Looks Can Be Deceiving

 

So for this charity Thanksgiving dinner event, at first glance I thought these were three down on their luck fellows about to enjoy a free meal.  Checking out what was being offered.

But reading the caption, no, these are three Toronto Maple Leaf players (all millionaires) dishing out the grub to actual down on their luck fellows. 

Boy, I probably would have walked on the other side of the street if I saw these guys coming towards me. 

Or at least be ready to pat my pockets and say, I got nothing....

Who Wouldn't Want These?

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Ouchie!

 

....thanks, Pat.....

Missed It By That Much

 

"Diamond Jim"

 

So today would have been the 105th birthday of my dad, James Alvin Arnott.

Or Diamond Jim as he liked to call himself. 

Here is a portrait of him painted by a pal in 1939. 

He was 19. And looking good. The world and his whole life waiting in front of him. 

He didn't even know he would have an amazing son several years later!  A son who was so fortunate to have him as his father.

He also called himself Ace Arnott of the Wetaskiwin Wildcats.

I thought he made that team name up until I was driving from Calgary to Edmonton and passed the town of Wetaskiwin. Holy cow, it really exists.

Now whether he was really the ace of that team....

Years later, after the war - where he flew convoy escort over the Mediterranean for the RAF - he gave himself another name - Tiger Jim. His pilot's helmet of course had tiger stripes.

So Dad, you were gone far too soon, but happy 105th.

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.....

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"

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.....

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.......

Good Try, Dad

 

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.

And How Many Times As A Kid Could I Have Used This!

 

Man, How Many Times Did That Happen To Me As A Kid!

 

Thank goodness times have changed!

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......

Always With The Negative Vibes, Man

 

When Even The CBC Mentions It, You Know It's Serious

 

See Shocking for recent take on this.

Happy Haircut?

 

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?

Oh That Sherman...