What’s happened to our vocabulary? It took some comic books from the 1960s and 1970s and a Nancy Drew novel from that era to hammer home the point that in four decades we seem to have lost a huge chunk of the English language. My daughter was home sick. Typically, she’d turn on the television and enter the monosyllabic land …
Hadfield down to earth
Once in a while I’m asked whom I’d like to have lunch with, regardless of whether they are alive or dead. Personally, I’d prefer eating with someone not decaying in front of me and I tend to choose someone alive. That said, I’m usually hard-pressed to pick someone. I am not awed by movie stars nor money. I respect athletes …
There are limits to genetic testing
Genetic testing recommended to anyone with a suspicious family history Angelina Jolie stunned the world when she announced that she’d had a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery after finding out that she had a “faulty” gene linked to breast and ovarian cancer. For the first time ever, I became interested in a Hollywood boob job. Jolie has put “a …
Get your motor running
I was never one for joining clubs, but on this particular occasion, I’m proud to say that I now belong to the fraternity of motorcyclists. On Sunday I completed M1 exit motorcycle training and I’m itching to get out riding. Given that I’ve been waiting over twenty years to learn to ride a motorcycle, another week, month, or year before …
Anti-tattoo discrimination?
A front page headline recently read: “Parents face discrimination” with a half page photograph of a young tattooed couple posing back to back with their arms crossed. As I read on I was expecting horrible tales of their inability to find work, or rent an apartment, or that they had been the victims of some attack, but it was more …
The BBQ experience
Do you love barbecue? For me, southern barbecue is an experience, not just a meal. Every time I go south I seek out the saucy, smoky flavours of barbecue in order to satisfy my carnivorous cravings. It was thanks to proximity and TripAdvisor.com that I found my new favourite barbecue restaurant while on a trip to Evansville, Indiana. Lucky for …
Expect more, praise less in class
Across Ontario, the academic prowess of schools is being compared and contrasted based on provincial tests in certain subjects. Only one school in Northern Ontario cracked the top 100 of 725 secondary schools across Ontario. In Algoma there was one school ranked in the 200s, and the rest in the 500s. Two schools in Toronto have been noted for their …
B&Bs not always so homey
We live in an age of inclusion where we’re supposed to focus on similarities and not differences, but my recent travels have caused a new division in my mind: Bed & Breakfast people and not Bed & Breakfast people. I will state upfront that I have discovered that I am in the latter category, and this will likely astonish those …
Readsdropping a good travel game
When you are in a cramped space like a full airplane or an airport waiting lounge, you really can’t have an expectation of privacy. Whether you’re having a conversation with someone you know or a stranger you’ve just met, your words are not safe. Eavesdroppers are everywhere. I’m sure there are those using eavesdropping for dark purposes like corporate espionage, …
Mental health a balancing act
Bell Let’s Talk Day was held recently. That’s where we were asked to join in the conversation about mental health with friends, family, and co-workers, to start breaking down the stigma around mental health issues. I’m all about anti-stigma, but I’d like to address the symptoms and not throw a band-aid on it. It is nearly impossible to have solid …