Canadian Professional Police Association

Moments ago I again received a call from the Canadian Professional Police Association for the 2nd time in about 2 weeks. They have been soliciting my support now for about 3 years. I do not recall the original event that made me have empathy for their cause and supported them with a one time financial contribution. I very much regret now in having given that support, only to receive constant telephone calls in return, bordering on harassment. All of us are plagued by constant solicitations of all sorts. Most of us deal with them by indicating we cannot support them all, so have chosen causes that we feel strongly about, and that is as it should be.
But to have a body representing all Police Services irritating the very public it purports to protect, is just down right ludicrous.

Welcome Bloggers

Welcome to the Pumphandle bogspot.com . If you are a new blogger to our site greetings, if you have been checking in as a regular reader, our thanks to you. Here’s hoping you will find it of interest in the coming days and weeks. Along with co-contributors and guests, it is a desire to fulfill the motto - local events, local issues, local comments, by local observers in the heart of Southern Manitoba. Our focus will be local, our reach Global. For information on the initiator, view my complete profile. Keep in touch by book marking us or making us one of your favourites. You can also favor us with your reply to any article. Cheers!……and have a great day.

Mumma Bears Restaurant Review!

Another restaurant is now added to the Morden Mix formerly the Blue Marlin. The décor features the same floor plan and sitting arrangements and deep blue coloured seat covers with tan walls; and a unfinished partial wall in the inner dining area waiting for wood finished wainscoting. The lighting fixtures were also new. A sign coming in the door requested cash or cheques only.
The menu range from burgers to fish, ribs, chicken, veal, including senior portions and prices. Prices are moderate from $8 - $16.
I ordered the regular ribs portion, with oven baked potatoes and vegetables with a garden salad. The dinner I would say was about medium in portion and acceptable in taste. There vegetables were warmed over and they where aware of it and apologized for it, saying they were having trouble. I do prefer the Outpost Friday Rib specials over Mumma’s. I was delighted to be joined by Val & Ernie Pauls. Ernie had the senior’s Rib plate which had the same portion of Ribs as I had. So next time I’ll be ordering from the senior menu, which is about $1-$2 dollars cheaper.
Service and attention was good, for starters it’s not bad, and hopefully they will improve with time. Tasty rib’s Applebee’s style would be nice?

3:10 to Yuma

3:10 to Yuma……1957 - 2007
In black & white with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, exactly 50 years later in color with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Yuma 2007 style is a taut, well written, well directed, well edited, and well acted flick. It’s story, action and dialogue have you riveted to the screen. Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is a no nonsense ruthless dude, yet somehow evokes empathy for his cut throat portrayal. Like the lad in one scene stated he’s not all bad. Crowe’s (Wade) dialogue towards Bale is probing and Bale’s (Evans) responses muted, but a rapport is eventually established. Bale (Evans) is steadfast and grounded and wishes to leave a moral imprint with his family. The story has subtle twists and turns and a dubious ending. Great camera work that is visually stunning and flows smoothly and effortlessly from scene to scene, enhance this film. There are blitztering hails of gunfire at the movies end, which is a bit far-fetched, but at lease they do reload frequently. The music score reminisce of Ennio Morricone spaghetti westerns doesn’t really come into play until the end but is a fitting score none the less. All in all the 1957 version and the 2007 deserve the label CLASSIC western.

