history

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Stamp marking the 250th anniversary of the first formalized postal service in Canada, initiated in June 1763 by Benjamin Franklin, then the Philadelphia-based postmaster for Britain’s colonies in North America. The stamp features a portrait of Franklin and a vintage scene of Quebec City.

"Do well by doing good." - Benjamin Franklin

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." - Benjamin Franklin

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A landmark stamp to be issued Monday by Canada Post to commemorate the 250th anniversary of formalized mail delivery in this country will feature a portrait of - huh? - American history icon Benjamin Franklin, the famed inventor, diplomat, philosopher and Founding Father of the United States.

But the Canadian postal tribute to Franklin - plotter of the would-be conquest of Quebec during the Revolutionary War - is not some colossal printing error.  read more »

Best documentary feature winners Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn accept their award onstage for "Searching for Sugarman," about the reclusive Detroit musician Rodriguez, at the 85th annual Academy Awards.

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'Searching for Sugar Man' Wins Oscar, and More Praise for Rodriguez
"Searching for Sugar Man," honored with more than 30 awards in the last year, won the big one when it was named best documentary at the 85th annual Academy Awards. Director Malik Bendjelloul's film about the forgotten musician Rodriguez capped its journey that began at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival where Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film, leading to a theatrical release in July.

(below content may contain spoilers for the film)

Sixto Díaz Rodríguez (born July 10, 1942) is a folk musician, wildly popular, extremely successful and influential in South Africa, mistakenly rumored to have committed suicide. In his home country - America, no one knows about him, about his music - two little-sold albums in the early 1970s.  read more »

*update* 21 Aug, 2014 Before any international trip Pope Francis visits Benedict XVI, a key Vatican archbishop revealed, noting the good relations between the two and how Pope Francis is carrying forward Benedict's vision.
Pope Francis: "He [Benedict XVI] opened a door that is institutional, not exceptional." "Let us think about what he said, I have got old, I do not have the strength. It was a beautiful gesture of nobility, of humility and courage." "He is a man of wisdom, of nuance that is good for me to hear him. And he encourages me sufficiently too."
*update* 06 June 2013 Pope Benedict XVI is on Facebook
*update* 23 March 2013 - Together Pope and Pope Emeritus make history with most powerful message: Beauty of Humility and Harmoney goes beyond religion Historic moment: 'We're brothers': Pope meets ex-pope: they kneel, side-by-side, pray together before lunch Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus BenedictThe two men dressed in white embraced warmly on the helipad in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo [photo by Osservatore Romano
] And in a series of gestures that ensued, Benedict made clear that he considered Francis to be pope while Francis made clear he considered his predecessor to be very much a revered brother and equal.  read more »

*update* March 19, 2013 US magazine calls Stephen Harper an ‘exceptional leader’, praising his leadership, his foreign policy and his stewardship of the economy coming out of the 2008 recession. National Review: "Stephen Harper, Canada’s PM, 'Leader of the West', 'a very disciplined politician'"
*update* Marketwire: "Proud to stand up for honest, hard-working Canadians against thieves and criminals". March 11, 2013, Canada announced "Bill C-26, the Citizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act, has come into force", committed to keeping our streets and communities safe", for Canadians to protect themselves against criminal acts and "the justice system is behind them, not against them", said Minister Nicholson. "Those who have been the victim of a crime should not be re-victimized by the criminal justice system." Canada "will continue to stand up for law-abiding Canadians."

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News / Marilyn Monroe's Death 50 Years On: What's Changed, What Hasn't

One change is certain - the temperature of Earth has been obviously and continuously rising particularly in the last 50 years:

Data on global land-ocean temperature anomalies indicate that Earth has been warming approximately 0.36 Fahrenheit (0.2 degrees Celsius) per decade for the past 30 years. This rapid warming has brought global temperature to within about 1.8 degrees F (1 degree C) of the maximum estimated temperature during the past million years.

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'BRAVE' Keeps Pixar's Winning Streak Alive
Ancient Scotland has been the setting for many past adventures in movies... And now it becomes Pixar's location for the studio's production of 'Brave'.

The story of BRAVE is a simple one with a red-headed and strong willed Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly McDonald) doing her own thing in the kingdom where her archery skills don't exactly endear her to the male community. Her mom, the Queen (voiced by Emma Thompson) isn't thrilled either. The final straw comes when Merida refuses to go along with an arranged marriage. To escape her planned-out future, she escapes into the woods where she falls under a wicked witch's---a funky witch's spell - voiced by Julie Waters. The spell turns mom into a giant black bear---with emotions--- but unable to speak and leading to chaos and fury throughout the kingdom. Will the Queen's spell be reversed before time runs out? Will the Princess make up with mom and make pop, King Fergus (voiced by Billy Connelly) proud?

As to the production itself, it's dedicated to Steve Jobs who gave a new lease on life to Pixar back in 1986. And as for the look of the film, Jobs would be proud.

"Legends are legends---they ring with truths" That line in the film pretty well sums things up.

Disney/Pixar's 'Brave,' Highlights The Beauty Of Scotland  read more »