Edward Brain's Blog

Merry Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Edward Brain

Christmas Tree at Nathan Phillips Square I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

I hope you get to spend time with your family and friends.

May all the blessings of Christmas be found for you and your family. Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged 2015, Christmas, Christmas and holiday season, Christmas carols, Merry Christmas | Leave a comment

Team Canada Announces Team for World Juniors 2016

Posted on December 20, 2015 by Edward Brain

Team Canada, the defending gold medal winners, have announced their final selections for the 2016 World Junior Hockey Championship.

The team consists of the following members:

Goalies:
Mason McDonald
Mackenzie Blackwood
Samuel Montembeault Continue reading →

Posted in Sports | Tagged Anthony Beauvillier, Brandon Hickey, Brayden Point, Brendan Perlini, Canada men's national junior ice hockey team, Dylan Strome, Haydn Fleury, IIHF World U20 Championship, Jake Virtanen, Joe Hicketts, John Quenneville, Julien Gauthier, Lawson Crouse, Mackenzie Blackwood, Mason McDonald, Mathew Barzal, Mitchell Marner, Mitchell Stephens, Roland McKeown, Rourke Chartier, Samuel Montembeault, Team Canada, Thomas Chabot, Travis Dermott, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, World Juniors | Leave a comment

Nicholas Smith Passes Away at 81

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Edward Brain

The cast of Are You Being Served? in late 1981. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nicholas Smith, the veteran actor who famously played Mr. Rumbold in the long running comedy Are You Being Served?, has passed away at the age of 81.

Mr. Smith was born in Banstead, England on March 5th, 1934. He trained as an actor at RADA, and appeared on stage on the West End, the Bristol Old Vic, and Broadway. He would go on to have small roles on television, on series such as The Saint, The Avengers, The Champions and Ace of Wands.

In 1972, Mr. Smith landed the role for which he would be fondly remembered, as Mr. Cuthbert “Jug Ears” Rumbold in the series Are You Being Served? He would stay with the series until it finished its run in 1985. He would later reprise the role in the follow up series, Grace & Favour (called Are You Being Served? Again! in North America) in 1992 and 1993. He also appeared in the movie version of the show in 1977. Continue reading →

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged 81, Are You Being Served?, Are You Being Served? Again!, Broadway, dead, Death, Frank Thornton, Grace & Favour, Last of the Summer Wine, Me and My Girl, Mr. Rumbold, Nicholas Smith, The Avengers, Trevor Bannister, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, West End | Leave a comment

103rd Grey Cup

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Edward Brain

The Grey Cup

The 103rd Grey Cup is set to go tomorrow night in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Ottawa RedBlacks (12-6) take on the Edmonton Eskimos (14-4).

The game creates a rematch of the 69th Grey Cup as it is the first time since 1981 that teams from Ottawa and Edmonton are playing each other for the Grey Cup.

This Grey Cup also marks the first appearance of the current Ottawa team, the RedBlacks, in the title game – the RedBlacks joined the league in 2014. It also marks the first time since 1981 that any team representing Ottawa made it to the Grey Cup game – the then Ottawa Rough Riders folded in 1996, and the Ottawa Renegades (2002-2006) never represented Ottawa in the Grey Cup. Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian Football | Tagged 103rd Grey Cup, 69th Grey Cup, Calgary Stampeders, Canadian Football League, CFL, Edmonton Eskimos, Grey Cup, Hamilton Tiger Cats, Ottawa Redblacks, Ottawa Renegades, Ottawa Rough Riders, Winnipeg Manitoba | Leave a comment

David Canary has Passed Away

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Edward Brain

Veteran television actor David Canary has passed away at the age of 77.

Mr. Canary was especially known for his roles as Candy Canaday on Bonanza, and as twins Adam and Stuart Chandler on All My Children.

Mr. Canary also starred on the stage, in productions of Kismet, Man Of La Mancha, The Fantasticks, The Seagull, and Macbeth. Continue reading →

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged Adam Chandler, All My Children, Bonanza, David Canary, Death, Spock, Star Trek, Stuart Chandler | Leave a comment

Remembrance Day 2015

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Edward Brain

Remembrance Day 2014 003 (1024x768) Today, November 11th 2015, we mark Remembrance Day in Canada and the sacrifices made by our military during the many conflicts Canada has been involved in.

Canadians have a long tradition of joining the military when required and to successfully fight in many difficult situations in order that we all may enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy today.

So, if you are grateful for the freedoms we enjoy in Canada, please thank a veteran.

As an appropriate remembrance for all the sacrifices, here is “In Flanders Fields“, the poem written by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae: Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged #CanadaRemembers, #LestWeForget, #RemembranceDay, #ThankAVeteren, Dominion of Canada, In Flanders Fields, Lest We Forget, Remember Them, Remembrance Day, The Great War, World War 1, World War II | Leave a comment

Tannhäuser a Success

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Edward Brain

The Metropolitan Opera broadcast a performance of their current run of Tannhäuser as part of their Live in HD series on October 31st.

