The birth of cool
It was supposed to happen two years ago. And then last year. And now – maybe – next spring. But make no mistake about it: it will happen sometime soon. “It” will be the opening of the uber-stylish Drake Devonshire Inn, which will see the urban design trendsetter takes its first foray into a rural […]
Counting calories
The current debate, chez moi and LOML, is whether or not chain restaurants should be forced to tell us the calorie count of each item on their menu. “To what end?” I ask. He sez it would help diners make wiser choices. I say, “Like graphic warnings on a pack of smokes stops a smoker […]
Canadian University Football
There are times when I should keep my big mouth shut. One of those occasions was last weekend at the football game between Queen’s and Laurier. It was a crazy game, full of errors by both teams. Very catchable balls were dropped, fumbles took place for no good reason, runners scored touchdowns at the least […]
A feast for fine senses
We employ five of the seven senses when enjoying a glass of wine We first use our sense of sight to appraise the hue of the wine in the glass. When we swirl the wine we may see the “legs” or “tears”—caused by the interplay between the alcohol, water, evaporation and surface tension—that indicate alcohol […]
One of us
What if God was one of us, Just a slob like one of us, Just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home, Just trying to make his way home, just like a holy rolling stone? Back up to heaven all alone, just trying to make his way home. Nobody calling on […]
Counsel the Council
I may be one of very few people who have not weighed in on the issue of reducing the size of County Council. I have a simple reason for my reluctance to put my opinion in print and that is, I don’t think it’s a very important matter. There, in print, let ’er rip. You […]
The NHL season begins
They dropped the puck last night to open the 2013-2014 season in the National Hockey League. Pipers piped, and drummers drummed, and yes, they unfurled a banner to acknowledge that the Chicago Blackhawks indeed won the Stanley Cup last season. I got the jump on the season by purchasing a set of the O-Pee- Chee […]
Brewing profits
When I first arrived in Ontario, I was intrigued that beer was purchased only from a Brewer’s Retail. (There seemed to be nary a “Beer Store” in Toronto.) On further investigation I discovered that this ubiquitous entity had been established by an act of the Ontario Government in the 1920s. The law was meant to […]
Hearth
The sun catches in the tree line that runs along the trail corridor over the flats below the Bloomfield ridge. Smoke from a distant fire plays in the scarlet light that rests in the willows of late afternoon. Reminiscent of the steam train era, telephone poles weary with time, swagger down the line. It is […]
Of values and symbols
The proposed new Quebec Charter of Values has caught the eye of more than one County official. So far, no one has made a legal fuss over the overtly religious ritual of reciting the Lord’s Prayer before council meetings (only for those who wish to join in). Council voted to stick with the status quo […]