Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
We Ask For The Public's Assistance In This Case
At Yonge & Incurious:
Toronto police are again turning to the public for information about a missing teen after her backpack was found on Thursday outside a building near Eglinton Ave. E. and Yonge St.
"This is the first tangible item we've discovered," said Det. Sgt. Dan Nealon about the schoolbag belonging to Mariam Makhniashvili, who vanished on Sept. 14 while walking to school.
...
After questioning people in the area, police learned that Al Nezhadi, a resident living on the ground floor of an apartment building on Roehampton first spotted the bag on the lawn about two weeks ago.
But he didn't think much of it. After all, he says, students who attend the high school often cross the street to smoke, chat and hang out, routinely leaving things behind on the grass next to the building, such as baseball bats and shoes.
Not wanting the bag to get wet, Nezhadi moved it on to his balcony, in plain sight, hoping that its owner would claim it. But then it got muddy, so he moved it again after some days.
"I moved it around a few times, thinking someone would take it," said Nezhadi, adding he had not heard of Mariam's disappearance.
Nezhadi said he and his wife opened the bag and noticed it contained books and food, presumably Mariam's lunch. But they did not leaf through the books in search of a name.
Residents out walking their dog, also noticed the knapsack, but they assumed it belonged to Nezhadi's daughter, so no one took a closer look.
"I was moving it around and hoping somebody would pick it up," said Nezhadi. "And then three or four days ago I didn't see it."
That's when somebody moved the bag, about 20 metres, from Nezhadi's balcony back onto the grass, beneath a tree.
Toronto police are again turning to the public for information about a missing teen after her backpack was found on Thursday outside a building near Eglinton Ave. E. and Yonge St.
"This is the first tangible item we've discovered," said Det. Sgt. Dan Nealon about the schoolbag belonging to Mariam Makhniashvili, who vanished on Sept. 14 while walking to school.
...
After questioning people in the area, police learned that Al Nezhadi, a resident living on the ground floor of an apartment building on Roehampton first spotted the bag on the lawn about two weeks ago.
But he didn't think much of it. After all, he says, students who attend the high school often cross the street to smoke, chat and hang out, routinely leaving things behind on the grass next to the building, such as baseball bats and shoes.
Not wanting the bag to get wet, Nezhadi moved it on to his balcony, in plain sight, hoping that its owner would claim it. But then it got muddy, so he moved it again after some days.
"I moved it around a few times, thinking someone would take it," said Nezhadi, adding he had not heard of Mariam's disappearance.
Nezhadi said he and his wife opened the bag and noticed it contained books and food, presumably Mariam's lunch. But they did not leaf through the books in search of a name.
Residents out walking their dog, also noticed the knapsack, but they assumed it belonged to Nezhadi's daughter, so no one took a closer look.
"I was moving it around and hoping somebody would pick it up," said Nezhadi. "And then three or four days ago I didn't see it."
That's when somebody moved the bag, about 20 metres, from Nezhadi's balcony back onto the grass, beneath a tree.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Brown Shirts
No Beaver Boy jokes.
Things we do for our kids, eh?
mp3: Boston Spaceships -- "Soggy Beavers" (from Brown Submarine)
Things we do for our kids, eh?
mp3: Boston Spaceships -- "Soggy Beavers" (from Brown Submarine)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Wanted: First Strike Capability
By the peeps for the peeps yo!
Not, I think, that it will stop the little fukkers from rolling past my bedroom window at 1am every other weeknight.
Not, I think, that it will stop the little fukkers from rolling past my bedroom window at 1am every other weeknight.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Why I Like Some Pop Music Critics In Particular But Loathe Them In General
This is not a terrible album, there’s just no reason for it to exist.
The unpleasantness behind him, Mr. Richards returns to his Parkinson's research.
Creepy/funny stuff:
mp3: Dodos -- "The Strums" (from Time To Die)
The unpleasantness behind him, Mr. Richards returns to his Parkinson's research.
Creepy/funny stuff:
mp3: Dodos -- "The Strums" (from Time To Die)
Archbishop A Glass Half-Full Kinda Guy
Archbish Anthonygonish Mancini:
This can be an opportunity for all of us to rediscover what it is to be the community of faith, to realize what the root of our faith really is, and how each of us helps to share the faith.
We are going through a very painful contemporary experience of the mystery of our Faith, which is all about Passion and Death yes, but it is also about the promise of Resurrection, without which we have no future. So I call on you to be hopeful because we believe in new life and new possibilities.
Indeed.
This can be an opportunity for all of us to rediscover what it is to be the community of faith, to realize what the root of our faith really is, and how each of us helps to share the faith.
We are going through a very painful contemporary experience of the mystery of our Faith, which is all about Passion and Death yes, but it is also about the promise of Resurrection, without which we have no future. So I call on you to be hopeful because we believe in new life and new possibilities.
Indeed.
