Collingwood’s first post-literate council

Collingwood / Council / Ethics and behaviour / Literature / Planning & Policies / Poetry & Lyrics / Political fads / Reading & Literacy2 Comments

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At the Corporate & Community Services standing committee meeting this week, the committee discussed the Art on the Street festival, its operation and management to be taken over by the BIA. That’s probably a good thing because any affinity to culture and cultural events at the council table evaporated early this term. A cup of yogurt has more culture in it than The Block has. The whole ‘cultural economy’ thing and all the benefits that cultural tourism can bring has simply flown away this term.* That report led to a discussion of a local Word on the Street festival, a ……… click below for more ↓

Prayer isn’t stopping the violence

Christianity / Critical Thinking / Faith / New Age Codswallop / Religion2 Comments

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An acerbic piece in Maclean’s Magazine from June had the title “America’s mass delusion.” The subtitle read, “Surprisingly, the strategy of praying to God is not stopping the mass shootings in the U.S.” That piece was recirculated when the news of the latest and largest mass shooting in the USA broke. Fifty nine (so far) people were killed and more than 500 wounded by one homegrown American terrorist with an assault rifle. A terrorist who, police found later, had more than 20 rifles in his hotel room (some reports say “more than 10”). He owned more than 40; 10 of ……… click below for more ↓

Kong and his films

Culture / Film & Reviews / Godzilla / Media / Pop Culture4 Comments

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Kong: Skull Island is the 19th movie in my collection about apes.* Or at least ape-ish creatures (not including those about cave people or yetis). We watched the recently-released Kong: Skull Island this past weekend, even devouring all of the special features on the second disc. I give Kong: Skull Island second place in the great ape/Kong pantheon because it’s well done, fun, action-packed, and not nearly as bloated as Peter Jackson’s 2005 epic. Despite some lukewarm or critical reviews, it’s worth watching and collecting if your taste are in any way similar to mine. Films of this ilk are meant ……… click below for more ↓

 Writers and reading

Books & Reviews / Grammar / Language & Grammar / Style & usage / What I'm Reading Now / Words & etymology / Writing & FictionLeave a comment

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This post is about, and for writers, for reporters and editors, for book authors and editors, magazine editors, feature writers, layout artists, copy editors and anyone who either fancies themselves one of these, or has the curious desire to become one (curious because, at least for freelancers, it often involves spending more money on books than you get in income…). If you aren’t in that company, you should probably read something else, maybe just watch TV, because it’s going to be boring and a little pedantic. It’s about the books writers and editors read – or should read – to ……… click below for more ↓

The Block are privatizing our public assets

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Planning & Policies / Staff and administration / Taxes / User fees and costsLeave a comment

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So Brian and his Block minions want to sell our airport. Our publicly-owned asset. And they’re doing it without even the pretence of the courtesy to tell us why. No public input, no public engagement, no open discussion over it. In the flaccid Connection story, it notes, In November, 2016, deputy mayor Brian Saunderson asked Clearview Township Deputy Mayor Barry Burton if his municipality was interested in taking over operation of the airport. As usual, the slavish local media drool over their buddy Brian, but cleverly neglect to point out that Saunderson is neither the spokesperson for the town (and ……… click below for more ↓

Nibiru apocalypse failed again

Balderdash & Hoaxes / Conspiracy Theories / Critical Thinking / New Age Codswallop5 Comments

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Since you’re reading this, the world didn’t end, Saturday. Again. Damn… All those wacky “predictions” from the fringe of the ignorati didn’t come true. Again. Not that that’s surprising: what’s surprising is that these conspiracy-minded folk keep proposing the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI) over and over, often regurgitating the same nonsense, just with new dates. And yet they keep missing the mark. Yesterday was no exception. Here we are, bereft of another apocalypse on a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning. Damn. According to the wingnuts, the imaginary planet “Nibiru” (also spelled Niburu) was supposed to show up ……… click below for more ↓

Ollie and pet rescue

Animals & BIology / Behaviour & Psychology / Daily life / Personal Reminiscences / Pets / Pets & Animal BehaviourLeave a comment

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We are suckers for the face of a cat at the window, a hungry cat, a cold cat, a lost cat, a cat someone has abandoned to fend for themselves and is doing a poor job of it. The pleading eyes, the rough coat, the quiet shiver in the rain or the cold. How can you turn away from that and still call yourself human? Ollie, our latest addition to our household, was one of those faces, quite recently. We had seen him in the neighbourhood for a few weeks, getting thinner each time we caught a glimpse. We asked ……… click below for more ↓

