Candlemas Day or Groundhog Day

In Newfoundland, February 2^nd has traditionally been called Candlemas Day, a custom that was brought from the UK with our early ancestors.  Because we live on an island, we do not have a number of animals common to much of North America, including groundhogs, so we have always used a verse to predict the weather.

Candlemas Day Verse

“If Candlemas Day be clear and fine, the rest of winter is left behind;

If Candlemas Day be rough and glum, there’s more of winter left to come”

Cupids Harbour - Feb 2, 2010

Groundhog Day Prediction

Interestingly, that is the exact opposite of the belief about Groundhog Day. If a groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day (a clear and fine day), he’ll flee to his burrow, heralding six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t (rough and glum), it means an early spring.

According to Wikipedia, “the groundhog predictions to have a success rate of more like 37 per cent.” Perhaps that it is because it should be the other way around!

Bay Roberts Harbour, Feb. 2, 2010

Understanding Content – THE OTHERS – In honour of the last season of LOST

When the LOST series began, I was intrigued, especially with the concept of  THE OTHERS.  Listening to news reports and conversations today, the implication is always that “we” are “good and correct,” while THE OTHERS are always “wrong and evil.”  If you are an American who supports the “left,” those on the “right” are fanatic fundamentalists.  If you are an American who supports the “right,” those on the “left” are subversive communists.  If you are a North American who supports the current NATO fighting in Afghanistan, THE OTHERS are ruthless, fundamentalist, Islamofascist, murdering cowards who hate North Americans for their freedom and democracy.  If you are a person in Afghanistan who supports the Taliban or al-Qaeda, THE OTHERS are new crusaders who are attempting to convert everyone to Christianity and set up their puppets as government leaders who will give unquestioning support to establishing an Afghani state for the benefit of people of the West.

The Evil Others

People are willing to believe any evil of THE OTHERS.  If the “good people” happen to do something that may be questionable, it was because THE OTHERS forced the situation upon them, and they were defending themselves or their family or friends. .. and, of course, there are hundreds of examples of incomprehensible “evil” that THE OTHERS have done. The evil deeds of THE OTHERS are far greater and far more widespread and more heinous than anything the “good people” could do.  For example, I have seen reporters on CNN defend American soldiers who have shot unarmed civilians dead – because the soldiers had just seen their friends and comrades blown up by improvised explosive devices that were set by people who looked similar to the ones they killed.  On the hand, people in Afghanistan, Iraq, or the Occupied Territories say that people plant these devices because they have seen husbands, wives, friends, brothers, sisters, children, parents, or grandparents, killed mercilessly by people who look similar to those they are trying to blow up.

The Others – the Epitome of Evil

At the beginning of LOST, I thought (maybe hoped) that THE OTHERS would turn out to be enlightened beings who had reached some higher plane of consciousness or at the very worst were much like the Lost “survivors” and the rest of us – mixtures of good and evil.  As a result, a theme of the show would be that evil exists everywhere in all groups in society, just as good exists everywhere in all groups in society.

Then…

Benjamin “Ben” Linus was revealed in all his evilness. For anyone who has not seen LOST, Benjamin Linus is the embodiment of the supreme evil of THE OTHERS.  He is an angry, bitter, blood-thirsty, boastful butcher of people; a cold, corrupt liar; a ferocious, hostile, mean conspirator; a menacing, merciless murder; a treacherous, vain plotter; a renegade, ruthless schemer, and a selfish, violent slaughterer  … and to top it all off he is what my mother used to call plámásaí , which in Irish Gaelic literally means an ”insincere flatterer.” He is totally deceptive in his behaviour; he smiles and lies through his teeth.

Are There Any “Reliable Sources”?

What does this have to do with “understanding content”?  We can only “hate” and “fight against” and even go so far as “to kill” ideas, people and actions we believe are “evil.”  As a result, a great deal of propaganda in mass media and in social media focuses on making people despise those who “our side” or the “good people” want us to oppose.

