Book Review - Calvary of the Air

There is something romantic, frightening and daring about the men who flew in air combat during the first world war. That's why Calvary of the Air by Norman S. Leach of Calgary appealed to me so much.

In the clinging mud and trench warfare of WWI, it was soon clear that the cavalry — the elite of the elite — would be of little use.

The dashing men and officers of the cavalry searched for a way to be front and center in the conflict, and found it in the new air forces being established on both sides of the Western Front. Soon lances and sabres were replaced by silk scarves and machine guns. Combat on horseback was replaced by dogfights in the air — one-on-one and in great flying formations — always between warriors. No technology changed more in the five years of the war, and none would have a bigger impact.

From Great Britain to Canada to Australia and New Zealand, new heroes took the honour and dash of the cavalry to the air in flying machines — which would change the face of war forever.

I thought the book is well thought out and put together. The first chapter is on the Allied Aces including Canadians Billy Bishop and Raymond Collishaw who were two of the top ten pilots in air combat victories. Donald MacLaren, Billy Barker and Wop May's stories were also covered.

The second chapter features the German aces of the day including, of course, the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.

No pilot can fly without a plane and the third chapter is all about those great old flying machines. Some looked so rickety that they didn't look road worthy, let alone being able to fly in combat.

The book goes on to tell the stories of some of the more famous dogfights and what happened to the surviving pilots after the war.

All in all, a very interesting book, on a very interesting topic.

The First Welland Canal Completed in 1829

Today in 1824 George Keefer, the president of the Welland Canal Company, made a ceremonial first turning of the sod to signal the start of the building of the first Welland Canal which would bypass Niagara Falls and provide a waterway between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Five years to the day, November 30, 1829, the canal opened for business with two lake schooners, the Annie and Jane of York, and the R.H. Boughton of Youngston, New York made the first 2 day trip through the 40 locks to Lake Erie.

Three more Welland Canals were built as construction materials and technology improved through the years. The fourth Welland Canal was completed in 1932.

Book Review - The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet

A year or so ago I went to a lecture by Neil deGrasse Tyson, an Astrophysicist who when he lectures is as entertaining and humorous as he is informative. At times during his talk, when the subject of Pluto came up, there would be some booing in the crowd.

Why?

He was part of the decision to reclassify Pluto and remove it's status as a planet. Actually he might be considered the catalyst of bringing the issue of Pluto being a planet to a head.

When I saw that he had written a book The Pluto Files about the discovery of Pluto and the decision making process to "downgrade" the planet from the nine we currently know of, I had to read it.

When the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History reclassified Pluto as an icy comet, the New York Times proclaimed on page one, "Pluto Not a Planet? Only in New York." Immediately, the public, professionals, and press were choosing sides over Pluto's planethood. Pluto is entrenched in our cultural and emotional view of the cosmos, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, award-winning author and director of the Rose Center, is on a quest to discover why. He stood at the heart of the controversy over Pluto's demotion, and consequently Plutophiles have freely shared their opinions with him, including endless hate mail from third-graders. With his inimitable wit, Tyson delivers a minihistory of planets, describes the oversized characters of the people who study them, and recounts how America's favorite planet was ousted from the cosmic hub.

The book is so well done. It could have been a very dry read but with deGrasse's humour and writing style, it comes off as anything but. Not only does he write about Pluto, he also covers the other planets and how they can be classified, and even has Pluto cartoons scattered throughout.

In reading The Pluto Files I learned so much about Pluto, our solar system and was highly entertained in doing it. I highly recommend it.

Note: After reading The Pluto Files I still and always will consider it a planet!

Canada's First Public Radio Broadcast

Today in 1927 CKUA radio signed on air from the University of Alberta in Edmonton with a 500 watt signal making it Canada's first public broadcaster. With a $700 grant, two engineering students used two windmill towers to broadcast the signal.

The stations first announcer and program director for the station was H.P. Brown.

The station is still in operation and has many firsts including broadcasting the play by play of a  Western football game in 1928 and in 1996, the first Canadian station to stream online.

The 1929 Newfoundland Tsunami

Today in 1929. an earthquake which measured 7.2 on the Richter Scale erupted under water 65 kilometres south of Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula. The quake created a Tsunami wave which struck the Burin Peninsula in the evening at about 40 km/hr.

27 people were killed or drowned by the wave in Newfoundland plus another person in Nova Scotia. Hundreds of people were left homeless and many left destitute as their way of life was destroyed. Schooners and other vessels were swept out to sea. The wave destroyed stages, flakes, damaged wharves and fish stores. Approximately 127,000 kilograms of salt cod that were to be used for winter food and sale to other parts of the world were washed away.

To make matters even worse, all communication lines to the outside world were lost so nobody outside of Burin knew of the disaster until the SS Portia made a scheduled stop in the harbour three days later.

The ship's captain, Westbury Kean told of the sight that greeted them when then entered the harbour: “Imagine our wonder and surprise on turning the point of the channel to be met by a large store drifting slowly along the shore seaward; then a short distance another store or a dwelling house until 9 buildings were counted, strewn along the shore before the harbour was reached. On reaching the harbour even a worse spectacle greeted the eyes.”

The loss in dollars was estimated at $1 million which converts to $13.8 million in 2017 dollars.

Canadian William Hall Becomes First Black Person to be Awarded Victoria Cross

Today in 1857, former slave William Hall was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery for his actions during the Relief of Lucknow, India during an attempt by mutineers to overthrow British Rule. His ship, The HMS Shannon, despite the destruction on board, fired it's cannon until the only one remained, that of William Hall and Lieutenant Thomas Young.

