What’s with new cardboard bag tabs?!

Have you bought any bread lately? Of course you have. It’s a daily staple. So you have noticed the new cardboard bag tabs! This is an absurd cost control imposed on the consumer! I wonder what fraction of a penny has been saved by the bread makers? These new bag tabs are useless! They crease and rip after just a few uses. Did bread makers go thru focus groups before this change? Are margins in the bread business so low that bean counters decided profit could be exponentially increased by this silly change to cardboard tabs? Was it some environmental zealot who suggested this change? My goodness, we do live in bizarre times!

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Revision of time. Renewal of hope.

Morning sun refreshes color across the lake.

Shadows quickly fade as light brightens the trees.

An arc of rays drifts through the leaves.

The sound of gentle waves echoes down the shore.

Birdsong fades as the feathered flock lets morning come.

No motorized noise disturbs this spectacle.

New day. Renewed purpose. Revised life.

Revision of time. Renewal of hope.

Today will be a very good day.

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Russia follows Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’.

Mariupol: Occupiers burn all books from the library of the Church of Petro Mohyla, including some unique ones. At the suggestion and with the assistance of Russian Orthodox Church priests in Mariupol, the entire extensive library, collected by volunteers and benefactors, was confiscated and burned in the Church courtyard. It is reported that the library contained several unique copies of Ukrainian-language publications, which are now lost forever.

No doubt you have all read ‘Fahrenheit 451’, Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel. Often regarded as one of his best works, the novel presents a future American society where books are outlawed and “firemen” burn any that are found. Bradbury himself was inspired by the Nazi book burnings and by ideological repression in the Soviet Union.

And here we are in 2022, life imitating art. The number and extent of Russian atrocities in Ukraine continues to pile up. As war fatigue settles into western consciousness, Russia keeps on expanding its genocide in Ukraine. There still exist so-called free-world leaders who maintain a stance of impartiality and insist on appeasement and dialogue with Ruscists. There can be no dialogue with a country devoid of humanity. A country that has a foundation based on lies, deceit and propaganda is not a country that one can have normal relations with. Putin and his band of terrorists must be defeated on the battlefield.

We in the free world must continue an open ended supply of armaments and assistance to Ukraine. They are fighting our fight and dieing so that we can live a free life. Yes, this is a proxy war. Be thankful that Ukrainian soldiers and citizens understand this is a red line in history. They have undertaken the sacrifice necessary so we can all survive in a world free from oppression, enslavement and fear. Do not let this battle fade into some distant echo. Ukraine’s fight is our fight. Slava Ukraini!

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Roe v. Wade: the end of American democracy?

The supreme court decision stems from that same rotted root: the idea that a patriarchal minority should have nearly unlimited authority over the majority. The conservatives on the court rightly understand that individual rights and women’s freedoms are incompatible with a system of broad male control over women and children, and a broader male monopoly on the public, political and economic spheres.

But that authoritarian vision is also incompatible with democracy.

And so Democrats now have a choice. They can give speeches and send fundraising emails. Or they can act: declare this court illegitimate. Demand its expansion. Abolish the filibuster. Treat this like the emergency it is, and make America a representative democracy. (Jill Filipovic)

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Where to go (and not) in Prince Edward County.

I thoroughly enjoyed a bicycle ride into Wellington. On the way, I made a stop at ‘Garage Time Brewing’, a nano brewery just north of the village. Bernard the brew-master has crafted fabulously unique blends. I tried a ‘Hodge Podge’ ale brewed with strawberries and rhubarb. A delicious combo, most refreshing on a hot summers day. And priced quite reasonably at $5.52 a glass. (To their credit, this is the 15% locals discount price offered to regulars!) The venue itself is as unique as the beers. Garage Time literally has been built inside the garage! Gorgeous wood slab bar and impeccably clean. There is also an outside seating area under sun shielding sail tarps. Highly recommend if you are seeking an authentic County craft brew in an environment that welcomes you.

Off I went to downtown Wellington to check out the Drake Devonshire which has its own unique charm. The Drake is definitely not intended to appeal to ‘locals’, in fact I would venture to say their business philosophy is to shun locals. The price of beer is about double what you pay at Garage Time. And there is an air of superiority there, a kind of vibe that makes me a tad uncomfortable. I did not feel like this in the past, but a change has come over this place. Or maybe it’s me. Maybe it is the never ending staff turnover. Or perhaps the cliché mandatory black attire worn by the staff. Or maybe it was this.