At a school level, children carry on hate campaigns of “bullying” against THE OTHERS.  At a community level, people carry on campaigns of gossiping against THE OTHERS.    At a national level, people carry on political campaigns of propaganda against THE OTHERS.    At an international level, people carry on wars against THE OTHERS.

“Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see” is a quote which is attributed to Benjamin Franklin.  However, that was written before Photoshop and video tools enabled the manipulation of images, before mass media allowed careful selection and censorship of what is seen and heard. In the not too distant future, psychologists will study your interest patterns and social grouping, tailoring messages to your particular mind set though social media such as Facebook or Twitter.

How do we know that what we are seeing and reading every day is not manipulated?

We cannot.

Do we have any tools that can help us to become more aware of manipulation? What can we do and assist other to do?  Are there any “unbiased” sources that we can use to find “true” information?

What are your opinions?  What can we do?

Understanding Content – Avatar

First, a confession – I am a lifelong science fiction fan… and, an even more telling confession; I remember the excitement when the first episode of Star Trek aired on TV. Consequently, I was delighted when a Christmas present from my son and DIL was a visit to town to see 3D Avatar. Beyond the incredibly beautiful visual experience, which was like moving through a painting, the most interesting aspect of Avatar was the fact that Sam Worthington’s character, the marine, Jake Sully, actually did “walk a mile in another’s shoes/moccasins.” And “walking that mile” did literally change his perspective.

Content and Literacy

What does Avatar have to do with understanding content and literacy in the 21st century?

I hoped that Social Media would give an opportunity for people to literally “see the world through each other’s eyes,” without being subjected to Mass Media filters and gatekeepers. Understanding the limitations and problems of different groups, within our own country and in other parts of our world, would create greater openness and greater empathy, leading to positive solutions to intractable world problems.

Accomplishments of Social Media

What has Social Media accomplished so far? It has allowed people who share similar ideas to more effectively find each other and reinforce commonly shared views. In addition to common global issues, most areas of the world have regional controversial issues. In the case of Newfoundland and Labrador, the most publicized controversial issue is the annual seal hunt. Each spring in the past, the hunt has given rise to competing mass media campaigns. This year, I had anticipated there would be competing Social Media campaigns. Looking at FaceBook this morning, I noticed the opposing camps have already started.

Movement to Social Media

In the future, we will to see more advertising, promotion, and political campaigns move to Social Media. To quote Mashable.com, “For the first time in 23 years, Pepsi will not have any ads in the Super Bowl. Instead, the company will be spending $20 million on a social media campaign it’s calling The Pepsi Refresh Project.”  We have all heard of the effect of Social Media on the election of US President Barack Obama. What will be the future impact of Social Media on communication of ideas?

Propagating a Point of View

Much of the literature about Social Media discusses how to use Social Media to market or to propagate a specific point-view. For example, the “experts” suggest how to become “personable” in Social Media, since being “sociable” multiplies “trust” in the message you are delivering. They want the reader to perceive the message as coming from a trusted friend…which can be very useful…but it can also be truly scary.

From the point of view of marketers and branders, Social Media has a number of obvious advantages. A few of these advantages are:

1. Allowing people who hold the same views to find each other through networks of friends and followers. By mining information about selected groups, marketers can target their messages to a very specific demographic with known opinions on a number of matters.
2. Permitting people to express views with relative anonymity. This enables marketers to send carefully worded planted comments  to groups in order to influence opinion.
3. Letting people use “loaded” words, sweeping generalizations, and other types of expressions without being challenged. Marketers can utilize this in two ways: they can plant message to goad people into more extreme views or they can maliciously add questionable material to legitimate groups, discrediting the group with other sources and with some of its own members.
4. Having no rules about who can join a group. Marketers can establish paid or unpaid “monitors” to penetrate groups to examine comments, enabling them to determine what type of advertising will be most effective for that particular demographic.
5. Accepting multi-media materials from unknown sources.  Marketers can quote “data,” display photosphopped or staged images, and post edited videotape, for which they do not give legitimate sources.

