conservation. “What is essential to consider is that conserving energy shouldbe our top priority. Saving a KWH is better than generating one. Everyone should lookinto their own home and see how they could better insulate, fill air cracks in doorsand block window openings before the heating season. There are some very niceQuebec government subsidies out there, like the 'RenoClimat' program that helpshomeowners inspect, improve and save money on their heating bills.”

And he warns parents that giving their kids toomuch technology as “toys” is not such aprudent idea. “I believe that all the high-techgoodies that exist right now for kids should notbe given to them automatically. They should betreated as special rewards and given carefully,just like candy is. We need to help themunderstand that a high tech machine is notsmarter than a human: Even the so called'smartphones' are not as smart as they appearto be! There is always someone behind thescenes that made all that technology work likea charm, with countless hours of work.”

You can read more about the GridBOTResidential EV Car Charger at www.gridbot.ca.

The charger works with all available cars currently on the Quebec market (Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf,Mitsubishi IMiev, Ford Focus Electric). It takes between three to six hours to charge a car at 240V,twice as fast as it would using a regular 120V home plug. The retail price is $850 and the Quebecgovernment pays up to $1000 in subsidies to purchase a car charger and to have it installed bya master electrician. Electric car purchases are also subsidised by the Quebec government, up to$8000$. See http://www.vehiculeselectriques.gouv.qc.ca/english/

Note that both Erin Kennedy and Jean-Francois Gauthier patronize Montreal electronics distributorAbra Electronics, where they buy many of their Arduino-based components, the ones that havetaken the world by storm in recent months and years. To learn more, go to www.abra-electronics.com and type in Arduino, Sparkfun, Adafruit, Pololu, DFRobot and Raspberry Pi, to getstarted with your own revolutionary creations. From 80-year old men to 8-year old girls, they’re alldoing it, it seems!


LOCAL NEWS$ G G I 9 � �

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As most of you know,my specialty is dealingwith clients who are self-employed, have creditissues, a pastbankruptcy/consumer

proposal, or a combination of two of theabove. Unfortunately one of thechallenges I see people encounter isthat they feel that lenders these daysaren't giving them a second chance atcredit. They feel like they are goodpeople that could get back on trackfinancially if only they were given onemore chance. Although everyone has astory, often a viable one, lenders don'tcare what your reasons were for gettinginto trouble in thepast...they focus on

the fact you had aproblem and that you arestill a poor credit risk.Until now, the only cardthey have been able toget is a secured MasterCard from Horizon Plus.These cards do serve apurpose to slowly getyour credit score up, butunfortunately, lendinginsurers such as CMHCand major banks don'ttake these cards seriouslyas re-established creditwhich leaves people evenmore frustrated. They seethese cards as pre-paidand not "real" credit cards.Now, there is a window ofopportunity for thosepeople frustrated by theirinability to get creditunsecured. CAPITAL ONEhas finally come toQuebec, offeringunsecured credit cards.With varying limits, ratesand perks, there is one for

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Capital-ize on this new opportunity

everyone. It is a great way to re-establishyour credit with a "real" credit card to getyourself going in the right direction. The cardis "unsecured" and recognized as a reputablecard in the industry. Once you are a fewmonths into the card, you can even try andget a new one to boost your credit scoreeven faster. It is very important to keep inmind that even though a credit cardcompany is giving you new life, do NOTmake any late payments under anycircumstances after a bankruptcy. Newcreditors will not look at you for a very longtime. If you have any questions, please don'thesitate to contact me.

Jason Zuckermanwww.mortgageratesmontreal.comHypotheca Mortgage Brokers(514) 771-1352 /1-800- [email protected]

(ED. NOTE: Wow, Jason, this isunbelievable news and likelyextremely positive for many, manypeople. I for one appreciate this hot tip,which can help untold numbers ofpeople with bad financial records.Thankfully, we did not need to holdour collective breath waiting for thebanks to help us out… in anotheruniverse, maybe they’d have a bit ofcompassion…..)

THE LOCAL HERALD, APRIL 20 (pg. 8) FREE CLASSIFIED ADS: 514-975-7745 localheraldmontreal.com

New high school planned for CSL’sformer Wagar site

The defunct Wagar High School could soon be reborn as a newsecondary school, reported the English Montreal School Board.The school, located at the corner of Parkhaven and Mackle Rd., isplanned to open in time for the 2014 – 2015 academic year.

According to EMCB chairman Angela Mancini, the new school,which will feature an enriched curriculum, will be introduced towhat is now called the Giovanni Palatucci Facility, currentlyoccupied by John Grant High School, the Marymount AdultEducation Centre and the EMSB Book Processing Centre. An openhouse will be held in the fall of 2013.

Also announced was that Steven Erdelyi, Cote Saint-Luc councillor,former vice-principal of Westmount High School and currentlyprincipal of Hampstead Elementary School, has been appointed as aresource for the new CSL high school. Erdelyi’s first official taskwill be to help find a name for the school and the sitewww.NameTheSchool.com has been created to give the public achance to participate. Choices thus far include Cote Saint-Luc,Parkhaven, Wallenberg and Wagar High School or Academy. The siteincludes a space in which to enter other options.

