It’s Emergency Preparedness Week!!!!!!!
Phew… I would have missed it completely if it hadn’t been for the posters and blue silicone, livestrong-type bracelets they just handed out a work.
I love it when the federal government looks after me this way. They’ve got a whole “get prepared” website (see link above) that carefully outlines absolutely everything I need to know in order to be fully prepared for an emergency. There’s even a place where you can share your emergency survival stories with your fellow Canadians so they can know what it feels like to be in a real emergency.
AND there’s a link to the Canadian Disaster Database where you can look up every disaster that ever befell Canadians (No, Brian Mulroney’s not included for some reason). It’s a fun site. Here’s one thing I found under natural disasters:
Heat Wave: Nova Scotia, Jul 26-28 1963. The longest sustained heat wave in Halifax since 1928 with temperatures of 33-34°C; greater traffic volume caused many minor accidents and several people went to hospital; four individuals drowned, and one died in a burning car.
Three days of temperatures in the low 30s (that’s like 90 or so American). Man, there must be some gripping tales coming out of that event. I'd be really interested in how a heat wave caused a burning car death, for instance. The drownings I can see -- you can't swim, but these unbearable temperatures cause you to throw yourself into the ocean. Ooops. So, if you survived the heat wave of ’63 in Halifax (JB), please share.
Me, I’ve survived the Blizzard of ’77 in Niagara, a tornado in Barrie, a hotel fire in North Bay, Hurricane Juan in Halifax and 17 years in the federal public service.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Blogville Today
I read a lot of blogs and it’s always fun to see all the smart and crazy and funny and interesting things people write about. Here are some I found especially noteworthy today:
Yoni Freedhoff over at Weighty Matters has posted a link to the Trans Canada Trail site where you can virtually walk across Canada by logging your daily walks until you rack up 18,000 kilometers – the length of the trail. http://maps.tctrail.ca/.
A reminder on Ottawa Street Style about Ottawa Fashion Week, starting this Saturday! Lots of fun stuff and a day pass is only $20. I don’t much care for OSS’s banner though – to leggy.
If you thought kitty blogging was fun you should try duck blogging – Ev & Kwatch’s new favorite hobby.
Say Hey! to Megan’s funky new website.
Meanie has just ended a long-term love affair with Juan Valdez. It’s very sad and she needs all the support she can get.
Jazz at Haphazard Life is having a cynical day. She (and her new actor/director/writer boyfriend) doesn’t think the UN’s motives are entirely pure.
The Dwarf has begun a new series that he claims will define a Revolutionary New Dating Paradigm. Even if he never comes up with a shred of useful material, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on him anyway.
The always pithy Deb on the Rocks has found the answer to one of the universe’s eternal questions: Where do all the socks go?
And, if you think kitty blogging and ducky blogging is fun, you should check out Carbon Capture and Storage blogging with Milan. But seriously, this guy is an encyclopedia, but with mad, mad passion.
A&J need real estate advice.
Mike Sornberger also thinks at least one side of the escalator is meant for walking. Thank you, Mike.
Yoni Freedhoff over at Weighty Matters has posted a link to the Trans Canada Trail site where you can virtually walk across Canada by logging your daily walks until you rack up 18,000 kilometers – the length of the trail. http://maps.tctrail.ca/.
A reminder on Ottawa Street Style about Ottawa Fashion Week, starting this Saturday! Lots of fun stuff and a day pass is only $20. I don’t much care for OSS’s banner though – to leggy.
If you thought kitty blogging was fun you should try duck blogging – Ev & Kwatch’s new favorite hobby.
Say Hey! to Megan’s funky new website.
Meanie has just ended a long-term love affair with Juan Valdez. It’s very sad and she needs all the support she can get.
Jazz at Haphazard Life is having a cynical day. She (and her new actor/director/writer boyfriend) doesn’t think the UN’s motives are entirely pure.
The Dwarf has begun a new series that he claims will define a Revolutionary New Dating Paradigm. Even if he never comes up with a shred of useful material, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on him anyway.
The always pithy Deb on the Rocks has found the answer to one of the universe’s eternal questions: Where do all the socks go?
And, if you think kitty blogging and ducky blogging is fun, you should check out Carbon Capture and Storage blogging with Milan. But seriously, this guy is an encyclopedia, but with mad, mad passion.