Young was badly injured, but he and Hall continued working the gun, firing, reloading, and firing again until they finally triggered the charge that opened the walls. “I remember,” Hall is quoted as saying, “that after each round we ran our gun forward, until at last my gun’s crew were actually in danger of being hurt by splinters of brick and stone torn by the round shot from the walls we were bombarding.”

Captain Peel recommended William Hall and Thomas Young for the Victoria Cross, in recognition of their “gallant conduct at a twenty-four-pounder gun... at Lucknow on the 16th November 1857”.

Hall received his Victoria Cross aboard HMS Donegal in Queenstown Harbour, Ireland, on October 28, 1859.

His Victoria Cross was the first one ever awarded to a black man, a sailor and a Nova Scotian. He was the third Canadian to be awarded the honour.

First International Telegraph Office Opens in Halifax Ending Pony Express Service

Today in 1849, after telegraph lines are completed in Halifax which connected Europe, the US and Newfoundland, the first telegraph office there opened for service. This brought about an end to the Nova Scotia Pony Express.

The Pony Express only missed only one ride from it's first one from Halifax to Saint John on February 21, 1849 (about 27 hours) till it's last ride which left Halifax at dusk on November 8, 1849 and arrived the next Morning in Sackville

Canada Launches World's First Non-military Use Communications Satellite

Today in 1972, NASA launched Canada's Anik A1 communications satellite (Anik is the Inuit word for 'little brother') from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was the worlds first non-military use communications ever launched.

It was designed to fly in a geostationary orbit, in which the satellite orbits the earth at the same speed as the earth rotates so it maintains the same location over land at all times. The Anik A1 was designed to relay telephone calls, data and television signals on 12 channels for a period of seven years but was not retired from operation till July 15, 1982.

Black Woman Viola Desmond Arrested for Sitting in Movie Theatre's White section

Today in 1946, black businesswoman Viola Desmond was on route to Sydney, Nova Scotia from Halifax when her car broke down in New Glasgow. Having a few hours to kill, she decided to take in a movie at the Roseland Theater.

Desmond requested a ticket for a seat on the main floor. The ticket seller handed Desmond a ticket to the balcony instead, the seating generally reserved for non-White customers. Walking into the main floor seating area, she was challenged by the ticket-taker, who told her that her ticket was for an upstairs seat, where she would have to move. 

Thinking that a mistake had been made, Desmond returned to the cashier and asked her to exchange the ticket for one downstairs. The cashier refused, saying, “I'm sorry but I'm not permitted to sell downstairs tickets to you people.”

Realizing that the cashier meant black people, and that blacks were relegated to the balcony, Viola took a seat in the 'whites only' main floor. When the manager told her she had to leave, she refused. A police officer was called in and Viola was dragged away injuring her hip and knee.

Although she ultimately lost her case before a judge and was fined $26 ($6 went to the movie theaters manager), it was the start of the civil rights movement in the Maritimes. In 2011 Canada Post issued a stamp in her honour for Black History Month and on March 8, 2016 it was announced that she would be the first Canadian woman to appear on a Canadian banknote. The new $10 bill will be issued in 2018.

The White Hurricane of 1913

Today in 1913 what came to be known as the White Hurricane began to blow on the Great Lakes. When it was over three days later, twelve ships had sunk, thirty four more were cripple and over 300 people drowned. At it's peak the storm 140 km per hour winds (85 mph) winds created 10 meter (32 feet) high waves.

Book Review - The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

I have been going through some medical issues and while on a hospital stay, I was talking with a fellow patient who had just finished The Secret. He said it was quite helpful and after I flipped through his copy of the book, I thought it could be helpful.

In 2006, a groundbreaking feature-length film revealed the great mystery of the universe—The Secret—and, later that year, Rhonda Byrne followed with a book that became a worldwide bestseller. 

Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it. 

In this book, you’ll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life—money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that’s within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life. 

The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers—men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.

I have heard and do believe that people use only a small percentage of their brains and that there is so much yet to discover about it. Also, I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking and that we can assist our bodies through visualisation. The Secret delves heavily into these aspects.

There are things that I do have issues with, however. The book seems to say 'believe and it will happen.' It suggests that we need to do nothing to bring on wealth or happiness except to just think about it.

Also it speaks of people as a transmission tower.

"The law of attraction says like attracts like, so when you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you.

Thoughts are magnetic and thoughts have a frequency. As you think thoughts, they are sent out into the universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source - you.

You are like a human transmission tower, transmitting a frequency with your thoughts. If you want to change anything in your life, change the frequency by changing your thoughts."

I can't buy the idea of our thoughts sent out into the universe as a frequency. What I can get behind is that those positive thoughts will keep you positive and moving forward in a positive manner.

The Secret did make me think deeper about a few things. As I said earlier, I use visualisation daily and found the book helpful in this area. I have slightly modified my nightly affirmations and visualisations and believe they are working.

When you read the book, take from it what you can. There are some very useful positive ideas that you can take from it.

“Your power is in your thoughts, so stay awake. In other words, remember to remember.” Rhonda Byrne, The Secret

“Whenever you think you can or think you can’t, either way you are right. (Henry Ford) ” ― Rhonda Byrne, The Secret

Beverley McLachlin Becomes First Woman Appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada

Today in 1999, Beverley McLachlin became the first women to be appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. She was officially sworn in on January 7, 2000 and has announced she will retire on December 15, 2017, nine months before the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Inaugural NBA Game Played at Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto

Today in 1946 the NBA played the first game of it's inaugural season at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.  The Toronto Huskies lost to the New York Knickerbockers 68 to 66.

Here is the first basket ever scored in NBA history when the Knickerbockers took a 2-0 lead with a Ossie Schectman layup.