The Beauty Of Nature

While the rest of the world was mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II - and deservedly so - the crack Arnotti Thoughts research team was scouring the world (wide web) for new and unusual offerings.

Here is a sampling....

Mushrooms growing on dead leaf in almost perfect alignment

The beautiful blue Mycenae mushroom

Owl raised this little duckling when it mistook egg for its own.

Oh yeah...that's the spot.....

A blue pit viper.   Yikes!  Good to know.......

Crow doing his part to save the planet.

Tree with a very strong will to live.

The bravest sparrow that was ever trampled to smithereens.

Let's see what tomorrow brings......

 

I'm Not Expecting The Same Fuss......

 

...when I go.

Maybe a world leader or two.

Maye a couple of princes standing guard.

Or maybe a couple of princesses! (Who say that ever goes away.)

Maybe a few words from the Biebs.  Although with the way he's going, maybe I'll be saying a few words at his funeral. 

But, as usual, Mr. Boffo says it best.

 

Right On, L'il Dude

 

Bullseye!

 

From today's Toronto Star, Pardon My Planet, by Vic Lee.

Good Dog

 

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The Only Queen I've Ever Known

 

Tributes are pouring in from around the world of course.  Interesting how different news organizations choose to remember her.

The Toronto Sun

The Toronto Sun remembers her smiling with steely resolve.

The CBC

The CBC choose a frail picture of her the day before she died.

The Toronto Star

Not necessarily the picture I'd want to be remembered by.  Especially on their front page, her picture was almost life size.

Quite jarring when you pick up the paper at 6am.

Judge for yourself (but not the male model appearing in the picture with her).

Now, the Star did have another 12 page spread on the Queen that was more flattering but first impressions count.

CNN

CNN has already moved on from her to bigger problems.

Fox News

Meh.  Playing it fairly safe.

So except for a few long legged beauties on stage at Zelda's Boom Boom Room in the gaybourhood here in Toronto, of course, she was the only queen I'd ever known. 

But I'll leave you with a small vignette showing the Queen's sense of humour...

And to paraphrase the old saying, so long did the queen live.

About Time!

So finally I'm seeing some recognition that it is the 50th anniversary the famed 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series. 

The Toronto Star is running a series on the series.

With a cool twist;

Current journalists are weighing in but they are also reprinting the actual articles from after each game.

A great way to remember what actually happened (ie. Bobby Clarke's two handed slash that broke Valeri Kharlamov's ankle) and a good way to avoid any revisionist thinking.

One reason there has been limited coverage may be because they were going to invite former USSR players for the event and also have both groups travel to Russia to celebrate.

Of course Mad Vlad has kind of disrupted all that.

But good to see The Star coming through.

From The "Why didn't I Think Of That" File

 

So New York City has a gun crime problem. 

At a news conference last week New York mayor Eric Adams (pictured below) said he was bewildered that up until now all police have been doing is to post gun-free zone signs using plastic twist ties (above picture).

So at this news conference he said this is unacceptable and announced a new program that will solve the gun crime problem - bigger signs.

As of Thursday new digital signs will go up in New York.

It's been reported that gangbangers across the city were saying, with palm slaps to the forehead, "They've outfoxed us this time boys. Bigger signs. We can no longer claim we couldn't see them."

And I have also read - somewhere - they are also considering adding at the bottom of the new signs "and this time we mean it". With a stern faced emoji.

I can hear the foreheads being slapped again.

Awww,,,,So Sweet....

 

Ohhhh.....

Exsqueese Me?

So to prop up the Canadian Liberal government, the Liberals entered into a deal with the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Socialist party in Canada.

The NDP, through their leader Jagmeet Singh, would keep the government alive if the Liberals agreed to certain conditions.

One of them was to give subsidized dental care to low income children under 12.

Now, by low income children under 12 I assume they mean low income families. Because back in the day, all my under 12 buddies and I were low income. Very low income.

But here's the kicker;

Under the NDP plan, anyone under 12 with a family income under $90,000 is eligible for subsidized dental care.

Yikes!  $90,000 is now considered low income?!

Where have I been for the last ten years?

Maybe Mr. Boffo can help.....

"It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year"

 Snake hunt!!

As posted about recently, this is the time of year when hundreds of good ol' boys swarm the swamps of southwest Florida looking for them there wascally pythons.

Here local state government representative, Alex Rizo, shows off his snake handling skills.

I thought as a state government representative all you had to know was how to spend other peoples' money. But I guess in south Florida the skill set is a bit broader.

So no sense in rehashing the snake hunt details.  Click What A Great Place To Live! for details of a previous hunt.

I Know How You Feel

 

[click to enlarge]

From Sherman's Lagoon by Jim Toomey.  

A strip about undersea creatures that are all too human.  The strip's title character, Sherman, is a great white shark.  

But the laziest shark you will likely come across.  

And not the sharpest shark in the drawer either. But lovable just the same....

Ahhh......

 

These Guys Never Give Up

One day red wine is good for you.  The next it's not.

Then it was coffee they were going after.

Now, apparently, it's sitting. 

The new silent killer.

Now I don't know if this is legit or not.

Or just a clever ploy by chiropractors..... 

....and ergonomic chair & desk designers to drum up business.

So no sitting, no smoking, no drinking, no red meat.

What's next?  Heroin?!

Maybe Mr. Boffo can help......

 

Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out

F1 driver Sebastian Vettel has decided to retire.

Good riddance.

This is the guy that is sponsored by Saudi Arabia's oil company, Aramco (patch on his upper right chest), but takes shots at Canada's oil industry.  While in Canada at the Montreal Grand Prix race.

For more on his hypocrisy, click here.

See ya!

Sweet!

Ohhhhh......

Take A Bow

CNN has done the math, and......

And in case there was any doubt, today's Toronto Star removed it.

.,,Toronto's Pearson airport is the worst airport in the world for delays this summer.

But wait - there's more!

Recently, the worst three airlines in the world for delays are......

 Yes, Canadian!

Well, Air Canada I guess, as I think all three are owned and operated by them. 

And probably a lot of it has to do with having to fly out of Pearson so much.  Although recently, Montreal's Trudeau airport is right up near the top (or bottom) worldwide as well.  

Likely not too many raised eyebrows in local precincts up here. ....

Poor Pig....

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