"News is what (certain) people want to keep hidden. Everything else is just publicity."
— PBS journalist Bill Moyers.
Your support makes it possible for True North to clear the fog of "publicity" — and keep you informed on what's really happening in the world today. Please send your donation to:
Carl Dow, True North, Station E, P.O. Box 4814, Ottawa ON Canada K1S 5H9.
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Join True North No Gas Fridays and hit back at Big Oil price gouging. When enough drivers make the point that they’re “mad as hell and won’t take it anymore” Governments will act. You can count on it. Protect yourself with True North No Gas Fridays.
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Take care, beware, don’t go near that thing on Friday . . . there’s a gouger lurking, with a very greedy eye on your hard-earned money.
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The focus of this issue is on the sunny side of life. We feature a few words and five photos of the 34th Annual Ottawa GreekFest and a heart warming series of photos on how a woman won the confidence of those amazing, tiny creatures called hummingbirds. — Carl Dow, Editor and Publisher.
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“That’s one tough judge,” the newly divorced woman told her best friend afterward. — 29 words.
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Two new studies have found that the use of the antidepressants called SSRIs is associated with an increased rate of bone density loss in older people. — 246 words
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Still reeling from a $12.6 billion loss last year and a steadily declining customer base, the Ford Motor Company has announced plans to invest its entire third-and-fourth-quarter manufacturing and advertising budgets into reintroducing the Model T, one of history's best known and most innovative car models. — 664 words
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This year marked the 34th annual of a festival that has evolved from a small community affair into one that draws about 80,000 per year making it the 12th largest event of its kind in the capital city. — 196 words with 5 photos.
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The woman in the photographs is Abigail Alfano of Pine, Louisiana. She did not succeed in this communion on a whim. She has studied hummingbirds daily for a considerable length of time. One morning she put the cup from the feeder with water in it in the palm of her hand. They had gotten used to her standing by the feeder, and came over to her hand. — 747 words and three photographs.
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True North Canuck Fact of the Day
Canadians like reading books
Fifteen million Canadians aged 15 or older read at least one book a week but another 916,000 read only one book a year, according to Statistics Canada.
Trivia compiled by Randy Ray and Mark Kearney. Visit their Web site at: www.triviaguys.com
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Harold Wright, Dean of Punology, says, You know, doctors can be so frustrating. You wait a month and a half for an appointment, he says, "I wish you had come to me sooner."
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Whatever Happened To…?
Catching Up With Canadian Icons
Randy Ray and Mark Kearney
ISBN: 1-55002-654-2
$21.99 Trade Paperback ORIGINAL
BOOK BY CANADA’S TRIVIA KINGS HAS SECOND PRINT RUN
Whatever Happened To…? Catching Up With Canadian Icons by Randy Ray and Mark Kearney has been reprinted. The second printing consists of 3,000 copies.
``We’re excited that the first print run, also 3,000 copies, sold out in seven months,’’ says Ray, who with Kearney has written eight books about Canada. "Canadians seem to be interested in knowing what's happened to a range of interesting people and things over the years and we’ve given them plenty of food for thought."
Whatever Happened To…? tracks the whereabouts of about 100 celebrities, newsmakers, places and things that have played a significant or interesting role in Canada’s recent history. Long after making headlines or burrowing their way into our collective consciousness, these icons have traveled different roads—or in some cases kept more quietly to the path that gained them attention in the first place.
Ever wonder what became of Marilyn Bell, the first Canadian woman to swim across Lake Ontario? Or of Roger Woodward, the boy who survived the treacherous beauty of Niagara Falls? And what about Lea Parrell, the famous baby-face of Heinz, who was signed on before she was even born?
Kearney and Ray, who are known as Canada’s Trivia Guys, spice up their stories with dozens of fascinating facts. With website links to further information, the book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Canada’s heritage or have a little fun.
Randy Ray is a freelance writer, author, and publicist. He worked for the London Free Press for 13 years, including three years as a Parliament Hill correspondent. Ray lives in Ottawa.
Mark Kearney is an award-winning journalist who has worked as a reporter, public relations specialist, and freelance writer. He has taught writing at the University of Western Ontario for the past 17 years. Kearney lives in London.
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To set up an interview with Randy Ray and/or Mark Kearney, please contact
Randy Ray at: (613) 731-3873 or rocket@intranet.ca
All Ray/Kearney books can be seen on the Web at:
www.triviaguys.com
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Link not working? Story not loading? Can't click on the links? Got another computer problem? Never fear! Carl is here!
If you have any problems with accessing the newsletter or problems with your computer, send an email to Carl Hall chall2k5@gmail.com , and he will be more than happy to assist you.
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Carl Dow, Editor and Publisher
Yvette Pigeon, Assistant Editor
Benoit Jolicoeur, Art Director
Carl Hall, Technical Analyst and Web Editor
Harold Wright, Contributing Editor
Randy Ray, Contributing Editor
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