Welcome back Joanne, And you didn't miss anything to inspire the RANT. I should make it clear to all that I didn't write it - I was merely forwarding it to the list, as it tickled my fancy. By the way, click on: http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:NsX7LH9KV18J:www.ucs.mun.ca/~melbaker/childwelfare.htm+gosling+%2B+newfoundland&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 for an informative article on William Gilbert Gosling. Take care. Matt > Hello Matt, > It is so nice to go out of town and return home to the Rantings of a > Newfoundlander....what did I miss that sparked the Rant....think I will > print it out your Rant and frame it. I hated fish throughout my childhood > though only because my mother hated the smell and never cooked it. Since > coming to Florida I learned to enjoy quite a bit of it and was fortunate > enough this weekend to have some of my first taste of cod= "cod and black > olive pate" at some upscale restaurant and must say "I loved it!" I was > also "screeched in" thru transferrence when my bro. brought me back a bottle > a few years ago...don't know if it counts as "honorary Nfldr." (not because > I wouldn't kiss a cod~ and I wouldn't~ but because the ceremony did not take > place on the Rock). I am a second generation Nfldr. born in America and was > raised knowing hard work and advancing your education were expected of > you...Newfoundlanders all know this...it is only opportunity which has > lacked. This was key casuse to emmigration and since discovering my roots I > cannot help but think the Rock has for centuries been a main source for the > inhabitation and development of many "coastal areas" of the US not only in > the East but throughout the Great Lakes region and any spot where land meets > the sea. Coming back down the turnpike this weekend we crossed over the new > "Thomas B. Manuel" bridge in Port St. Lucie and I thought to myself now > HMMM... weren't the Manuel's from Exploits or Twillingate? So it has gotten > so I can't drive down a hwy. without wondering about Nfld connections and > forget about having a cocktail...I was recently introduced (delightfully > so!) to Gosling's Black Seal Rum, legendary spirit of Bermuda, and well go > figure... were there Gosling's in Newfoundland? (yes) and whose idea was it > to work in the Black Seal Wax into bottle production? hmmm....and I won't > get into the sex rant....as I always figured that for an Irish thing <big > grin> > Joanne > Matt said "Our best export is our PEOPLE" if there was a Top Ten List for > Nfld List Statements this would surely be #1,,,,,