Continuing Education
Rip and send to any and all religiose dingbats in your ken.
And on this date in 1836, Darwin touches down on the Cornish coast.
And on this date in 1836, Darwin touches down on the Cornish coast.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
And
getting fatter.
Close-fitting shirt though, as was the style in 2008 at Mountain Equipment Co-op.
mp3: Guided By Voices -- "Blimps Go 90" (from Alien Lanes)
Close-fitting shirt though, as was the style in 2008 at Mountain Equipment Co-op.
mp3: Guided By Voices -- "Blimps Go 90" (from Alien Lanes)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Five
A wee bit in the cups and all melancholy-like from missing the gels (who are away this weekend)
The indomitable Wings up 4-0 currently in second period of game 5.
The daughter's current favourite:
PM listening:
Anthony Phillips -- "High Fives" (from Field Day)
Just like fucking tweeting isn't it?
The indomitable Wings up 4-0 currently in second period of game 5.
The daughter's current favourite:
PM listening:
Anthony Phillips -- "High Fives" (from Field Day)
Just like fucking tweeting isn't it?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Her Lips Are Sealed
The GG takes a break from the rubber chicken circuit:
Hundreds of Inuit at a community festival gathered around as the Governor General made a gesture of solidarity with the country's beleaguered seal hunters.
Hundreds of Inuit at a community festival gathered around as the Governor General made a gesture of solidarity with the country's beleaguered seal hunters.
Jean knelt above a pair of carcasses and used a traditional blade to slice the meat off the skin.
After repeated, vigorous cuts through the flesh the Queen's representative turned to the woman beside her and asked enthusiastically: "Could I try the heart?"
Afterward Jean grabbed a tissue to wipe clean her blood-soaked fingers, and explained her gesture of solidarity with the region's Inuit hunters.
Or, the purple version:
First she gutted it. Then she had the heart pulled out of its furry, flabby carcass. Finally, she swallowed a slice of the mammal's dripping organ.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Fireworks
The wife and I went to see Animal Collective at the ex-Docks on Saturday. I don't think I've ever felt so aged: apart from one late-40ish-looking couple we were by far the oldest people there. At least Jo received the compliment of being carded by security. Which circle of hell is it where you're packed in like sardines with swooning hippies with b.o., fratboy doofuses and young men with bad halitosis (as opposed to good halitosis)? Must be in the top ten. It was certainly in the top five during opening act Grouper's set--too tedious to be engaging and too sonically annoying to be decent wallpaper music.
The show was very good, although I was disappointed they largely skipped over Feels and Sung Tongs ("Leaf House" was really cool). All of the current Merriweather Post Pavilion hits were there, along with some nice reworkings of older tunes like "Chocolate Girl."
Victoria Day fireworks with the girl on Monday, fortunately making us feel young again.
The show was very good, although I was disappointed they largely skipped over Feels and Sung Tongs ("Leaf House" was really cool). All of the current Merriweather Post Pavilion hits were there, along with some nice reworkings of older tunes like "Chocolate Girl."
Victoria Day fireworks with the girl on Monday, fortunately making us feel young again.
Taking RC Harris Water Treatment Plant (By Sparkler)
I've Broken Free From Zionist Control
Well, they let me go really, once they realized I wasn't much good at anything.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
What Friggin' Recession
$18 mil per for erratic, injury prone quickie with 'tude.
These only just back in stock.
Throwing out new shoes becomes fashionable.
These only just back in stock.
Throwing out new shoes becomes fashionable.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Gimme Some Mo'
The seemingly unsackable CIC National Prez Mohamed El-Masry at it again:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is indifferent to Omar Khadr’s plight because the Guantanamo Bay prisoner is ``brown-skinned” and a Muslim, the leader of one of Canada’s largest Islamic groups said today.
Elmasry contrasts Khadr’s case with that of dual Canadian-British citizen William Sampson, who was freed from a death sentence in Saudi Arabia in 2003.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is indifferent to Omar Khadr’s plight because the Guantanamo Bay prisoner is ``brown-skinned” and a Muslim, the leader of one of Canada’s largest Islamic groups said today.
Harper’s resistance to calls to repatriate the Canadian citizen shows he is pandering to Islamophobes, said Canadian Islamic Congress president Mohamed Elmasry.
“In this case, Mr. Harper is playing politics because of the backdrop of Islamophobia in this country,” Elmasry said.
[...]Elmasry contrasts Khadr’s case with that of dual Canadian-British citizen William Sampson, who was freed from a death sentence in Saudi Arabia in 2003.
“Why is Stephen Harper so callously indifferent to Omar Khadr’s case?” Elmasry wrote.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Several Pints Of Bitter
Caught this interview with Alannah Myles the second time 'round. See how far you can get without cringing or hitting pause.
Q: when people who "visualize" their successes fuck up, is it due to improper visualization of the success or a failure to visualize the failure?