The performance starred Johan Botha as the knight Tannhäuser, Eva-Maria Westbroek as Elisabeth, Michelle DeYoung as Venus, Peter Mattei as Wolfram von Escenbach, Günther Groissböck as the Landgrave of Thuringia, Ying Fang as the Young Shepherd, Noah Baetge as Walther von der Vogelweide, Ryan McKinny as Biterolf, Adam Klein as Heinrich der Schreiber, and Ricardo Lugo as Reinmar von Zweter.

The production was conducted by Artistic Director James Levine. The production team was Otto Schenk (Director), Günther Schneider-Siemssen (Set Designer), Patricia Zipprodt (Costume Designer), Gil Wechsler (Lighting Director), and Norbert Vesak (Choreographer.) Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Adam Klein, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Gil Wechsler, Gunther Schneider-Siemssen, Heinrich der Schreiber, James Levine, Johan Botha, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Metropolitan Opera, Michelle DeYoung, New York City, Noah Baetge, Norbert Vesak, O du mein holder Abendstern, Otto Schenk, Patricia Zipprodt, Peter Mattei, Review, Ricardo Lugo, Richard Wagner, Ryan McKinny, Tannhäuser, Ying Fang | Leave a comment

Bridge of Spies: A Movie Worth Seeing

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Edward Brain

U-2 with fictitious NASA markings to support CIA cover story for pilot Gary Powers, shot down over Soviet Union. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The movie Bridge of Spies, about lawyer turned negotiator James B. Donovan, and three prisoners during the Cold War is a movie not to miss.

The movie tells of how James Donovan is hired to defend Rudolf Abel on a charge of working as a Soviet spy. As the case moves through trial and up to the Supreme Court, an American spy plane is shot down over the USSR, and an American student is arrested by the East German Government while trying to escape East Berlin while the Berlin Wall is completed.

In the end, it is up to James Donovan to negotiate the exchange of Rudolf Abel and American pilot Francis Gary Powers, officially without the consent of the American Government. He ends up negotiating the release of both Powers and student Frederic Pryor in exchange for Abel. Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, Austin Stowell, Berlin Wall, Bridge of Spies, Cold War, Francis Gary Powers, Frederic Pryor, James B. Donovan, Mark Rylance, Movie, Review, Rudolf Abel, Soviet Union, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, United States, United States of America, USSR, Vilyam Genrikhovich Fisher, Will Rogers | Leave a comment

Maureen O’Hara has Passed Away

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Edward Brain

Maureen O’Hara in a screenshot from the trailer for the film The Black Swan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The legendary actress Maureen O’Hara passed away on October 24th, 2015 of natural causes. She was 95 years old.

Miss O’Hara was born in Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland on August 17th, 1920. She would marry three times: to George H. Brown (1939-1941), Will Price (1941-1953), and Charles F. Blair, Jr. (1968-1978).

Miss O’Hara first became known after her appearances in the 1939 movies Jamaica Inn (directed by Alfred Hitchcock), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (alongside Charles Laughton.) Her career was further cemented with her Academy Award nominated role in Miracle on 34th Street in 1947. Continue reading →

Posted in Obituaries | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, ‍ 'Tis Herself, Big Jake, Charles Laughton, Henry Fonda, Hollywood Walk of Fame, How Green Was My Valley, Jamaica Inn, John Candy, John Ford, John Wayne, Long Gray Line, Love Letters from Maureen O'Hara, Maureen O'Hara, Maureen O'Hara Sings her Favorite Irish Songs, McLintock!, Miracle on 34th Street, Only the Lonely, Rio Grande, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Quiet Man, The Red Pony, The Wings of Eagles, Wings of Eagles | 2 Comments

Canada’s 42nd Federal General Election

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Edward Brain

Parliament Hill

On Monday October 19th, 2015, the Dominion of Canada conducted its 42nd Federal General Election in the history of the Dominion.

The election saw an increase in the number of Members of Parliament (MPs) being elected – 338 members, up 30 from the 308 that were elected in 2011. A party that receives 170 seats in this election would win a Majority Government.

The election saw the Prime Minister, Stephan Harper, try and win four straight elections for the first time since 1979. Only Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald has ever won four straight elections as the leader of a political party (1878, 1882, 1887, and 1891.) Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged 42nd General Election, Bloc Québécois, Elizabeth May, Federal Election, Federal Government, Gilles Duceppe, House of Commons, Justin Trudeau, NDP, New Democratic Party, Stephen Harper, Thomas Mulcair, Tom Mulcair | Leave a comment

Edward Brain's Blog

Merry Christmas

Team Canada Announces Team for World Juniors 2016

Nicholas Smith Passes Away at 81

103rd Grey Cup

David Canary has Passed Away

Remembrance Day 2015

Tannhäuser a Success

Bridge of Spies: A Movie Worth Seeing

Maureen O’Hara has Passed Away

Canada’s 42nd Federal General Election

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