For thousands of years man has found beauty and mystery in stones. From early in man’s development, the most rare and beautiful stones have become precious jewels, symbols of riches, power and love.

But man wasn’t satisfied with the visual value of their gemstones. Beliefs and superstitions began as early as gem collecting itself. Some were believed to produce magical or miraculous effects, to avert evil and bring good fortune.

• According to legend, people of India considered the moonstone, a pearly, translucent feldspar, to be sacred and believed its brightness increased as the new moon became full, and that one could see into the future if the stone is held in the mouth when the moon is full. 
• Obsidian, a lustrous volcanic glass, is said to shield one from physical and emotional harm, as well as negativity.
• Onyx is thought to relieve stress by enhancing self control and inspiring serenity.
• In the Middle Ages, blonde maidens valued opal necklaces as they believed they helped their hair to keep its colour.
• Pyrite is believed to promote the discovery of hidden talents and to be a useful stone for those who are indecisive.
• Rubies were worn by soldiers in Burma, still the main source for this red gem, to protect them against wounds in battle.
• The unique silky reflections in a tiger's eye are caused by light bouncing back from the asbestos filaments and are called chatoyancy.
• Some say that if you put a topaz under your pillow at night it will soothe the nerves and energize the body during sleep.

Moths can be nasty - silent, seemingly innocuous little pests that can chew a hole in your favourite sweater without you even knowing it. They like to come inside when the weather turns cold, so it’s time to take action!

It is tempting to simply fill your wardrobe with mothballs. But mothballs often contain a compound called para-dichlorobenzene - harmful to moths but also harmful to you as it is a carcinogen. As a much safer alternative, choose lavender and cedarwood products with a scent that keeps moths at bay. Find them at your local natural products store.

“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.”
~ Henry Beston

1. Why is Remembrance Day celebrated on November 11?

2. What is the common symbol of Canadian remembrance?

3. Name the Canadian pilot who is credited with having shot down the infamous German fighter ace Baron van Richthofen ("The Red Baron").

4. Capt. John McCrae served as a medical officer in the First World War and wrote this famous Canadian war poem.

5. Which was Canada's most famous single victory in the First World War that consisted of the capture of a key ridge on the Western Front?

6. This epidemic that killed 50,000 Canadians, Canada’s worst, was spread by troops returning from service overseas during the Great War.

7. What Canadian city was severely damaged by a massive explosion in its harbour in 1917?

8. In 1942, almost 1,000 Canadians lost their lives in a tragic assault on this French seaside town.

9. From 1950 to 1953, more than 25,000 Canadian service men and women took part in this Cold War's first major armed conflict.

10. What was the last city liberated by Canadian troops in the final days of the First World War?

(Answers can be found at end of newsletter.)

“They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”
~ Laurence Binyon

Celebrate Remembrance Day, November 11th, 2009

There have been some pretty weird names on the music scene over the years. You wonder how they ever came up with them. Most have their roots in the lives and experiences of their band members, along with some interesting stories.

Did J’a Know these origins of musician’s and band’s names?

BAD COMPANY – The name of a 1972 modern cowboy movie starring Jeff Bridges.
BLACK SABBATH - From a 1960's horror movie starring Boris Karloff, suggesting a holy day of witchcraft.
DEEP PURPLE – The name of a song by Bing Crosby, a favourite of band member Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother.
DIRE STRAITS – How the band referred to their financial situation when they were forming the band.
EAGLES - Inspired by the band called the Byrds, who were a big influence on the Eagles’ music.
ELTON JOHN – Originally Reginald Dwight, he combined the names of two of his favourite British musicians, Elton Dean and John Baldry.
GIN BLOSSOMS – A slang term for burst blood capillaries (blossoms) that appear on the face of some people who drink too much alcohol - such as ‘gin’.
IRON MAIDEN - Named after a medieval torture device.
JETHRO TULL – Named after a British inventor/farmer who invented the forerunner of the modern plow in the 1800's.
MR. MISTER - From a song on T-Rex’s Tanx album.
PINK FLOYD - Taken from the names of two Georgia bluesmen; Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.
RAMONES - Early in his career, Paul McCartney used to call himself Paul Ramone.
ROLLING STONES - From the Muddy Waters song "Rolling Stone".
THREE DOG NIGHT - Inspired by an Australian Aborigine custom of sleeping with dogs on cold nights – 3 if it was really cold.
TOAD THE WET SPROCKET - A skit from Monty Python's Flying Circus about a weird rock band.
UB40 – The title of an unemployment form. (Unemployment Benefit, Form 40)
URIAH HEEP – The name of a character in the Charles Dickens novel 'David Copperfield'.

Sports Drink Recipes – The cost of supplying athletic kids with sports drinks after each game and practice can really add up! This site has some really simple recipes  for make-your-own sports drinks that taste great – like the real thing – and have the good stuff the body needs after a workout, for a fraction of the price.

Screensaver Slideshow – They are lots of good pictures being taken at this time of year. Whether it's one of the kids dressed up for Halloween or of the beautiful fall colours, this site will help you add your favourite ones as a slideshow screen saver.

Eco-Newsletters – I like to think I am fairly in touch with the environment and that I am eco-conscious, but there are so many great ideas and advancements that it’s hard to know where to turn. This site lists five great newsletters that can help you stay eco-updated.

Throw a Green Office Party – Planning an office party for the holidays? Score points with the boss. Check out this site’s ideas for throwing a ‘green’ party. A less-expensive way to go, too!

Keep your hands on the keyboard rather than using a mouse to select menus and buttons options. Save time by creating your own keyboard shortcuts keys in MS Word.

In addition to the default shortcuts keys available in MS Word application, you can select any specific key combination that you want to use to perform a particular task. You can create custom keyboard shortcuts for any word command you use regularly. Simply follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Go to the Tools menu and click the Customize option.
3. From the small Customize dialog box that appears, click the Keyboard button.
4. From this second small Customize Keyboard dialog box that appears, click on the category that contains the command to which you want to assign a keyboard shortcut – found on the left side.
5. Now choose the command you want to assign a keyboard combination on the right side of the dialog box and then click the key you want to use for the shortcut.
6. Click the Assign button to apply the shortcuts key combination. 

In future whenever you type the keyboard combination, Word will perform the assigned command.

Geography Fun - Kevin, age 12, says, "I was trying to figure out latitude and longitude when I found this site. It helped answer my questions, plus it has a whole bunch of sic stuff. It almost makes geography fun."

Holiday Crafts – Agnes, age 8, says, “We’re making a whole bunch of home-made decorations for the tree this year. And we’re starting early so Mom doesn’t go crazy. This website has a lot of ideas. Try them.”

Remembrance Wreath – Katie, age 7, says, “Aunt Julie and I made a beautiful Remembrance Day wreath for her front door when I visited her. It was so easy, I showed Mom how to make one when I got home. She’s going to take to the office with her.”

The Smell of Hockey – Paul, age 13, says, “It used to be a bit of a joke when someone opened up their hockey bag and a horrible smell would come out. But some guys have equipment that smells so bad I can’t sit next to them. They should check out this site for some sweet smelling hockey equipment tips.”

“I never criticize referees and I'm not going to change a habit for that prat.” ~ Ron Atkinson

“Silly is you in a natural state, and serious is something you have to do until you can get silly again.” ~ Mike Myers

“Never under any circumstances take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.” ~ Dave Barry

“Those who cannot remember the past will spend a lot of time looking for their cars in mall parking lots.” ~ Jay Trachman