Q: when people who "visualize" their successes fuck up, is it due to improper visualization of the success or a failure to visualize the failure?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Golden Age
No picnic for the staff, obviously, but I gotta say I'm looking forward to my eventual stay in one of our care facilities:
Elderly and demented residents are attacking their caregivers in Canadian nursing homes at alarming rates, a new study out of York University says.
[edit]
Elderly and demented residents are attacking their caregivers in Canadian nursing homes at alarming rates, a new study out of York University says.
[edit]
“Almost all of the personal support workers that we surveyed said they experienced physical violence (at some point) from the residents they cared for,” [lead study author Albert] Banerjee says.
As well, about 30 per cent of Canadian workers – 95 per cent of them women – complained of unwanted sexual attention on a daily or weekly basis.
Almost 12 per cent said they suffered racial slurs over the same time frames.
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Stone Diaries
Went to see the Bevster read from the new book at Harbourfront the other night. Despite the obvious nervyness of a first public reading, she did a fine job. The modest number of copies available were snapped up quickly (official release pushed back to early April now).
The novel is dedicated to my sister-in-law Cindy, which was a very sweet gesture.
So I didn't go to see Deerhoof's Canadian Music Week gig. As if I would have been able to stay awake for it anyway.
The novel is dedicated to my sister-in-law Cindy, which was a very sweet gesture.
So I didn't go to see Deerhoof's Canadian Music Week gig. As if I would have been able to stay awake for it anyway.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful
No Beautiful Shore, the debut novel by our friend Beverley Stone (as previously mentioned) has been delayed at the printers but should be available around mid-March at your local.
Bev will be doing her first public reading as part of the Harbourfront Weekly Reading Series on Wednesday, March 5. It's not on their sked yet but I assure you 'tis so. So go. No heckling, unless it's in dialect.
And gents--she's single (with cats)!
Bev will be doing her first public reading as part of the Harbourfront Weekly Reading Series on Wednesday, March 5. It's not on their sked yet but I assure you 'tis so. So go. No heckling, unless it's in dialect.
And gents--she's single (with cats)!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Black DSH Showing Blonde Roots
Our pusscat refused to eat his salmon- and trout-flavoured cat food today because I put...salmon oil in it.
Post About Post-Rock Band Post-Iraq
Efrim Menuck, erstwhile of Montreal's maestros of the maudlin (de)crescendo Godspeed You! Black Emperor, talks about the band's demise in an upcoming interview. Unfortunately, Babelfish doesn't speak Gibberopseudish:
The last American tour that Godspeed did was in the run up to the current war in Iraq. For what Godspeed did, it was very difficult for us to work out a way for us to communicate directly with the audience about what was going on. We would talk to people after the shows, or we could make announcements from the stage but so much what Godspeed was, was one-way communication.
The last American tour that Godspeed did was in the run up to the current war in Iraq. For what Godspeed did, it was very difficult for us to work out a way for us to communicate directly with the audience about what was going on. We would talk to people after the shows, or we could make announcements from the stage but so much what Godspeed was, was one-way communication.
“And I had an existential freak-out about that. That those tactics aren’t valid anymore.
“People didn’t need a rock band pointing in the direction of [how the world was at that point]. Maybe what they needed is some clumsy words, a presentation that was a little more human.
mp3: GY!BE--"Moya" (from the ep Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada)
We're An Urban Village!
...wrote C. Hume in The Star the other day.
I must say it helps having rail lines a couple of blocks north, a commercially depressed area to the east, and a fucking great hill to the south.
Although they lack excitement, the tree-lined roads make up for a lot. Wandering around here one is reminded of the critical role trees play in a city like Toronto, which would otherwise be one mean-looking place.
Oh, pooh.
I must say it helps having rail lines a couple of blocks north, a commercially depressed area to the east, and a fucking great hill to the south.
Although they lack excitement, the tree-lined roads make up for a lot. Wandering around here one is reminded of the critical role trees play in a city like Toronto, which would otherwise be one mean-looking place.
Oh, pooh.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Madness In The Atlantic
Feeding my recent obsession with adventure tales, I've just finished reading this book.
In the end, Donald Crowhurst didn't do much adventuring, as he never made it out of the Atlantic Ocean and didn't see many storms. However, his story serves as a warning against solo sailing, or, for that matter, doing any remote exploration by yourself. (Look what happened to Chris McCandless, subject of Into The Wild.)
I'm not talking about the obvious physical perils of solo adventures:
Sailing up and down the Atlantic for 243 days, alone, with limited radio contact and only one shore visit (with non-English speakers), is a sure way to push an unstable person around the bend. And in Crowhurst's case, it did. Heck, it probably could push a well-balanced person over the edge.
This isn't a book report; I'm not going to give you a synopsis of what happened to Donald Crowhurst. His story is widely available online. Plus, there's now a documentary about him, Deep Water. I hope to see it some day.