Threshermen's Reunion 2007

Driving down Hwy #3 east this past week, you may have encounter the sweet aroma of waffles and coffee or heard the rumble of tractor engines, and if you did, well the Threshermen’s Museum was celebrating it’s 39 year with a reunion event. The smell of enticing food drifted across the grounds propelled by light winds with an overcast sky. This did not dampen the enthusiasm of many a visitor, who attended this past Friday and Saturday. Only the Indonesian exchange group shivered in their winter vests. They surely must have felt that they where on the ice flows of the arctic sea. Never the less many people where surprised that such an attraction existed in out midst. They were amazed and intrigued by the comprehensive artifact and pioneer buildings of a by gone era. Others revelled in seeing and reliving a past, they where once a part of. Children seen miniature working steam engines and threshing machines, tractors and trains, that predated their i-pods and wii’s. They could also take as many rides as they wished in the barrel train including the odd adult. Many of the historic building were manned, such as organists in the church. a conductor at the C.P.R. station, school teachers in the school, a postmaster, and a pioneer milling flour with a turn of the century Allis Chalmers flour mill. There were some 40 entries in the tractor and vehicle parade which attracted a goodly crowd as did the tractor pull later Saturday afternoon. There was a pork meat action held of a freshly butchered pig from early Saturday morning, as part of the Museums fund raising. Then of course the Harvest maids with there wholesome dinners and suppers of soup, sausages, with Keike (noodles) and Vereniki (perogies). After all this one could then drag themselves over to machine shed #2 and take in an evening of entertainment, which was well attended both evenings.
That about wraps it up, unless of course you were part of the clean up crew.

Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti who’s physical profile resembles my own, but who’s extraordinary tenor voice broke the operatic sound barriers of our time, was given a fitting departure in his hometown cathedral of Modena Italy. I am not necessarily a patron of the classics, but the rotund Pavarotti was captivating, engaging, and a natty dresser. He circulated in the operatic, folk, pop and rock music world with ease, having no problem teaming up with the likes of Bono and others artists. He drew fans from every music genre globally.
His teaming up with Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo as the 3 Tenors, even made a fan out of me. As one of Modena own resident’s said, “He was an exceptional man, for his humanity, for his culture and for his friendship.“
But we all have our detractors and oddly in death, Pavarotti’s was the local Modena parish priest the Rev Giorgio Bellei. Who told the Corriere della Sera Newspaper, that having Pavarotti’s funeral in the cathedral amounted to “profanation of the temple”; because he was a divorced man who had a child out of wedlock. I couldn’t agreed more than with Funeral director Gianni Gilbellini statement, that Bellei should have “kept his mouth sewn shut“, in light of the fact he approved Pavarotti’s funeral plans. Here is a man who had a most positive affect on the music scene globally all his life. I wonder what positive effect Bellei has had, on anyone’s life?

Morden Corn & Apple Parade Winners

Commercial Local - Focal Piont
Commercial Visitor - Goodin Wildlife
Non-Commercial Local - Baseball Hall of Fame

Non-Commercial Visitor - War Amps
Horses - Franklin Voth Horse Team
Antique Vehicle - Bob Pinkerton (A&W)
Agriculture - Ed Fehr (Ford, John Deere, Oliver)
Marching Band - Lord Selkirk Boy Scout Pipe Band
Clowns Kartotum Komedians (Shriner’s)
Music on a Float - Link & the Mustaches
Most Humorous - Hot Suds, Hot Tub`
Crowd Appeal - Fitwell Centre
Best Parade Theme - The 125 Year Float

See You In 2008

Fuhgeddaboutit!

On Saturday, August 19th, MTS Allstream ran an advertisement in a daily paper for a Corporate Communications Coordinator.
They will definitely need one, to manage the bungling tactics they have used to apply an extra $1.50 surcharge to pay your telephone bill. This surcharge is to force you to pre-authorize the payment of your telephone bill, or charge it to VISA or MasterCard. Of course, no cost is incurred by MTSAllstream in using VISA and MasterCard is there? What nonsense.
The whole issue of privatizing MTS was to give Manitobans better service through competition. So where is it? This was merely a political dream not a reality issue. Outside of cell phones, there are no alternate telephone and internet services to be had beyond the perimeter. So all those who do not have the internet, chequing accounts, or credit cards, cannot obtain an alternate service. In fact, MTSAllstream with its purchase of Pembina Valley Cable, has snuffed out any alternate services, and in fact, cannot or does not wish to, offer its bundle packages that are available in most of Winnipeg. What a petty, punitive, hostile, way to treat captive customers.
Could they not entice these remaining customers by perhaps offering one of their Calling Features free for a year?
MTSAllstream's name should be changed to "MTS Allscream". And if we do scream, they’ll back off. We should not relent until every MTS Buffalo is bagged. Then you can say as they do, Fuhgeddaboutit.