Purpose of Social Media

Even without outside intervention from advertisers, marketers and branders, how Social Media impacts issues leads to a number of important questions. Why do individuals form groups and acquire followers in Social Media? Do they want to examine issues, stimulate informed discussion, or acquire knowledge…or do they form groups to reinforce and to exaggerate opinions already held, leading each group to espouse more extreme positions? What, if any, is the impact of these groups on people who are not committed to one side or the other?

As that widely distributed YouTube says, “We live in exponential times.”

The world is faced with overwhelming amounts of data on overwhelming problems – social, economic, medical, political, and environmental. Social media has enormous potential to be a bridge to allow people to develop understanding and empathy for each other’s problems by “walking a mile in another’s shoes/moccasins.”

So far, what I have observed is people comfortably slipping into their old shoes and old thoughts, sometimes propelled by varying amounts of deliberate manipulation and misinformation. If Social Media is to have any impact on solving world issues, we need paths to each other’s situations. Like Jake Sully, we need to develop empathy by “walking a mile in another’s shoes/moccasins.” We need to be able to clearly recognize and distinguish fact from marketing, branding, and propaganda.

The first step to achieving that goal is greater awareness of many of the tactics of propaganda which are being used by all sides. Over the next few weeks, I intend to discuss these in more detail.

Understanding Content – Introduction

Text messaging, email, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, Flickr, and other social media have made high level literacy more important than ever in all our lives. We could choose what, when, and whether to read in a book, magazine or newspaper or look at TV or a video; now we are bombarded with text and images through internet devices.

When a person lives in Newfoundland and Labrador, analysis of content and graphics written about the province becomes a consuming interest because of the amount of misinformation that has been published in various formats about the province. Newfoundland has a small population and is in a relatively remote area; as a result, it is not well known. When reports in various formats are given about the province, its life style, and its people, I immediately check for factual accuracy, weighted words, and visual cues. Over the past few years, the quality of reporting has improved, because people have become more familiar with the province due to advances in communication technology; however, incorrect information and misinformation takes a long time to overcome.

The level of misinformation about this province has offered a tremendous advantage for judging the veracity of information presented on all topics and all places. Because I am so used to examining information written about our province, I have picked up the habit of looking at other material in a similar way. Weighted words, misleading visuals, and sweeping generalizations jump off the screen (or the page.) The extent to which people are willing to believe anything that is published, in print or electronically, never ceases to amaze me.

Today, while much of the information received through social media is from acquaintances, business associates, and friends that we have chosen to follow, advertisers and propagandists are surging [the term is used deliberately] into Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Are we prepared for this onslaught?

In the past, product advertising was much less targeted. It was assigned to certain print publications or TV programming based on less clearly defined data such as age group or perceived socio-economic group. In social media, advertising can be much more targeted based on very specific demographics and interests.

Propaganda is much more dangerous. Lurking in your Facebook, in your email attachments, and/or your Tweets can be people who are deliberately spreading propaganda, usually filled with misinformation, weighted words, and selected visuals which convey hatred and/or contempt for selected races, groups of people, or ideas.

Over the next few weeks, I will be presenting a series on this topic. Meanwhile, see my Twitter list “News and Commentary”twitter.com/eracose/news-commentary. The list [which is of necessity slanted towards Newfoundland and Canada] contains members with different and often opposing points of view. Though examining all, hopefully “truth” will become evident. If you would like to have your Tweets added to the list, please Tweet or email.

Shearstown Estuary – 2009 Torngat Municipal Achievement Award – Environmental Sustainability

Bishop’s Cove Shore and Upper Island Cove in background

Originally uploaded by eracose

The Shearstown Estuary wetlands is jointly managed by the towns of Bay Roberts and Spaniard’s Bay.   The towns jointly won the 2009 Torngat Municipal Achievement Award in the category of Environmental Sustainability.