What's saddest about Crowhurst's story is how trapped he felt, how he boxed himself into an impossible situation. It's like watching the proverbial train wreck; you're unable to stop it happening. He had many opportunities to stop before it was too late. He could've even sailed to the West Indies, declared himself a renegade and never returned home. For him, too shameful an option perhaps. But at least he wouldn't have gone mad.
In the end, Donald Crowhurst didn't do much adventuring, as he never made it out of the Atlantic Ocean and didn't see many storms. However, his story serves as a warning against solo sailing, or, for that matter, doing any remote exploration by yourself. (Look what happened to Chris McCandless, subject of Into The Wild.)
I'm not talking about the obvious physical perils of solo adventures:
Sailing up and down the Atlantic for 243 days, alone, with limited radio contact and only one shore visit (with non-English speakers), is a sure way to push an unstable person around the bend. And in Crowhurst's case, it did. Heck, it probably could push a well-balanced person over the edge.
This isn't a book report; I'm not going to give you a synopsis of what happened to Donald Crowhurst. His story is widely available online. Plus, there's now a documentary about him, Deep Water. I hope to see it some day.
What's saddest about Crowhurst's story is how trapped he felt, how he boxed himself into an impossible situation. It's like watching the proverbial train wreck; you're unable to stop it happening. He had many opportunities to stop before it was too late. He could've even sailed to the West Indies, declared himself a renegade and never returned home. For him, too shameful an option perhaps. But at least he wouldn't have gone mad.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Happy New Year
Best wishes to all. We're staying in, as Jo is coming down with the flu.
Who am I kidding--we'd have stayed in anyway.
Perhaps watching this.
Who am I kidding--we'd have stayed in anyway.
Perhaps watching this.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Newf For 2008
The debut novel by our friend Bev Stone (Beverley for ahh-thorial purposes) will be released by Cormorant Books on Valentine's Day.
I order you to pre-order.
Bev has a wicked and weird sense of humour and a soothing voice that could talk down the most determined jumper.
I order you to pre-order.
Bev has a wicked and weird sense of humour and a soothing voice that could talk down the most determined jumper.
Friday, December 21, 2007
An Aversion To Publicity Bordering On The Bransonesque
When making fun of Ann Coulter, we Canucks should always remember that we spawned Rachel "Play Misty For Me" Marsden.
Thorough backgrounder here, for those of you who didn't read Frank regularly during the late '90s.
Thorough backgrounder here, for those of you who didn't read Frank regularly during the late '90s.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Big In Iran
Nice to hear that Chris de Burgh is still alive.
"Lady In Red" will not be performed, authorities say, and if she shows up she'll be politely asked to adhere to Islamic dress codes.
"Lady In Red" will not be performed, authorities say, and if she shows up she'll be politely asked to adhere to Islamic dress codes.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Red Hat, Ding Bat
The Joe Horn case in Texas, commented upon by Guardian Angels principal breakdancer Curtis Sliwa (zip to around 1 minute in).
Catch Curtis live in Halifax this weekend.
Catch Curtis live in Halifax this weekend.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Rhymes With Hallelu-jah
The dehumanizing effects of war, exemplified by Nickelback fused with tourist-version Middle-Eastern motif:
Actually, if you imagine it being sung by Warren Zevon it's kinda funny.
Actually, if you imagine it being sung by Warren Zevon it's kinda funny.
Semper Ubi Sub Ubi
Low and extra loose:
A 54-year-old woman pleaded guilty Thursday to committing aggravated assault by a series of attacks on her naked common-law partner which included tearing open his scrotum and smashing a beer bottle over his head in Owen Sound last month.
[edit]
A 54-year-old woman pleaded guilty Thursday to committing aggravated assault by a series of attacks on her naked common-law partner which included tearing open his scrotum and smashing a beer bottle over his head in Owen Sound last month.
[edit]
Campbell and her common-law partner for 24 years began arguing over money. She wanted to go to a restaurant and drink, while he wanted to pay the electricity bill so the power company would turn the electricity back on.
Goddam that's one choice I hope I never have to face.
Moral High Horse Breaks Leg, Destroyed
"Objectifying" your lad/lass good, some anonymous bimbo bad, as NDP MP Irene Mathyssen explains:
Mathyssen stunned all sides by complaining that she'd seen Tory MP James Moore checking out a "scantily clad" woman on his laptop computer in Parliament.
Mathyssen stunned all sides by complaining that she'd seen Tory MP James Moore checking out a "scantily clad" woman on his laptop computer in Parliament.
Moore, a parliamentary secretary from British Columbia, vehemently denied the claim. And late Wednesday, Mathyssen apologized to Moore.
