Monday 30 September 2024

They Don't Make 'em Like That Anymore

 


Quite the expedition to attempt discover the fabled Northwest Passage to the Orient.

The almost three year journey - beginning in 1803 and ending in 1806 - had Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.... 


....brave two severe winters in bitterly cold conditions.



They never did find the Northwest Passage, but did find a route to the Pacific Ocean.


Few people realize that they had attempted to find the Northwest Passage the previous year.....


Saturday 28 September 2024

Insult To Injury

 It's not enough to steal some guy's bike....


...but the thief leaves the guy's lock there.

Almost as if to say, "Buy another bike and lock it up again."

"Thanks"

Monday 23 September 2024

Call Me "Your Majesty"





Of course it had to happen.

Apparently it is called "species dysphoria".

Teachers in this UK school are using a “wellbeing wheel” to support this student as he faces "barriers to learning."

The wellbeing wheel is used in helping children “overcome inequalities”.

Hs has been offered “personal support” and “specific support” from a “wellbeing worker”. 

But the school acknowledged, “There is very little specific guidance on species dysphoria.”

That's because, according to a clinical neuropsychologist, there's no such bloody thing thing!

“Now we have a council which appears to accept at face value that a child identifies as a wolf, rather than being told to snap out of it and get to grips with themselves, which would be the common-sense approach.”

Right on!  We need more of this.

But, back to when you see me next time.....



Saturday 21 September 2024

Why didn't I Think Of That....


 ...while I was working?



Brilliant!

So Toronto Animal Services has come under fire for ages for not picking up dead racoons and other assorted varmints within the allotted time. 

They are supposed to pick up roadkill within 48 hours.

One of the most famous fails - that was posted on this very blog! - was Conrad the, well, dead racoon.


Conrad languished on Toronto's main artery, Yonge Street, for almost a full day. (I think the 48 hour target is based on collecting these unfortunates from some side street or park.)

For a refresher on the sordid tale, click here.  

So Toronto Animal Services made a presentation on how to improve their performance.

And what they tell the City of Toronto's Service Excellence Committee to eliminate the problem with not meeting the targets - change the target!

Brilliant!

They proposed now picking up cadavers within 5 business days. 

Who would have balls big enough to go before the Service Excellence Committee and tell them, "We've fixed the problem."

"Great, let's hear your solution."

Boy, if only I'd thought of that for all my years of poor performance reviews......

Another approach could always be.......



Wednesday 18 September 2024

A Surprise In Every Glass


Fins Up to you, too!

Not hard to tell that this is Jimmy Buffett's signature beer.



And what better way for this handsome young man to enjoy finishing his Landshark Lager.


Wednesday 11 September 2024

Shocking.....

 


....but, unfortunately,  not surprising.

They are calling it a crisis of affordability.  

From food to shelter to gas to clothing, everything is up in price.

And to make it worse - or actually, what is making it worse - is Canadian incomes are definitely not keeping pace with inflation.

Especially compared to our southern neighbour, where a lot of our goods come from, priced in US$. [click graph to zoom in.]



As recently as 2010, our incomes were essentially equal with the US.  In fact, in 2011 Canadian incomes were 4% higher than the US.

But since about 2015 (no editorializing, but who became Prime Minister then....?) our real income has plateaued. 

So while our incomes have been essentially flat inflation has been a real killer.

Although a lot of folks I know are retired and are on fixed incomes, maybe we're not as bad off as some.....


What's the solution....?

Who knows......




Friday 6 September 2024

What An Embarrassment

 


Finally, finally! Ontario is allowing beer & wine sales in convenience stores.

And right on cue, the usual "health experts" are predicting death and destruction! 



They are claiming this will result in untold number of deaths and would overwhelm our healthcare system as more people descend into alcoholism. 

Sweet Mother Mary, how embarrassing are these people. The rest of the civilized world has been doing this for decades without their society's collapsing.

I just had my annual medical with my doctor and, when asked, told her I have a couple of drinks a day. She said, in case you are unaware, the new Canadian guidelines state maximum two drinks per week for men. 

I did not say, are you freaking kidding me? But I did say, Hmmmm, I did not know that..


Here is a chart of Western countries and their alcohol consumption guidelines. [Click on chart to see how out of touch with the rest of the world we are.]



 
Oh Sweet Mother Mary - did I already say that? - all of Canada is an embarrassment on this one.

Canada's guideline could just as easily say "Why bother"....

Pretty sure my two-drinks-a-day is about average.

What kind of nanny country are we becoming?






Friday 30 August 2024

It Seemed Like A Good Idea

 A novel, one person car designed in BC seemed like a cool idea. 


A three wheeler, electric and modestly priced at just under $20,000.

Built the first few by hand and then outsourced production to China and then merged with a US company in Arizona to produce the ElectroMechanica solo, EV 3 wheeler.

Of course by now the price had increased, and production problems arose and you can only drive 160 km's. 

And oh, then they kept stopping for no reason. 


The result......




A pile of them in an Arizona scrap yard. 

All 429 of them.

Oh well.

A good idea, until it wasn't.


Tuesday 20 August 2024

That Didn't Take Long

 


...for them to demolish 606 Dundas St.

After the top half was caught leaning out om to the sidewalk this week.



Apparently, this building had been deemed a danger for 10 years.  

And Multiple people were living on the upper floor apartments.



I wonder if any property owner or city inspector will be held responsible for this near catastrophe?

I know the answer - no and no one.