Baccalieu Consulting has worked with the Joint Management committee of the two towns to develop materials about the wetlands project.  The members of the Joint Management committee are Cathy Kleinwort (chair) and Councillor Mose Anthony representing Spaniard’s Bay, and Pat George and Councillor Bill Seymour representing Bay Roberts.

The audience for materials that have been developed include residents of the two neighbouring towns, as well as people across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and through the Internet, people all over the world.

Shearstown Estuary Website

Even though the Shearstown Estuary has been allotted space on both the Town of Bay Roberts website and the Town of Spaniard’s Bay website, the Joint Management Committee wanted website of their own.  After discussion, we concluded that a WordPress blog was the best solution for them.

http://shearstownestuary.ca/

Over 90 Photos  on Flickr

We have uploaded a large number of photos which we have taken of the Sheartown Estuary in various seasons on Baccalieu Consulting’s Flickr site.

1o Signs about Life in the Estuary

We have developed 10 signs that have been placed in the estuary describing life forms in the estuary.  The signs include 6 about birds of the estuary which had information about the bald eagle, the osprey, the common loon, the American black duck, the dark-eyed junco, the blue jay, the northern pintail, the green-winged teal, the greater yellow-legs, the black-bellied plover, the common golden-eye, and the black-headed gull.  In addition, there is one sign about flowers, one about grasses, one about invertebrates, and one about fish.

All signs have been uploaded to Scribd.  The sign which describes four of the flowers in the estuary is linked below, and the others can be easily found.

View this document on Scribd

YouTube Presentations on the Shearstown Estuary

We have also prepared two YouTube presentations about the estuary.

Life in the Shearstown Estuary

Twitter Mashup

Twitter is a mashup – combining past and present – history and technology – cultures and places – and most importantly – people.

Kindred Spirits about Role of the Internet

Through Twitter, I have been able to do many things from finding tips about web design and graphics to pursuing political, environmental and social issues to posting links about our clients and about this area so that people all over the word can see them.  However, perhaps the most interesting Twitter  experience was a personal one. Tweeting led me to Peg Mullligan, a lady in New England, who is also interested in blogging, in distance learning, and practical uses of the Internet.  Because of our mutual admiration of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, we realized that we were kindred spirits in the way we envisioned the role of the Internet.

Squanto - Courtesy of the Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth

Squanto (Squantum)’s Link to Cupers Cove (Cupids)

Serendipitously, my son travelled to Plymouth, Massachusetts earlier this fall, through Cupids 400, to research and photograph a little known fact in the history of John Guy’s Cupers Cove Colony.  Squanto (aka Squantum), a Native American, who had been born and grew up in Patuxet (which stood where Plymouth now stands), lived in Cupers Cove (Cupids) in 1617 -1618.  He went back to his homeland in 1619, and was there to greet the Pilgrim Fathers when they arrived in 1620.

Though his knowledge of English, he was of great assistance to them. William Bradford, Governor of the Plymouth said of him:

…Squanto continued with them and was their interpreter and was a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corn, where to take fish, and to procure other commodities, and was also their pilot to bring them to unknown places for their profit, and never left them till he died.

Squanto (Squantum) is little known as a person. He is usually portrayed as a Disneyesque caricature with the Pilgrim Fathers at Thanksgiving.  Yet, his life story is one of the most compelling in history.  He endured unimaginable hardships and personal suffering, and he was of great assistance to the Pilgram Fathers, helping them to survive in the New World.  I completed Internet research about him earlier and have included it in a website.

Squantum Website

Just as a little side comment, the caption on the bust of Squanto in the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, explains that Squanto’s head is the only remaining piece from a grouping of  figures representing the Pilgrim Fathers’ arrival in the New World that stood at the entrance to the Museum in the early 1900s.  That seemed so appropriate!  Squanto is still the ultimate survivor.