NDP spokesman Ian Capstick said Mathyssen phoned Moore and he explained to her that the photos she'd seen on his laptop were of his girlfriend.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Water Wet Shock
1 + 1 > 1, says Michigan State researcher:
A new scientific study deduces divorce pollutes the environment, because it splits households in two, doubling the demand for electricity and even water.
A new scientific study deduces divorce pollutes the environment, because it splits households in two, doubling the demand for electricity and even water.
"More households mean more houses," said Jianguo Liu, professor of fisheries and wildlife at Michigan State University, who co-authored the report published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"To build more houses, you need more land, more construction material and more energy."
Friday, November 23, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
It Is Most Definitely Alive
From Andrew Nikiforuk's review of Devra Davis' The Secret History Of The War On Cancer in today's Globe:
[Davis] has smelled and felt cancer firsthand, having lost two parents and many friends, including the comic Andrea Martin, to the disease.
Richard Ouzounian reviews the new stage version of Young Frankenstein:
The original 1974 film worked because its visual style was a perfect match for those cheesy 1930s Universal horror films.
[Davis] has smelled and felt cancer firsthand, having lost two parents and many friends, including the comic Andrea Martin, to the disease.
Richard Ouzounian reviews the new stage version of Young Frankenstein:
The original 1974 film worked because its visual style was a perfect match for those cheesy 1930s Universal horror films.
And the cast was superb. But except for Megan Mullally's brassily clueless fiancée Elizabeth, and Andrea Martin's dourly knowing housekeeper, Frau Blucher, the rest of the musical's personnel are limp imitations.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Rain Dance
Drought-stricken Georgia's Governor Sonny Perdue prays.
But this fellah has an air-horn and knows that buggery is to blame:
Both deserve to have some form of liquid fall on their heads.
Good on these dudes.
But this fellah has an air-horn and knows that buggery is to blame:
Both deserve to have some form of liquid fall on their heads.
Good on these dudes.
Monday, November 12, 2007
November 12 Minus 1
Outside Kew Beach Park:
Ignore the squirrel
Out of the mouths of etc... (please forward to J. Layton)
Ignore the squirrel
Out of the mouths of etc... (please forward to J. Layton)
Friday, November 9, 2007
Taggaz Wi Culcha
Not a graffito you see every day...
mp3: G. Mahler--"Von der Schonheit (Beauty)" from Das Lied Von Der Erde (C. Ludwig; Von Karajan, Berlin PO)
mp3: G. Mahler--"Von der Schonheit (Beauty)" from Das Lied Von Der Erde (C. Ludwig; Von Karajan, Berlin PO)
Saturday, October 13, 2007
A Short Break
Quit my job a couple of months ago. Decided to stay home with she.
I get to hang with my daughter during a fun stage of her intyleckchual development, get more exercise, and get to lounge about in playgrounds with attractive mummies.
And I'm drinking as much if not more than I ever have.
Life is good and I'm the insufferable dude.
mp3: They Might Be Giants--"The Cap'm" (from The Else)
I get to hang with my daughter during a fun stage of her intyleckchual development, get more exercise, and get to lounge about in playgrounds with attractive mummies.
And I'm drinking as much if not more than I ever have.
Life is good and I'm the insufferable dude.
mp3: They Might Be Giants--"The Cap'm" (from The Else)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Freebie
But what's the Court's position on tipping?
Around the Newmarket courthouse, they're calling it the "Monica Lewinsky ruling," a reference to the White House intern who performed a certain sexual act on then-president Bill Clinton.
Around the Newmarket courthouse, they're calling it the "Monica Lewinsky ruling," a reference to the White House intern who performed a certain sexual act on then-president Bill Clinton.
Although that was an oral act, the case in the courthouse north of Toronto that is creating such a buzz involves "manual release," and whether or not masturbating a client at a Vaughan body rub parlour was an act of prostitution.
Justice Howard Chisvin, of the Ontario Court of Justice, didn't think so, and dismissed two bawdy house charges against Valeri Ponomarev, the manager of Studio 176, in a recent ruling that said: "The payment of money was for a full-body massage. The act of masturbation was optional, at no additional fee. I wonder, and am left in doubt as to whether or not the community might consider the act of masturbation in all situations to be sexual."
Friday, September 7, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
Footloose
Nice work etc.:
Forensic experts are examining two severed right feet found within days of each other on separate islands off central Vancouver Island.
Forensic experts are examining two severed right feet found within days of each other on separate islands off central Vancouver Island.
Police say the latest remains – a foot inside a men's size-12 Reebok sneaker – were found Sunday on a heavily used trail on Gabriola Island near Nanaimo.
[edit]Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Garry Cox said that finding two severed right feet on relatively nearby islands at such a close interval is odd.
"It's very strange and unusual," he said. "I've never seen anything like this before.
"We've had body parts found, but it's usually from somebody who has died and animals scattered the body parts around."
