Near and far
This weekend I’m in northern- ish Ontario. Specifically, I’m in Espanola with LOML. We’re here for a birthday celebration. LOML’s uncle marked his 100th birthday on Friday. He’s not Irish, and I’m sure luck wasn’t involved in his longevity. As far as Espanola is concerned it’s been about 20 years since I was here. Uncle […]
Liquid treasure
There are three major alternatives to “organic” wine production. “Biodynamic” viticulture methods have brought about worldwide improvements in the health of the vines, in soil fertility and in pest, weed and disease management. The method is not new: it was practiced up until the 18th century, re-introduced in the 1930s, and is currently gaining traction […]
Out of touch
Along with the country itself, the Canadian Senate is turning 150 this year. The Senate’s existence has been long fraught with controversy over the entitlement and privilege of its members. But it has been especially harshly scrutinized over the past five years or so. Over a dozen senators made headlines when their questionable spending of […]
Name that neighbourhood
Public consultation will begin soon on the new Wellington tertiary plan, which is coming out in draft form shortly. After the County’s official plan set the general rules for development Countywide, and the Wellington secondary plan dealt with zoning in our area in greater detail, the tertiary plan will wrestle with some of the softer […]
Homework
Out of necessity, I’ve worked from my home for many years. Working from home has its pluses and its minuses. On the plus side, I don’t have to conform to someone else’s codes of conduct in the workplace. I don’t have a dress code. I can take as many breaks as I want. If I […]
Moving into my house
I have the feeling that many have experienced the same thing: Those life changes that inspire us to rethink, look at our immediate world through a different set of lenses. Not so much navel gazing but it’s like you wake up one morning and decide your home no longer reflects the person you feel you […]
Smash the matriarchy
No one’s breasts have dominated the news so much since Vladimir Putin sat on a horse. Or was it Janet Jackson? With yet another copy of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue out, and impossible female bodies still dominating the grocery store checkout, 2017 is not the end of female objectification. The question is, who is doing […]
From deep left field
As I mentioned in my last column, Major League Baseball has changed its intentional walk rule. Why? Baseball executives say games drag on too long. Here’s what the president of the Florida Marlins had to say. “Pace of game is critical. We know that from our fans and TV partners. We have to recognize the […]
Televisionland
Okay, I won’t lie, I watch television. I’m not terribly particular about the type of shows I’ll watch, but lean toward broadcast news and documentaries. My reason for watching is pretty simple. I like the background noise. I don’t watch for cultural enhancement or to broaden my horizons or for any cachet factor. My tastes […]
Adrift
I was raised in that generation folks love to criticize. Alternately, I can be a millennial, a member of Generation Y, I even landed at the tail end of Gen X. I am, according to some (who I imagine would never level this accusation against me personally—just against all my contemporaries) lazy, entitled, clueless. I […]