Statue of a Wampanoag overlooking Plymouth Harbour

Twitter Connection

While in Plymouth, my son met Peg and her family who spent the Columbus Day Holiday in the area.  Then Peg invited my son to write a guest blog for her blog series: .

Technical and Marketing Communication: Content for a Convergent World: “Live with Abundance “

As I said, though Twitter and our mutual interest in history, we have been able to combine history, culture, and learning in an interesting way.  I hope others will join in our experience through commenting on the topic of Squanto and early New World settlement, which is of great interest to us in this area due to the 400^th Anniversary of Cupids, the first English Colony in Canada, in 2010 [References about Cupids 400 -  Cupids 400 Website,  The Cupids Archaeological Dig, Crossroads for Cultures - an Educational Site about Cupids 400 ], but also on the value of the Internet and Twitter as a cultural and a learning experience.

Guy Issue Newfoundland Stamps 1910

Commemorating the 300th Anniversary of Cupids. Originally uploaded by eracose

The Guy Issue of Newfoundland Stamps printed in 1910 commemorated the 300th Anniversary of  the Cupids Colony.  At that time Newfoundland was a self-governing colony within the British Empire,  having achieved responsible government in 1855.  [Newfoundland did not join the Canadian Confederation until 1949]   These stamps are very interesting, because of their design and the fact that they are Newfoundland stamps. In 2010, we are celebrating the 400th Anniversary of Cupids, a milestone,  not only for the tiny town of Cupids and for the Baccalieu Trail area.  The 400th Anniversary of the first English settlement in Canada and the second English settlement in North America (following Jamestown in Virginia) is a momentous event in world history.   Once the British Empire had established a toehold in Jamestown and Cupids, it went on to become the predominant power in the colonization of North America.   Over the centuries, many have passed judgement on the behaviour of colonial empires.  After four hundred years, we cannot change what has happened.   However, we know that the development of the first  British colony,  in what was to become Canada, was a turning point in world history, which changed the lives of many groups of people in many different parts of the world. What makes this set of stamps really interesting is their portrait of history. 

London and Bristol Company - Newfoundland Stamp

London and Bristol Company

On May 2, 1610, the London and Bristol Company received a charter from King James I of England allowing them to start a settlement in Newfoundland. In August of the same year, a group of colonists led by John Guy arrived at Cupers Cove and began building the new colony. By this time, Newfoundland had been visited by fishermen from Europe every summer for over 100 years, but they arrived in the spring and sailed home at the end of the fishing season. Cupers Cove was the first European settlement in Newfoundland since the Vikings had visited the island over 600 years before.  

Cupids in 1910 - Newfoundland Stamp

Cupids in 1620

Cupids in 1910, issued to commemorate the 300th Anniversary of the founding of the First English Settlement in Canada.   The houses are traditional  Newfoundland saltbox houses.  

The Endeavour - Newfoundland Stamp

Guy’s Ship, the Endeavour

The ‘Endeavour’ was not the ship that Guy sailed to Cupers Cove.
It was a 10 ton bark built in Cupids.About the bark and its purpose:”The colonists cleared the land and began constructing buildings and boats as soon as they arrived. In addition to fishing, logging, farming and exploring for minerals, one of the goals of the colonists was to initiate friendly relations with the Beothuk to establish a fur trade. The colonists cut a trail overland from Conception Bay to Trinity Bay (Crout’s Way.) They also used two of their newly built boats, a 12 tonne bark (which they called the Indeavour) and a shallop to sail around the Bay de Verde Peninsula into Trinity Bay to meet the Beothuk. During the trip they saw Beothuk homes and canoes and actually met, shared a meal, and traded with a group of Beothuk people.” 

