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THE TALE SPINNER
IN THIS ISSUE:Vol. XVI, No. 3 January 16, 2010 Beware of scammers' false appeals for earthquake relief Zvonko Springer continues his saga of an African safari Catherine Green sends a story of a senior moment Pat Moore offers help for a personal disaster Kate Brookfield forwards a request to buy Canadian Barbara Wear sends the URL for Richard Ross' blog Burke Dykes forwards some questions to ponder Sites are recommended by Bruce Galway, Dick Monaghan, Don Henderson, and Tom Williamson The editor thanks you for your birthday wishes  THE DEVASTATION IN HAITI We all want to help the victims of the huge earthquake in Haiti, but according to Scambusters, every major disaster brings the scammers out in force almost immediately. SB has created a special update on what scams abound and how to protect yourself from Haiti earthquake scams here: There are many legitimate and effective charities and relief agencies working in Haiti. There is, as always, the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, SOS Children's Villages, and CARE. All of these are legitimate organizations doing vital work - there is no need to fall for the spurious claims of bogus charities. Another effective NGO is the Shelter Box project. Check it out: Zvonko Springer continues his account of their FIRST KENYAN SAFARI I woke up to the songs of birds, which were extraordinarily loud, and went out to make a recording of them. Lake Naivasha was a bird sanctuary and it was forbidden to damage the flora or to disturb, chase, or hunt the birds. My two ladies were still relaxing, so I checked the car floor and saw that my repairs had performed rather well, so I just added some drops of brake oil for better sealing. I stood there wondering whether we would be able to get through all the way we planned without more holes or some other damage. After a perfect English breakfast, we went to search for our friends nearby in the large garden. We did not find them but I got three minutes of an ideal recording of a nightingale song's. As our friends did not appear at the time agreed upon the previous night, we decided to leave alone towards Nakuru some 40km away. On the way there we stopped at Kariaudusi near Lake Elmenteita, where an archeological site had been opened recently. They had found stone tools, bones, and other artifacts estimated to be nearly 100,000 years old in a dry river bed. We gladly paid the entry fee, which supported the people doing their job meticulously by unearthing bits and pieces, brushing off and washing even the smallest particles they found. After another up-and-down road, we stopped at a lookout with a splendid view of the whole of Lake Nakuru, surrounded by a thin green belt of forest. There were many white patches moving slowly on the water, looking like clouds floating in a blue sky. Ljiljana exclaimed, “Flamingos!” and it looked as if millions of those birds were in a constant motion, forming various forms or shapes. We entered Nakuru, the third biggest town in Kenya, soon after that. On the main street there were many modern public and private buildings, and a covered market place. Our friends arrived just as I was getting gas. They went with my girls to the market while I went to the bank for cash. The shoppers came back with some fresh fruit and Ljiljana experimented with several carved wooden combs that she had bought in the native market. These combs were to be the first of a large collection later. Then we all drove off to see the flamingos on the lake some 3km from Nakuru. On the approach to the lake stood a notice board stating, “Dry weather road only” or “Road flooded - do not try!” so we just followed the rule. After a few hundred meters, the road surface became soapy so we turned in another direction, followed by a strong soda stench. We drove on some 3km until we came to an open spot from where we could see the whole lake with many thousands of birds. The young birds had white plumage, while the older ones were of a light pinkish colour, interspersed with red feathers. Where the ground allowed an approach, we tried to get near a group, but the birds flew off to another place. There was a constant croaking in the air that sounded like “zbrugbruzbrugbrrrzbrug”, as well as the quacking and cackling of other kinds of birds. The din was so loud that one could not hear one’s own voice in a conversation, and there was a revolting smell. Any attempt to get closer to the birds was hopeless, leaving us with soaked and soiled shoes. The birds just flew off, leaving us in filthy mud, stupidly trying the impossible. We had to abandon the idea of having a picnic somewhere nearby due to severe attacks by ravenously hungry mosquitoes. We returned to town and found a pleasant restaurant where we could enjoy a meal without being molested by voracious insects. Later we decided to visit the Menengai Crater outside Nakuru. First we passed through Nakuru's reputable part with nice houses in beautiful gardens that tempted Ljiljana to look for plant shoots she could collect. After a while, the road changed from tarmac to a kind of hard-packed volcanic sand so the VW could go up only in first gear. After some 20 minutes of slow driving, we reached a forest of cedar and eucalyptus trees, and after passing a sharp turn, we got to the rim of crater. The view was absolutely marvellous in all directions. There were sign posts showing distances in miles to various capitals around the globe. Stepping next to a barrier at the crater's rim, we looked down onto its floor some 600m below, completely covered with thick vegetation. It was beautiful - the crater rim enclosed by a green forest on a barren rock wall, and the floor carpeted with dense bush in which there were no animals. Our contemplation of the scene was broken by the arrival of four VW-Kombi buses with dozens of Salvation Army people, who swarmed out everywhere. We took off to a nearby 15m-high steel pyramid to have a last look into the crater and the far surroundings. Over the opposite edge of the crater we saw Nakuru, and farther out, the lake shimmering in the early afternoon sun. Christa and her brother could not stay longer as they had to start their journey westward to Uganda. They had decided to drive some 1,000 miles more, visiting some interesting