The picture shows a charming little A-frame structure perched on a little knoll just outside the usual patio seating. When I inquired from the bartender whether that had to be booked in advance, he blithely noted there was a $100 per person minimum charge to sit there! I kid you not. $100 per person, so a casual couple of pints with your date will end up costing you $200. Plus tax no doubt. I’m striking that joint off my route of quaffing places. If you are a ‘cityot’, perhaps you will enjoy this chi-chi venue. If you want to experience the real Prince Edward County, I recommend ‘Garage Time’ and its neigbouring nano-brewer ‘Strange Brew Studio’ just up the road. These places know how to make guests feel at home in the County.

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What is Canada?

Some thought provoking snippets from my latest read. ‘Why I Hate Canadians’ by Will Ferguson. This cryptically titled book, published years ago (1997), explores themes about Canada and Canadians, what does it mean to be a Canadian, who are we as a culture, what does the country embody, etc. Ferguson has an acerbic wit that strikes at the heart of these issues. It certainly made me question my place in this nation.

Americans have the ability to separate commerce from culture. Canadians do not.

In Canada, freedom refers largely to negative freedoms – freedom from crime, freedom from fear, freedom from risk. In America, freedom is understood in its baldest, simplest form: the freedom to do anything you damn well please.

We have nothing to gain by using the United States as our yardstick. We should be setting our standards by who we are and who we could be – not by what we aren’t. And that is the heart of the matter, we must stop defining ourselves in terms of negation.

The three great themes of Canadian history are as follows:

1. keeping the Americans out
2. keeping the French in, and
3. trying to get the Natives to somehow disappear.

The ultimate Canadian career is that of Associate Professor. Why? Because a career in academia has all of the elements that Canadians love best: it is very earnest, it is publicly funded, it is non profit, and best of all, it promises success without risk.

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Connor McDavid a superb athlete and smart guy!

My respect and admiration for Connor McDavid went up another notch. He is universally recognized as the best hockey player on the planet. Watching his brilliance throughout these Stanley Cup playoffs was an outstanding sports memory. The things this athlete can do on hockey skates are beyond what mortals can do wearing land sneakers! McDavid’s manipulation of his stick, the deceptions and bursts of speed, his accuracy in passing, the athletic achievements are really quite astonishing. But it was his intelligence and ability to capture in words what it takes to win a Stanley Cup that impressed me after the Oilers were finally beaten by the Avalanche in game 4 of their conference final.

“It feels like it’s steps, right?” said a disappointed McDavid, moments after a handshake line with the clearly superior Avalanche. “Every team kind of goes through it: They become a playoff team, then they get there most years, they go on a little bit of a run and they learn that lesson. Then it becomes their time to win.”

Smart guy! Anticipating many more years of sports excellence from Connor McDavid.

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Macron wants to avoid humiliation of Putin?!

It continues to astonish, how some western leaders (Emanuel Macron) still believe that a negotiated settlement is possible in the War. (There is no need to even preface the War as Ukraine vs Russia anymore. It is the only War that matters, no disrespect to other regional conflicts in the world.) But for Macron to announce that a “humiliation” of Putin must be avoided in order to keep open the possibility of negotiations for peace, demonstrates a frightening ignorance of Vladimir Putin’s intentions and modus operandi. Macron does not get it! And he, President of a freely elected and democratic nation. Mind- boggling. Putin is a so-called leader who thinks he can set the rules of engagement in this War. He announces that more cruise missile strikes will be launched if the western alliance sends HIMARS and other long range missile systems to Ukraine. So, on the one hand, it is OK for Russia to launch cruise missiles from jets flying over the Crimean sea, and ships far out in the Black sea, but not OK for Ukraine to use long range artillery to strike at Russian supply lines inside Ukraine. Ukraine is fighting in accordance with rules of engagement that recognize civilians and civilian infrastructure is off-limits in a War. You don’t kill civilians. On the other hand, Putin’s orcs kill anything in their sights, and brutalize and rape children. And Macron wants to keep talking to this butcher? Perhaps he does not believe all the BBC dispatches and other video streaming out of Ukraine. Perhaps his office TV is tuned to TASS and RT. Get your head out of your ass Macron! This is War. There will be a victor and a vanquished. How about all civilized nations, including yours, get on the side of victory for Ukraine! Slava Ukraini!

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HIMARS systems heading to Ukraine!

Poland suddenly informed many that they were ordering 500 (!!!) HIMARS from the United States in a situation where they still did not have these heavy weapons at all. Intelligent readers (and readers of my posts are intelligent people) can make ends meet. (Teet Kalmus)

Wow! You think some of these systems might find their way into Ukraine? Absolutely! Wow! Keep the game changing armaments flowing, keep the pressure building. Ukraine will eventually triumph and banish the evil empire from planet earth. Slava Ukraini!

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