 John Guy’s Colonists Greeting the Beothuk Copper Engraving by Theodorus de Bry The Journey of the Endeavour
John Guy’s Meeting with the Beothuk  

 John Guy

John Guy was born in Bristol, England in 1567. He was a merchant and during his life served as a sheriff, Mayor of Bristol and a member of Parliament. John played a major role in the London and Bristol Company which set up the first English colony in Canada at Cupers Cove (Cupids) in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. He was the colony’s first governor.” Biography of John Guy John Guy – Baccalieu Digs   

“]

Mosquito [now Bristol's Hope

Mosquito [now Bristol's Hope]

Mosquito, which was renamed Bristol’s Hope in 1910 during the 300th anniversary of John Guy’s settlement, is located between the modern communities of Harbour Grace and Carbonear. Robert Hayman was the first Governor, perhaps in 1618. While in Newfoundland he spent much of his time writing and translating poetry. His book of poetry “Quodlibets, lately come over from New Britaniola, Old Newfound-land” was printed in 1628. Much of the poetry in the book praised and encouraged Newfoundland settlers. It was the first book of poetry written in English in the New World. 

Robert Hayman [Contains 2 of his poems]  

Pulp and Paper Mills in Grand Falls

The Pulp and Paper Mill in Grand Falls

Grand Falls is the name of the spectacular falls on the Exploits River in central Newfoundland. At the time when these stamps were printed in 1910, the Pulp and Paper Mill in Grand Falls was the most significant new industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. The construction of the pulp and paper mill had been completed in 1909. It was supplied with power from the falls, it was on the route of the railway, and it had access to the seaport of Botwood. Ironically, the Pulp and Paper Mill was closed by AbitibiBowater on February 18, 2009, in the midst of considerable controversy. Premier Danny Williams, on behalf of the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador, expropriated AbitibiBowater’s provincial assets and contractual rights to natural resources. These resources included considerable hydroelectric resources and land and timber rights. The case is in the courts.   

Logging Camp

Logging Camp Red Indian Lake. With the Pulp and Paper Industry came logging camps. Although life in the camps was extremely hard, they provided a living for a large number of families for over 100 years, until the Pulp and Paper mill closed in 2009.   

King James I

King James 1

King James I, who awarded the charter to John Guy to establish the “earliest settlement in the British Empire” in 1610, was the child of Mary, Queen of Scotts and Lord Darley. His father was assassinated under mysterious circumstances before he was one year old, and his mother was imprisoned by Elizabeth I in London tower. He succeeded Elizabeth I, because he was the closest relative to an unmarried and childless queen. His son, Charles I, was executed. He is recognized as an intellectual and a scholar, who encouraged the development of cultural activities and the arts. He is perhaps best know today because he authorised the production of the King James Version of the Bible.   

Lord Bacon

Lord Bacon (1561-1626)

Lord Bacon was a member of the Bristol and London Company  that established the colony in Cupids. He was one of the great intellects of his age to the extent that there have been claims that he actually wrote Shakespeare’s plays. He was a philosopher, who delineated the principles of the inductive method of reasoning. He coined the expression, “Knowledge is power.”  He was a powerful political figure, but eventually removed from office for accepting a bribe.   

Edward VII

Edward VII (1901-1910)

Edward VII was the son of Queen Victoria and Albert. His mother, Queen Victoria, was a dominating power who lived a very long life. As a result, he was best known for indulging himself in women, food, drink, gambling, sport and travel. He passed away in 1910 while the Guy Issue of Stamps was being prepared.   

George V

King George V (1910-1936)

King George V, Edward’s son, lived through a time of great world upheaval. He was king during World War I, the communist Russian Revolution, and the Great Depression. During his reign, the name of the royal family was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, due to anti-German sentiment in England. In 1917, he refused to allow Tsar Nicholas II and his family (Nicholas II was his cousin) political asylum in England. Tsar Nicholas II and his family were later assassinated during the revolution. He began the tradition of broadcasting a “Christmas Message” to the people.

Twitter Rescues Email

Sending important emails to busy people can be precarious.

They frequently read email on Blackberries or other handhelds, often on the run or in breaks between meetings.  (We have all observed Barrack Obama reading email on his Blackberry)

In addition, they receive literally hundreds of emails per day.

