Lise's Ramblings

Studying in Montr é al gave me the chance to visit the Forum repeatedly and to walk where hockey heroes made NHL and bleu-blanc-et-rouge history (e.g., Maurice Richard, Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, Toe Blake, Jean B é liveau, Guy Lafleur, Jacques Plante, Yvan Cournoyer). Here on PEI , hockey players and golfers are used to seeing Sidney Crosby out and about, but this week, two hockey legends and national treasures graced our shores: Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. I was fortunate to co-organize the event that drew the latter to PEI . Even as a longtime Habs fan, I must confess that I was awestruck by the celebrated Bruins defenceman. Bobby Orr earned so many important titles during his career, and it was refreshing to witness that he’s still a class act and inspires others to this day. Brushing shoulders with the real deal …       AWESOME! (Although admittedly, I will always associate #4 with 10-time Stanley Cup champion Jean B éliveau.) ...

Aurora borealis sightings are rare in populous areas of Canada . But when those ethereal green and red hues do dance across the horizon, they mesmerize us. The colours are fleeting and ever-shifting, so snapping photos or recording video of the Northern Lights is tough. Yet, every now and then a talented photographer captures the magic.    In August, local photographer Stephen Desroches happened to spot the Northern Lights in the PEI National Park . Here are links to two of his photos, http://365.focusedonlight.com/index.php/Landscapes/2011-08-07/   http://365.focusedonlight.com/index.php/Landscapes/2011-08-06/ which are nothing short of          AWESOME! Less than a month after Stephen posted his photos, the crew of the International Space Station shot the following video of the Southern Lights ( aurora australis ―the Southern hemisphere’s equivalent to the Northern Lights). Enjoy the video in all its awesomeness....

A grade-five student is wowed by solid CO 2 (dry ice) as it sublimates in a beaker of dry ice, water & food colouring. Jaws drop. Eyes bulge. Hearts pound.   “Oooohs” and “aaaaahs” slip from the mouths of babes. Think back to a time when you were amazed by a first experience. Maybe it was as you witnessed: a trapeze artist performing daring feats; your first fireworks display; a magician’s illusions; a ballerina dancing in pointe shoes; just about anything through a telescope; exotic animals at a zoo; or maybe it was simply an unexpected results from a science experiment. A childhood sense of wonder is well worth preserving, so retain and nurture yours. There's no doubt it's       AWESOME! For me, interacting with nature and reading novels set in other cultures or time periods tend to spur my sense of wonder. Anything in particular do it for you?

I chose today’s topic when I found out our neighbours in the U.S. will celebrate National Radio Day tomorrow. My fondest public radio moments always happen right before Christmas, when the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) plays an on-air reading of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince. Through national radio, a reading like that can reach remote communities and be heard in cars even when all other stations turn to static noise. Unlike commercial radio stations full of ads, banter and tiny news snippets, national radio programming is as varied as its audiences. National radio listeners explore comedy, science, news, books, culture, politics, all genres of music, sports, controversy and much more as the writers and radio personalities take the time to delve into deep discussions, interviews, phone-ins and exceptional, well-researched programming. Who among us hasn’t: learned something about natural or physical sciences from Bob MacDonald, Jay Ingr...