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Lazy Tuesday post 'bout nothing
For those of you working in the publishing world, here's some cheap jokes about editors and their peers. There's not many editor jokes out there, especially compared with the huge number of jokes about other professions; hell, even ACTUARIES have a lot of jokes! I guess we editors just ain't funny.
Two fonts walk into a bar, the bartender says 'we don't serve your type here'. So they called the serif.
Q: How many sub-editors does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: We can't tell whether you mean "insert a new lightbulb" or "have sexual relations inside a lightbulb". Can we reword it to remove ambiguity?
Q: How many art directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Does it have to be a lightbulb?
Q: How many proofreaders does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: The last time this was asked it involved Art Directors. Is the difference intentional? It seems inconsistent.
Q: How many writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Why do we have to change it?
Q: How many editors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: It was supposed to be in place last week!
Q: How many publishers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Three. One to screw it in and two more to hold down the editor.
Q: How many marketing directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: It isn't too late to make it neon, is it?
Q: How many advertising directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: We're not sure because the client might change it tomorrow. Cut some editorial anyway.
Q: How many sales directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: (pause) I get it! It's one of those lightbulb jokes, right?
Two fonts walk into a bar, the bartender says 'we don't serve your type here'. So they called the serif.
Q: How many sub-editors does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: We can't tell whether you mean "insert a new lightbulb" or "have sexual relations inside a lightbulb". Can we reword it to remove ambiguity?
Q: How many art directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Does it have to be a lightbulb?
Q: How many proofreaders does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: The last time this was asked it involved Art Directors. Is the difference intentional? It seems inconsistent.
Q: How many writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Why do we have to change it?
Q: How many editors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: It was supposed to be in place last week!
Q: How many publishers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Three. One to screw it in and two more to hold down the editor.
Q: How many marketing directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: It isn't too late to make it neon, is it?
Q: How many advertising directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: We're not sure because the client might change it tomorrow. Cut some editorial anyway.
Q: How many sales directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: (pause) I get it! It's one of those lightbulb jokes, right?
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Suits And Raspberries
One of the suits I work with embarrassed himself recently, when he insisted that University of Western Ontario was part of the Ivy League. What a knob. It took three of us underlings to prove to him that UWO's business school is named after a different guy.
We're nearing the end of July, which means that raspberry season is almost gone for another year. Shamelessly poached from Foodland Ontario, here's a yummy raspberry dessert for those who appreciate this most exquisite of fruits.
Raspberry and Apricot Squares
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) almonds
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
Topping:
2 cups (500 mL) Ontario Raspberries
1 cup (250 mL) sliced Ontario Apricots
1 cup (250 mL) ground almonds
2/3 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
Pinch salt
Butter sides of 8 in. (2 L) square cake pan; set aside.
In bowl, beat butter until creamy, stir in lemon rind, then sugar and almonds. Mix in flour gradually, using fingertips if too stiff to mix with spoon. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
Bake in 325°F (160°C) oven for 12 minutes or until slightly puffed and surface appears dry; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
Topping:
In small bowl, combine half the almonds, half the sugar and 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the flour. With fork, blend in butter until mixture is crumbly; set aside.
In separate bowl, beat eggs with remaining sugar until thickened and pale. Combine remaining almonds and flour with baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture. Combine raspberries and apricots; spoon evenly over base. Cover evenly with batter. Sprinkle evenly with topping. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is puffed and golden and fruit is bubbly. Let cool in pan on rack. Run knife around edges of pan and cut into squares.
There you go. All this, just to shift my dad's picture from the top of the blog.
We're nearing the end of July, which means that raspberry season is almost gone for another year. Shamelessly poached from Foodland Ontario, here's a yummy raspberry dessert for those who appreciate this most exquisite of fruits.
Raspberry and Apricot Squares
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) almonds
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
Topping:
2 cups (500 mL) Ontario Raspberries
1 cup (250 mL) sliced Ontario Apricots
1 cup (250 mL) ground almonds
2/3 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
Pinch salt
Butter sides of 8 in. (2 L) square cake pan; set aside.
In bowl, beat butter until creamy, stir in lemon rind, then sugar and almonds. Mix in flour gradually, using fingertips if too stiff to mix with spoon. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
Bake in 325°F (160°C) oven for 12 minutes or until slightly puffed and surface appears dry; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
Topping:
In small bowl, combine half the almonds, half the sugar and 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the flour. With fork, blend in butter until mixture is crumbly; set aside.
In separate bowl, beat eggs with remaining sugar until thickened and pale. Combine remaining almonds and flour with baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture. Combine raspberries and apricots; spoon evenly over base. Cover evenly with batter. Sprinkle evenly with topping. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is puffed and golden and fruit is bubbly. Let cool in pan on rack. Run knife around edges of pan and cut into squares.