Messages frequently do not make the intended impact or, even worse, they are totally lost in the quagmire of email.

Ways That Twitter Has Changed That

What lessons about email can be learned from Twitter?

• Send emails as plain text, being conscious that many are read on handhelds.
• Compose the subject line carefully to be an attention getter
• Try to keep your message to 140 words, like Twitter
• Send shortened link (such as Tiny URL) if person requires more background.
• Make every word count – use precise vocabulary – take out needless words – do not use complicated, technical words when simple, everyday words carry the same meaning.
• Most important, focus on the central issue or point – one main idea and send that.

If more needs to be conveyed, add a link to additional information or send a second well written email.

The Rock… from Many Perspectives: Newfoundland Photography.

Living in Newfoundland and Labrador inspires photography.  The spectacular setting of the capital of St. John’s, as well as the unique local housing, such as Jellybean Row, and Quidi Vidi Village, are frequently photographed.

In “Outports,”  located on the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean,  the ever changing moods of wind, light, and water are a photographer’s delight.  Because the province is very sparsely populated, nature is on the doorstep… many varieties of birds and other wildlife are frequently seen;  wildflowers, trees, and other plant life is always on display.  And of course, rocks and rocky seascapes are everywhere.

Our own photos of Bay Roberts and nearby communities on the Northern Avalon can be found on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/baccalieu/

Because of the quality and variety of  Newfoundland Amateur Photographers who display their works on Flickr and blogs, we have been using these for time as a source for regional photos for both print and websites.  After finding a suitable photo, we contact the person who has posted it and ask for permission to use the photo, assuring him or her that we will credit the work in any publication.    Almost without exception, they have given permission.

Below is a listing of some sites we check very frequently for the quality of their photos:

Karen Chappell  Location: St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

Karren Chappell - Family views Iceberg

http://bitstop-nfld.blogspot.com/

Lloyd C. Rees: Location: Chamberlains, CBS (On the other side of Conception Bay from Bay Roberts) – photos of seascapes, birds, wildflowers, historic photos.

Lloyd Rees - Sailing near Bell Island

http://lloydsnfldpics.blogspot.com/

Clyde Barrett: Location: Bishop’s Cove, Conception Bay North (On the other side of Spaniards’ Bay Harbour.) photos of birds, seascapes, icebergs, wildflowers, boats.

Clyde Barrett - Young Bald Eagle

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clbarret2003/

Geoff Whiteway : Location: St. John’s.  He teaches at the Marine Institute, which is affiliated with Memorial University, in St. John’s.  His photos have a unique look and feel.

Iceberg Off Shore by Geoff Whiteway

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21096258@N05/

Jean Knowles : Location:  St. John’s.  She is a Tour Guide in Newfoundland and Labrador. Her photos are of scenery, wildlife and flowers.

Jean Knowles - Iceberg from Signal Hill

http://www.flickr.com/photos/song_of_the_sea/

Mark Robertson Tsang: Location: West Coast Newfoundland. He is a ski instructor/coach in the winter months and is also a tour guide.  His photos of wildlife and plants are amazing – he even uses the correct biological terms.

Mark Robertson Tsang - Great Northern Peninsula

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_r_tsang/

I will be presenting another list in the near future.  There are just too many to include in one posting.

11 Distinguishing Traits of Newfoundland Outport Culture.

1. Respect is part of life.

People have been accepted and respected for who they are. If they are a bit “strange” or “touched in the head,” people in the community make allowance for that. Older people in the community are frequently called “Aunt” or “Uncle” out of respect, even if they are not related. (In Pigeon Inlet, “Aunt Sophie,” “Uncle Mose,” Grandpa and Grandma” Walcott, and the hangashore “Jethro Noddy” represent this tradition.)

