What a Great Idea!

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Who says Tom and Jerry can't be friends?

For the past year, a special Colombian police unit has been locking rats in cages with cats as part of a project to train the rodents to sniff out the more than 100,000 land mines planted mostly by leftist rebels across this conflict-wracked Andean country.

Bringing the rats face to face with an enemy allows them to stay more focused once they are released, veterinarian Luisa Mendez, who's been working with the animals for two years, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The rodents are taught to freeze in front of mines, but had difficulty staying put for fear of being attacked by predators.

"Here the cats play with the rats instead of attacking them," Mendez said. "The cats wear shields on their nails so they can't cause any injuries and as a result the rats feel comfortable playing around them."

Col. Javier Cifuentes, who oversees the project, said the rats' success rate in mine detection is 96 percent. Unlike dogs, the rats weigh a lot less and therefore don't trigger explosions.

Colombia is home to the world's largest number of land mine victims. Last year, there were 1,108 victims, or about one every eight hours, the government says. Nearly a quarter of the victims die from their injuries.

The past that haunts me

Every now and then someone or something from my past comes barging into my present. It has honestly take me many years to let go of what I couldn't change and now, get this, with technology that stupid past that makes me want to cry comes and bashes me no the head! Lost chances, lost friends and worst of all lost love never given a chance.
When I think back 10 or more years I remember people that filled my days with joy. The friends that I got up out of bed to see everyday. I even look back on the days that I had to cry and wished to start over with fondness. I remember seeing my high school crush and daydreaming of what could be. Not that any of it came true... I feel jipped, almost like, even though I lived everyday to the fullest I really missed out on something. I am happy with my husband, I could never find someone better. But I will always regret that I never took a chance to see what I could really get out of life.
Kudos to you my Heart, may the life you have found bring you the happiness and fullness that seems to be eluding me.

Boy, 3, fell to his death out apartment window

A boy found dead after a 15-story fall from an Ottawa high rise on Monday night, fell out a top floor window and not off a balcony, police confirmed Wednesday afternoon.

Police are still investigating the incident that took place at a building in Ottawa's west end around 10 p.m. Monday, and still have no details about what led up to the fall of the three-year-old boy, said Const. Isabelle Lemieux.

She added that an autopsy is being performed in Toronto, but the boy's name is not being released at his family's request.

Housing agency to check windows

The incident took place at 1465 Caldwell Ave., at a building owned by the city's public housing agency, Ottawa Community Housing Corp.

On Wednesday morning, CEO Ron Larkin said the corporation would randomly examine the windows in other units in its highrise buildings as a precautionary measure.

Staff will be checking whether the windows are properly equipped with locking "restrictor" devices to prevent windows from opening beyond a certain width, he said. He added that some residents remove the devices to clean the screens and then don't reinstall them.

How dose this happen? Why are parents not watching there kids! It's not locks on doors and windows that kids need. They need to be taught what is safe, what's not and why. If they don't know why running across the road is danger, they will run out to see why mom and dad say not to run out there. I don't have kids and I'm not saying that this will fix a problem, but I will say this Children are smart, make them smarter and explain why they should or should not do something. Maybe, just maybe they will listen and be safe.

Last spring, a 12-year-old boy with autism fell 16 storeys from a Scarborough highrise building. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

In September, that boy's caregiver was charged with criminal negligence causing death.

Two months ago, a Hamilton boy fell from a ninth-floor balcony. In the Hamilton case, the 5-year-old suffered only broken thighbones.

18-month-old tumbles from 28th floor through torn window screen June 04, 2007

St Jean Baptiste... Hour Quebec

Bonjour, Salute!!
Today we celebrate La St. Jean Baptist. Why, well for a few reasons...
While the orgin of the holiday in France was the pagan celebration of the summer soltice; a celebration of light and a symbol of hope. In the reign of the French King Clovis, the annual event was Christianized and became a religious celebration of the birth of John the Baptist, who is known as the Precursor of Christ, the light of the world thus the link with the soltice and the bonfires. Also, French residents in the St. Lawrence River area formed a chain of bonfire lights from village to village. Even in the late 20th Century, more than 15,000 of these fires could be seen on 24 June. And..After the conquest of New France by the British, the celebration of St-Jean Baptiste lost some of its importance. It was just over two centuries later on 24 June 1834 when Ludger Dunvernay, a newspaper editor, and about 60 people decided during a banquet to turn that day into an event that would unite all French Canadians.

Now for my part... Every year Phenix Productions hold a St. Jean Baptist Party. We call it St. Jean, Hour Quebec. We offer, Free food, drink and entertanment. Watch over the next few days and I will post pictures and maybe even a story or two...

It's been a few days since I posted anthing... I have a good excusse... There's not much going on. I have BIG plans for the weekend, so keep an eye open Monday for new posts and pictures. After that, it's Canada Day and they I'll be on my way North to visit the in-laws and out-laws ;)

Burglary Screwdriver Stabbing

An Ottawa man has been charged with attempted murder and other offences after a burglar stabbed a homeowner in the chest with a screwdriver in the city's west end on Sunday evening.

James Pilon, 44, is to appear in court Tuesday to face charges of attempted murder, break and enter, possession of a dangerous weapon, breach of conditions and uttering threats, said an Ottawa police.

The owner of a home on Richardson Avenue in Ottawa's Carlingwood neighbourhood received superficial stab wounds.The suspect allegedly had been trying to break into the home, and stabbed the homeowner several times in the chest area before police arrived.

I have not made a comment on anything for a bit because I thought the posts would say enough. But today, I think it time to say something. I have no answers, only questions.
Why is there so much violence? Is it because there are more of us in one place with a good communication base that we hear about more.
Or is it because our world is becoming more violent again and we are heading for a 'war' of some sort on a massive scale. Unlike we have ever seen before.
I know how hard it can be to get along with everyone we meet, but jeez people, try at least. If you don't make an effort to get along with others, why should anyone make an effort to get along with you?

Fourth Murder in Ottawa

Residents were shocked on the weekend when their neighbour Deborah Frankel-Howard was found dead in her 1735 Gage Cres. home, and when police later issued a Canada-wide warrant for Aaron Howard, her 19-year-old adopted son, as the suspect in her first-degree murder.

There has never been a problem on the street, agreed Stefano Marcantonio, who lives several houses down. Marcantonio has lived in the neighbourhood for four years and said Frankel-Howard and Howard have lived in the house for about three years.
“I know that because my cousin lived in the house before him,” he said.
He remembered when Howard first moved to the neighbourhood.
“He’s a quiet kid,” said Marcantonio. “He used to ride his bike to baseball in his uniform. I always said ‘Hi’ and he’d say ‘Hi’ back. He seemed like a normal kid.”

Police say Aaron Howard was last seen in Ottawa around 8 p.m. on Thursday. He was carrying a black-and-red suitcase. He is described as a black male, 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11, of medium athletic build, with long, dreadlock hair. Anyone with information can contact Ottawa Police at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493.