There you go. All this, just to shift my dad's picture from the top of the blog.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Featuring The Hit Single "Tarmac-ameleon"
Paved In Full: The Best Of The One-Man Ahmadinejad Band to be released soon:
He has provoked the west's fury with his calls for Israel's elimination, dismissal of the Holocaust as a "myth" and strident advocacy of Iran's nuclear rights.
Now Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has ordered his fiery polemics to be saved for posterity in preparation for commercial publication.
He has appointed a 15-member advisory council of his closest aides to study his "works and opinions" and choose the most important. Selected items are likely to be issued as books, CDs and pamphlets.
[edit]
However, Rooz Online, an opposition website, suggested Mr Ahmadinejad's advisers would have a much thinner body of work to choose from.
The only known publication credited to the president - who has a PhD in traffic management - was a treatise about cold asphalt, it said.
He has provoked the west's fury with his calls for Israel's elimination, dismissal of the Holocaust as a "myth" and strident advocacy of Iran's nuclear rights.
Now Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has ordered his fiery polemics to be saved for posterity in preparation for commercial publication.
He has appointed a 15-member advisory council of his closest aides to study his "works and opinions" and choose the most important. Selected items are likely to be issued as books, CDs and pamphlets.
[edit]
However, Rooz Online, an opposition website, suggested Mr Ahmadinejad's advisers would have a much thinner body of work to choose from.
The only known publication credited to the president - who has a PhD in traffic management - was a treatise about cold asphalt, it said.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Nickers
Shoppers at Wal-Mart stores across America are loading carts with merchandise – maybe a flat-screen TV, a few DVDs and a six pack of beer – and strolling out without paying. Employees also are helping themselves to goods they haven't paid for.
The world's largest retailer is saying little about these kinds of thefts, but it's recent public disclosures that it is experiencing an increase in so-called shrinkage at its U.S. stores suggests that inventory losses due to shoplifting, employee theft, paperwork errors and supplier fraud could be worsening.
The hit is likely to rise to more than $3 billion this year...
* * * * * * * *Citizens are asked to report any suspicious observed weight gain:
If you're a fan of Hershey's chocolates beware - there could be a bad batch contaminated with salmonella sitting on some store shelves without your knowledge. It all stems from a bizarre crime that Toronto Police alleged was committed by two men accused of carting off the tainted confections and re-selling them. It supposedly started last fall, when Hershey's originally recalled the candies after discovering the apparent contamination at its Smiths Falls plant.
They hired Turtle Island Recycling Depot on Cherry St. to get rid of them and several pallets of the goodies were destined for a truck on their way to a disposal. But cops allege the two men, one of whom was a Turtle Island employee, intercepted some of the treats and they may have been sold to retailers.
"I think this is a crime of opportunity," said Det. Sgt. John Babiar. "People have seen this chocolate that appears to be destined for destruction, but they were unaware of their risk."
"We estimate that there were approximately 40,000 bars." But only a few of those may have actually reached stores.
Hershey's has now been forced to recall the products in question as the hunt for the potentially dangerous candy continues.
"I suspect that they would have been resold at a very discounted rate to either individuals or diverted for their own personal use," Babiar adds.
* * * * * * * *Cobourg police, masters of the bleedin' obvious:
The search for the missing beer from the Cobourg Corona heist leads to the streets of the Greater Toronto Area and the territory of organized crime.
Peel Regional and Cobourg police forces are now jointly investigating the theft, one of the largest in Cobourg history, but not as much as originally thought.
Both forces confirm the theft bears all the calling cards of organized crime.
Three tractor-trailers filled with cases of Corona were stolen Saturday afternoon from a Veronica Street parking lot, Cobourg Police said.
The lot, off Division Street south of Highway 401, is unguarded and often contains parked tractor-trailers, Const. Terry Stanley said.
Each trailer contained 1,300 24-bottle cases of the imported beer, Const. Stanley said.
All three rigs were discovered in an industrial area in Peel Region but the beer was gone, police said.
At about $40 per case the theft is worth around $156,000, police said.
The Beer Store sells a 24-bottle case of Corona for $44.35 which drives up the estimated value to around $172,965.
[edit]
Whoever stole the trucks would have had [the] buyers lined up beforehand, police said.
Hitch: Cocks; or, That's Funny, You Don't Look Mutilated
A brief Hitchfest '07 digression...
Doesn't appear to have made the Brits any happier though (stats p. 37).
Higher standards?
'The connection between religious barbarism and sexual repression could not be plainer than when it is "marked in the flesh." Who can count the number of lives that have been made miserable in this way, especially since Christian doctors began to adopt ancient Jewish folklore in their hospitals?" (Christopher Hitchens: God Is Not Great, p. 226)Those of you who've read Mordecai Richler's paranoid '60s London satire Cocksure probably already know this, but the incidence of male circumcision in Canada in the mid-20th century, while difficult to say with accuracy, was clearly much higher than in the U.K.
Doesn't appear to have made the Brits any happier though (stats p. 37).
Higher standards?