Wagar High was a pre-eminent institution among those operatedfor decades under the auspices of the Protestant School Board ofGreater Montreal before it became the English Montreal SchoolBoard. Founded in 1963, Wagar quickly became one of the premiercentres of secondary level academia in the province. Its studentsoften achieved top marks provincially and its teams also regularlybeat opponents at the popular Reach for the Top academic gameshow. Until the early 1970s, the school also fielded a football team.

Wagar was closed by the EMSB in 2005 due to severely decliningenrolment, after which the name lived on solely through theadjacent Wagar Field.

For more information, call 514-483-7200 ext. 7429.

A Very SpecialMessage from The Local HeraldWe wish Montreal’s Mayor GeraldTremblay a very sincere adieu. Wewould prefer to state that “wehardly knew ya,” but unfortunatelywe knew you far too well. Throughone blunder after another, manyself-inflicted incidents where yourego was more important than yourcity (although, we realize, yousuffered from horrible myopia andnever thought you were doinganything against Montreal’s bestinterests), you soldiered on,despite the fact your constituentswanted you gone long, long ago. It is our opinion that you were amongstthe very worst municipal mayors in history – who knew anyone couldactually trump Pierre Bourque, “The Constant Gardener”? So it is withno small amount of joy that we send you on your way. Don’t let thedoors of City Hall hit you squarely on the backside as you leave ashastily as you possibly can. As for your replacement, interim orotherwise, we like Michael Appelbaum, the Cote des Neiges-NDGborough mayor, because he is a man of character, intelligence and, aboveall, honesty.

Photo credit: wikipedia.org


William Shatner is our guy, nomatter what he may tell you. He isinarguably a product of Montreal’sWest End – the then-burgeoningcommunity of Cote Saint-Luc, in fact- the son of Jewish parents who senthim to, among other summerdiversions, Camp B’nai Brith in theLaurentians,where hedeve lopedhis passionfor actingw h i l eperforming incamp playsprior tomaking hisprofess ionalm a r ktheatrically inS t r a t f o r d ,Ontario, withthe likes of lateCanadian actinglegend LorneGreene. YetCaptain Kirkoften appears todiscuss this factq u i t enonchalantly and with just amodicum of respect whenever askedabout his roots during interviewsand when McGill University’sStudent Union Building folk decidedto rename the place the ShatnerBuilding, it has been said that he wasnot exactly exuberant about themove.

Yet, he did do his now-famous “I ama Canadian” shtick at a Just forLaughs Gala several years ago, so atleast he is not denying that fact.

I once had dinner with his sister,Farla, and while she had some nicethings to say about her brother andher time with him during theiryouth, it appeared there is acomplete embargo on any frankdiscussion regarding “The Shat,” whois now pushing 82. I asked if I couldsend him something to sign throughher and my request was met by a“sorry, I can’t ask him that.” You’dthink I’d asked for some DNA.

When Commander Hadfield statedhow Star Trek had a lot to do withhis desire to fly into the Earth’sstratosphere initially, I knew thatthere had to be some sort ofhomage to Shatner in this issue. He’sa West Ender, so come on! Problemis, as was the case with LeonardCohen for a feature I once wrotemarking his then-75 years, it’s hardto get these locally-bred

international celebs to talk to a smallpaper like this one. I tried, yes I did,to get Shatner’s agent to forwardsome questions to his famous client,to no avail. In fact, I received nary areply to my queries. So I checked online to find articles dealing with his

growing up inMontreal and Isucceeded.

In an April 2012interview withEsquire, for instance,Shatner admits thathe is in remarkablygood shape for anoctogenarian andcontrasts this withhis forebears. Hisresting heart rateis 52 beats perminute! “Thedoctors go ‘Is thatyour heart-beat?Did you takes o m e t h i n g ? ’Now they’retaking me off

m e d i c a t i o nbecause my blood pressure’s toolow.”

He openly discusses his father’sdeath of a stroke in 1968 and recallshow the family consumed tons ofmeat…. you were successful when“you brought meat home to thehouse and everybody ate meat. Andif you were Jewish you broughtgribenes (fried chicken fat)…schmaltz, but pieces of it… and theschmaltz goes into the potatoes, andyou have kreplach, and then you havefried varenikes (dumplings). And myfather was a heavy smoker becausepeople smoked and ate and sataround. So what your parents diedfrom has no bearing whatsoever onyour possibilities. They knewnothing. People died then of astroke. Exercise? A Jew doesn’texercise.”

He spouts information about hisfamily, his immigrant father andMontreal-born mother and how hisdad brought 11 brothers and sistershere with him from Europe, scrapingtogether the cash to book passageon a boat. “There’s a lot of Shatnersin Montreal,” he said. There was alsoa lot of anti-Semitism back then, herecalled. “And I had to deal with thatin an area of the city that had veryfew Jews.”