2. Two Degrees of Separation exists in outports.

If you hear a person’s last name, you have a good idea what part of the province he or she is from and within a few minutes talking you can find someone who knows someone that you both know. (Just 2 degrees of separation) There is a bond of kinship. In David French’s plays, the story of the Mercer family, a name associated with Bay Roberts, is followed trough three generations. When the Couger Helicopter went down off shore, almost to person, everyone in Newfoundland outports knew someone who knew a friend or relative of the people from Newfoundland outports who tragically died.

3. Music – instrumental, singing, and dance have always had a large role in people’s lives.

There are songs that have been passed down through several generations that most people know and can sing along with, including “The Squid Jigging Ground,” “She’s Like the Swallow,” “Lukey’s Boat,”  and “I’se the By.” Traditional “Times” featured singing and dance.

4. Story telling grew out of isolation.

Stories of events in the community (sometimes written in verse), ghost stories and fairy stories have been passed from generation to generation. In the days before modern telecommunications, media and transportation, people were isolated in the winter months and entertained each other with stories and recitations. Each community had several well know story tellers. Ted Russell enshrines that tradition in his “Smoke Room on the Kyle.”

5. Traditional food is served.

Fish and brewis, fish cakes, duffs, flipper pie, bakeapple jam – and other recipes are known by most people. Certain foods are cooked in special ways for Christmas Eve or Good Friday, or other holidays and celebrations. At Newfoundland times and weddings, traditional foods are served. In many homes, even today, there is a traditional menu of  meals for each day of the week – for example, fish was served on Friday.

6. Heroes and characters are well known through generations.

“Characters” were eccentric people. In a gathering, each person tried to tell one better about things that community “characters”  had done. “Heroes” are people of the community, sometimes sea captains, sometimes people who had miraculous escapes from disaster,  who had achieved amazing feats, and whose stories are told and retold.

7. Language and dialect differs from outport to outport.

Each community has a slightly different accent (often based on the part of England or Ireland from which their ancestors came). Use of phrases and names of places are unique to that community. Often the names of places have a story that relates to the name. The Klondyke Causeway in Bay Roberts was built at around the time of the Klondyke Gold Rush. It was a time when the fishery had failed and the economy was in a state of decline. People that were hired to work on building the causeway felt it was the town’s version of the “Klondyke.”

8. Nicknames are very common in outport communities.

Because a number of people in some communities have the same family name and first name, each branch of a family has a nickname which is well known in the community. In Bay Roberts and surrounding communities the name Graham Mercer is very common, so each family has its own nickname. The names were sometimes named after the occupation – “Painter” and “Baker.” Sometimes named after a long forgotten incident – “Fox” another Mercer nickname is perhaps named after an incident with a fox. The Mercers through generations are called Joey “Fox,” or Fred “Painter” and everyone in the community knows which from Mercer family that person originated.

9. Various demoninations of the Church have played an enormous role in outports.

Activities in the community are determined by the church calendar – advent, Christmas, lent, and Easter; and church organizations such as the CLB, UCW, play roles in community life. They were even more important in the past, sometimes having a negative impact, but more often helping people through hard times and tragedies.

10. The sea was the reason for existence for most outports, so it dominated life.

The seasons associated with the fishery give a cadence to community life. Stories are told of well-known Captains, voyages, and dangers. Building boats and parts for ships, preparing and mending nets and pots, preparing fish for market, were a major part of life.

11. Survival skills have been honed by a harsh environment.

Many outport dwellers had an ability to do many things well. Men knew all about fishing, but many were carpenters, wood workers, painters, boat builders, loggers, and farmers. Women were homemakers, but they were also skilled gardeners, seamstresses, needleworkers, and community organizers. Most families cut their own wood for building and for fuel, grew and preserved vegetables for winter, remade old clothes for younger children in the family, coloured old flour bags and hooked them into mats, and raveled old sweaters, using the yarn to make new ones. Although the term was never used, recycling was common. Little was wasted. “This Bear Got Heart” (http://www.thisbeargotheart.com/) is an example of this tradition. Betty uses old clothing to make teddy bears and decorate them with traditional needle crafts.