Legends of Horror

Culture / Film & Reviews / Musings / Personal ReminiscencesLeave a comment

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Legends of Horror is the title of one multi-DVD collections of films I own. Fifty films in this package. They’re B-films for the most part (and a few of lesser quality), dating from 1927 (silent) to 1980, mostly in B&W, but those dating from the mid-1960s on are usually colour. The collection title is misleading: it’s really a mix of early horror, mystery and suspense. It’s one of several similar sets and single DVDs that make up my personal collection of B films (a very few, but far from all, shown in the photo on the right). Most of which ……… click below for more ↓

True Integrity? Not The Block…

Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Psychology & SociologyLeave a comment

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There’s an interesting article online called, 13 Traits of People With True Integrity that opens with the (unintentionally?) funny line: Integrity, for those who are not familiar, is quite important. After you guffaw at that bit, the author continues, “People who have a strong sense of integrity are sadly a rare breed. However, there are still some people left in this world with integrity, and usually, they share the following 13 traits.” Integrity in this article is linked to the meaning, “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.” (Yes, I know we’re talking about The Block, just ……… click below for more ↓

Montaigne and The Block

Collingwood / Council / Ethics & morality / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital / Philosophy / Taxes / What I'm Reading NowLeave a comment

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I do love reading Michel de Montaigne.  And writing about him. In 2014 alone, I wrote ten separate posts about him and his famous book, Essays. But since then, my reading habits moved on to other writers and topics. I hadn’t actually been reading Montaigne in the past few years, but recently while sorting some of my books, I found him again. I started re-reading the Essays last week (and reading his travel journal, included in the Everyman edition – Frame translation, which I had not read previously). He is such an inspiration at times. Witty, observant, genteel, curious, passionate, ……… click below for more ↓

Forty years of geekitude

Computers & Programming / Daily life / Personal ReminiscencesOne Comment

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It was forty years ago this fall, in 1977, that I bought my first computer. I had little experience with computers prior to that – a few weeks working after hours on an APL system at the U of T, mostly to play games against the machine, reading a few magazine articles on the coming ‘personal’ computer wave. Nothing seriously hands-on, experience-wise, and no programming skills either. But as soon as I saw one, I had to have it. And so I bought one. Since then, I have not been a day without one, and generally had more than just ……… click below for more ↓

Why not to run for council

Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviour / Municipal PoliticsLeave a comment

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A recent article shared with me on Facebook, titled “Five Terrible Reasons to Run for Municipal Office” lists many – but far from all – of the reasons people should not run for office. It’s a good read and, since the silly season will be on us soon enough (some of The Block are already in campaign mode), you should pay attention if you plan to run for office next year. Knowing why not to run is as important as knowing why you should. The author of this piece is Danielle Klooster, self-described as, “… a leading Alberta provider of ……… click below for more ↓

Brian just keeps bashing our hospital

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Ethics and behaviour / Hospital3 Comments

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I see DM Saunderson continues his assault on our hospital with his motion on the upcoming Sept. 11 council agenda: Whereas the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital has received information from the Ministry providing additional comments regarding their redevelopment submission; And Whereas Council is concerned this information may be of serious significance and impact on healthcare provision in the future; Therefore be it resolved that Council herein request comments directly from the Ministry regarding the Hospital’s Phase 1A and 1B redevelopment submissions. But apparently he is unaware the answers have already been posted on the hospital’s website. They’ve been there ……… click below for more ↓

Why are they called The Block?

Collingwood / Council / Development & Growth / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviourOne Comment

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Seven members of our council are collectively referred to as “The Block” in common parlance. A fitting nickname for a group that includes its leader, the deputy mayor, Brian Saunderson, his five core minions (all newly elected to council this term), and one veteran wannabe (nicknamed the “pledge” in frat house terms). Most folks assume they are called The Block because they vote as a block. Once Brian raises his hand, the rest raise theirs like obedient little puppets. No need to think, no need to question, analyze or debate: they do what they’ve been told. For which they are ……… click below for more ↓

The work of politics

Books & Reviews / Collingwood / Council / Disrespect and bad behaviour / Ethics and behaviourLeave a comment

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Politics is like many other skills, jobs and pastimes in that it requires work to succeed. Hard work, sometimes, for some folk, and easy for others, but always it requires attention, study, and focus. It isn’t something you can do when you’re not paying attention or even when you’re napping at the table (no matter what our own somnambulant councillor thinks… or more likely, doesn’t think at all). It isn’t something you can do effectively if, like our Block, you try to do it casually, or part-time, or whenever you feel like doing it, without paying attention or without effort. ……… click below for more ↓

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