Shatner experimented with drugs,mainly pot. “I’ve smoked some grassand exalted in the way it makes you

feel. But you can’t make precisedecisions on it. And acting is aprecise thing. You’ve got to beexactly on it or, if you’re off it, you’renot as good as you would be if youwere on it….”

He and (third) wife Lizzy oncevisited Amsterdam, a “crazy town,”he referred to it as.

“We were walking aroundAmsterdam in the winter time saying‘Yeah, let’s get some drugs, see whatthat’s like.’ So we buy somemushrooms in a coffee shop (one ofAmsterdam’s infamous brown cafes,where you order the drug of yourchoice, usually one of many offeringsof marijuana, from a menu). Andwe’re walking around the Red LightDistrict and the stuff is starting totake effect and Elizabeth’s havingvisions of love. But I’m gettingparanoid. I think that Elizabeth and Iare fish in the barrel, that we’re theprey… I’m seeing the demon comingout of the wall and she’s seeing thelove of the universe. We spent 24hours in Amsterdam in two exactlydifferent ways. Then we got onto aplane and got out of there – fast.”

The Shat also believes in an afterlife,as an “alternative to oblivion.

“But I don’t think it’s conscious.We’re all embers from the same fire.Our ember winks out, we’re ashes,we go back to the fire. I like thatimage. There has to be a unifyingtheory. I think there is a continuity of

some kind, that my love for my wifewill go on past the death of my body.Nature is perfect.”

Shatner’s views on science fictionand fact, finely honed via his filmedexperiences as the bridgecommander of United Federation ofPlanets starship NCC-1701 and itsmany subsequent reconstructions,

are available for us all to enjoy, eitherin space or here on Earth.

Shatner has had input – to exactlywhat degree is unknown - in acomicbook series, William Shatner’sTekWar, that was also released asseveral novels and adapted into a TVseries. And his 2004 book, I’mWorking on That, is a riveting readexamining science fiction’s path toscience fact as seen through the eyesof a Star Trek alumnus.

On TV, of course, he has achievedgreat international renown on TJHooker and Boston Legal, two post-Trek shows, but was also a more-than-competent guest star on manyTV shows prior to ST. His highlyacclaimed role on the Twilight Zoneepisode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”is one of the finest performancesfrom that original Rod Serling-crafted fantasy/sci-fi series. Duringthe third season of Alfred HitchcockPresents, 1957-1958, he had a starringrole in the episode “The Glass Eye,”marking one of his first appearanceson American television, according toWikipedia.

It is Shatner’s spoken word body ofwork, however, that is trulymemorable, usually critically andpopularly acclaimed but sometimesinadvertently laughable. Beginningwith 1968’s The Transformed Man, hehas recorded several albums and hisrenditions of songs such as “Mr.Tambourine Man,” “Lucy in the Skywith Diamonds” and “Rocket Man”

have often been parodied.Still, his 2004 CD Has Beenis a fine piece of work thatwas released to excellentreviews and his 2011effort, Seeking Major Tom,features two CDs worth ofsci-fi themed songsaccompanied by a stable of“name” musicians, includingJohnny Winter, SherylCrow, Peter Frampton andLyle Lovett.

And, for astronauts, hisrecording of the wake-upcall for the crew of SpaceShuttle Discovery, flight STS-

133, on March 7, 2011, must be thestuff of legends.

Live long and prosper, Bill, but don’tever forget where you came from.Even when you are ashes once again,those embers were stoked inMontreal’s West End.

William Shatner – From space to our West End with (a bit of) love by Bram D. Eisenthal


Well, well, well...We’ve run out of

SPACE!Next up, The Holiday Issue…. Cool gifts and

cooler features for a

chilly-but-heartwarming season.

Out Friday, December 21, 2012

Deadline Friday, December 14, 2012.

Best,

Bram

Power Theatre

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second time he notices it; the thirdtime he reads it; the fourth he thinks

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Across

6 Simulate (7)7 Loamy deposit (5)9 A strong current of air (4)10 A disorder wheredreams are confused withreality (10)11 Fidgety (8)13 Snuggle (6)15 Cleveland's state (4)17 A form of theologicalrationalism (5)18 Collections (4)19 Smooth (6)20 Vindictive (8)23 Imperil (10)26 Part of a foot (4)27 Triangular formation (5)28 Deliberately vague (7)

Down

1 Unreal (10)2 Long-tailed black-and-whitecrow (6)3 Scorch (4)4 Bauxite (8)5 "The Way We ___" (4)6 Become accustomed (to) (5)8 Frypan (7)12 Long narrow openings (5)14 Characterized by order andplanning (10)16 A pike fitted with an ax head(7)17 Dawn (8)21 Medicine that causesvomiting (6)22 Parental brother (5)24 Tablet (4)25 Detail (4)

Fun with words

Are we there yet?


Quote as of October 15th, 2012

issue 13, montreal local herald, west end edition

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