spots. We exchanged farewells and good wishes and I gave them our itinerary, as they believed that we might meet in Ngorongoro Crater a few days later. Shauria Mungo! It was time for us to return, mainly because we wanted to visit a farm on our way to the hotel. We apparently had misunderstood instructions given by our friends in Mombasa, as we could not get there at first, the rain spoiled the next attempt, and the driver was fed up with driving. When we arrived at the hotel, the clouds cleared in the west so we went to the lakeshore to view the striking sunset. Ljiljana had brought the sound recorder and we moved closer to the trees. We were sitting on a large tree trunk listening to birds twitter as they settled for the night. When the birds’ warbling died out, new sounds took over from frogs and crickets and other insects. It was time for dinner, which ended with a dessert named “angels’ souffle” that we liked very much. After dinner, there remained only two things to do: have a bath and go to bed. I was tired from driving and slept like a log, forgetting everything else around. To be continued. Catherine Green forwards a story about a SENIOR ROAD TRIP While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. Afterward, they left the restaurant, and resumed their trip. After driving for about forty-five minutes, the elderly woman realized that she had left her glasses on the restaurant table. To add to the annoyance, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around to go back to the restaurant. All the way back, the elderly husband was the classic grouchy old man. He fussed, complained, and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't let up for a single minute. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car to hurry inside for her glasses, the old geezer rolled down his window and yelled after her, "Listen, woman, while you're in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card." Pat Moore has some suggestions about WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR INTERNET GOES DOWN Dial 911 immediately. Open the curtains to see if anything has changed over the past two years. You mean there’s something else to do? Work. Re-introduce yourself to your immediate family. Get that surgery you’ve been putting off. See if your eyes can still focus to distances further than three feet. Get butt groove in chair fixed at store. Tylenol ... Tylenol! Where the hell is the Tylenol! Do shopping with clothes on. Check your mail box every 15 minutes. Kate Brookfield forwards the following advice: ONE LIGHT BULB AT A TIME A physics teacher in high school once told the students that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good Canadian. Check this out. I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the fun of it, I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Home Hardware and just for the fun of it, I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in Canada. Start looking. In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job. So after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. She said: My grandson likes Hershey's candy ... I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more. My favorite toothpaste is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything. This past weekend I was at Wal-mart. I needed 60W light bulbs. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labelled, "Everyday Value". I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand, but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in Mexico and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - Canada, by a company in Ontario. So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here. My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in Canada - the job you save may be your own or your neighbour’s! If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying Canadian, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies! Help our fellow Canadians keep their jobs and create more jobs here in Canada. ED. NOTE: I make a conscious effort to buy Canadian, but all too often I can find no products that are not produced elsewhere. Most of the fruits and vegetables offered in the chain stores are from other countries, even if we grow the same produce here. There are few items of clothing labelled Made in Canada, though Northern Reflections used to specialize in Canadian goods. It has become a real challenge to buy Canadian. RICHARD ROSS' BLOG Barbara Wear has forwarded the URL for Richard's blog for those of you who are interested in following his adventures in the Peace Corps in Senegal: Burke Dykes asks: DID YOU EVER WONDER? Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin? Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed? Why is "abbreviated" such a long word? Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"? Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons? Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker? Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour? Why isn't there mouse-flavoured cat food? When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it? Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections? You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?? Why don't sheep shrink when it rains? Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together? If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress? If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal? THIS WEEK'S SUGGESTED SITES Bruce Galway writes: A pod of bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Florida has developed a remarkable hunting strategy in order to catch fish. Another awesome thing about this technique is that only one female in the pod can create this ring, and it's always counterclockwise. ~~~~~~~ Dick Monaghan forwards a site showing the most expensive car wrecks: ~~~~~~~ Dick also sends the URL for a site of a man creating a miniature Chevy engine: ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK Thank you to all those who sent me cards and good wishes for my 88th birthday this week. I don't really believe I am that ridiculous age, but my birth certificate claims I was born in 1922. Maybe it was a typographical error? Whatever - I thank you for all your kind wishes! Edited by Jean Sansum. You can contact her at : Jean |