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Melty Week
Too bleedin' hot.
That's right: I'm reduced to posting about the weather.
And food. Tasty 'n' easy summer veggie dish for 2. Can't remember where it's from. Goes well warm with white basmati rice, but you can do it as a cold salad too:
Creamy Puy Lentils w/Lemon Dressing
1/2 cup Puy lentils
1 garlic clove
1 smallish tomater
4-6 black olives (optional, IMNSHO)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 lemon
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp grainy mustard
1-2 tbsp creme fraiche
salt and pepper
chopped flat-leaf parsley, tarragon sprigs and lemon wedges to garnish
1. Boil lentils in saucepan for about 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
2. In the meantime, prepare the veg and make the dressing. Chop the garlic, halve and pit the olives, finely chop and seed the tomato.
3. While the lentils are cooking, heat the butter in a skillet at medium heat. Add garlic; saute, while occasionally stirring, until it begins to brown. Grate in lemon rind, and stir in the juice. Add tarragon and mustard, and cook for 1/2 to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in creme fraiche, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in the (drained) lentils, tomato and olives.
4. Transfer and garnish with the tarragon, parsley and lemon.
If you can't be bothered to make or don't want to buy creme fraiche, works perfectly well with 2-3 tbsp full-fat yogourt.
If you live in some hick backwater and can't get puy lentils, then either a) use brown, and make sure to reduce your cooking time so's they don't turn to mush, or b) drink yourself into a depressive stupor.
That's right: I'm reduced to posting about the weather.
And food. Tasty 'n' easy summer veggie dish for 2. Can't remember where it's from. Goes well warm with white basmati rice, but you can do it as a cold salad too:
Creamy Puy Lentils w/Lemon Dressing
1/2 cup Puy lentils
1 garlic clove
1 smallish tomater
4-6 black olives (optional, IMNSHO)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 lemon
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp grainy mustard
1-2 tbsp creme fraiche
salt and pepper
chopped flat-leaf parsley, tarragon sprigs and lemon wedges to garnish
1. Boil lentils in saucepan for about 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
2. In the meantime, prepare the veg and make the dressing. Chop the garlic, halve and pit the olives, finely chop and seed the tomato.
3. While the lentils are cooking, heat the butter in a skillet at medium heat. Add garlic; saute, while occasionally stirring, until it begins to brown. Grate in lemon rind, and stir in the juice. Add tarragon and mustard, and cook for 1/2 to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in creme fraiche, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in the (drained) lentils, tomato and olives.
4. Transfer and garnish with the tarragon, parsley and lemon.
If you can't be bothered to make or don't want to buy creme fraiche, works perfectly well with 2-3 tbsp full-fat yogourt.
If you live in some hick backwater and can't get puy lentils, then either a) use brown, and make sure to reduce your cooking time so's they don't turn to mush, or b) drink yourself into a depressive stupor.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Tie Die
Don't forget to cast your vote in the Globe and Mail's "Most Stylish Canadian" competition. "Wittiest Fraser Institute Fellow" is next week.
My vote's with Winnipeg youngster Jordan Crosthwaite:
Everything popular is wrong. Or so claimed Oscar Wilde. Indeed, the overwhelming misfortune of the bow tie is its lack of popularity, but it sure looks great. Because the bow-tie is uncommon, its infrequent appearance emphasizes stylish sophistication. Like a rare specimen of ornithological interest, a well-dressed man can be as enticing as the elusive trumpeter swan. My style emerges from my eye for the unique individual item of dress and accessory and the way that these elements constellate into a coherent look. I aspire to be dapper. I find inspiration in turn of the century men's dress - I try to bring a nostalgic item of style into a more modern appeal. To me, great style bridges convention and the unexpected - a bow-tie paired with a classic hoodie, a sailor stripped tee under a Winnipeg parka. Style eschews popularity; Oscar Wilde might not have been right, but he sure looked good.
mp3: XTC--"Helicopter" (from Drums and Wires)
My vote's with Winnipeg youngster Jordan Crosthwaite:
Everything popular is wrong. Or so claimed Oscar Wilde. Indeed, the overwhelming misfortune of the bow tie is its lack of popularity, but it sure looks great. Because the bow-tie is uncommon, its infrequent appearance emphasizes stylish sophistication. Like a rare specimen of ornithological interest, a well-dressed man can be as enticing as the elusive trumpeter swan. My style emerges from my eye for the unique individual item of dress and accessory and the way that these elements constellate into a coherent look. I aspire to be dapper. I find inspiration in turn of the century men's dress - I try to bring a nostalgic item of style into a more modern appeal. To me, great style bridges convention and the unexpected - a bow-tie paired with a classic hoodie, a sailor stripped tee under a Winnipeg parka. Style eschews popularity; Oscar Wilde might not have been right, but he sure looked good.
mp3: XTC--"Helicopter" (from Drums and Wires)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
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