A&J need real estate advice.
Mike Sornberger also thinks at least one side of the escalator is meant for walking. Thank you, Mike.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The OLG Racket
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (aka OLG) has a cute, Hallmarkesque TV ad on now, showing lots of happy people who’ve apparently just won millions gambling. Then the ad shows a bunch of other happy people who’ve apparently been able to have some life-saving surgery or something thanks to Ontario’s lottery and gaming profits.
The message is: Gamble – you’ll get rich AND fund a lot of vital social programs.
The OLG realizes approximately $6 billion in annual revenues. I’m pretty sure they don’t make this kind of money on people like me who occasionally buy a 649 ticket. No, the big money comes from problem gamblers who re-mortgage their homes, cash in their RRSPs and gamble away their kids’ education funds.
It almost looks as if our provincial government is actively encouraging its citizens to become serious, if not problem, gamblers. But that can't be right, can it?
An estimated 332,000 people in this province have a moderate to severe gambling problem. (Out of a population of 12 million). That’s a pretty serious issue and/or a great PR effort on behalf of OLG. Problem gambling in Ontario has increased dramatically with the increase of access to gambling.
Government locates casinos in desperate communities with promises of how good they’ll be for the community -- bringing jobs and tourist dollars, glamour and culture to the area. Of the revenues generated, however, something like 90% come directly from the people in the community where the casino is located, not magical tourists.
Overall, I think casinos end up costing a community more than they provide in benefits. The costs include increased law enforcement, government regulatory costs, suicide, illness, social service costs and gambling costs, all factors that stem from gambling addiction. Gambling addiction is associated with unemployment, financial problems. It's connected to spousal and child abuse.
But, says OLG, gaming revenue funds vital social programs. So, gambling revenue is really a form of tax that’s coerced from certain targeted groups of people?
Seems to me, originally, lotteries were run to match funds for special projects (remember Wintario?). Now, it seems the province is as addicted to gambling as their victims.
OLG claims that over the last 30 years, they have generated “more than $23 billion for physical fitness, sport and recreation programs, cultural activities, and the operation of hospitals”.
And where does the rest of the money go? Just under $1 billion per year for social funding, $248 million is spent annually on marketing and promotion and I guess the rest is administration or something. It’s definitely not disbursed in winnings.
I don’t know. I’m kind of creeped out by the whole notion of our government preying on its weak and vulnerable citizens and pushing then into an addiction in order to turn a quick and easy profit. When organized crime does this it’s called racketeering.
The message is: Gamble – you’ll get rich AND fund a lot of vital social programs.
The OLG realizes approximately $6 billion in annual revenues. I’m pretty sure they don’t make this kind of money on people like me who occasionally buy a 649 ticket. No, the big money comes from problem gamblers who re-mortgage their homes, cash in their RRSPs and gamble away their kids’ education funds.
It almost looks as if our provincial government is actively encouraging its citizens to become serious, if not problem, gamblers. But that can't be right, can it?
An estimated 332,000 people in this province have a moderate to severe gambling problem. (Out of a population of 12 million). That’s a pretty serious issue and/or a great PR effort on behalf of OLG. Problem gambling in Ontario has increased dramatically with the increase of access to gambling.
Government locates casinos in desperate communities with promises of how good they’ll be for the community -- bringing jobs and tourist dollars, glamour and culture to the area. Of the revenues generated, however, something like 90% come directly from the people in the community where the casino is located, not magical tourists.
Overall, I think casinos end up costing a community more than they provide in benefits. The costs include increased law enforcement, government regulatory costs, suicide, illness, social service costs and gambling costs, all factors that stem from gambling addiction. Gambling addiction is associated with unemployment, financial problems. It's connected to spousal and child abuse.
But, says OLG, gaming revenue funds vital social programs. So, gambling revenue is really a form of tax that’s coerced from certain targeted groups of people?
Seems to me, originally, lotteries were run to match funds for special projects (remember Wintario?). Now, it seems the province is as addicted to gambling as their victims.
OLG claims that over the last 30 years, they have generated “more than $23 billion for physical fitness, sport and recreation programs, cultural activities, and the operation of hospitals”.
And where does the rest of the money go? Just under $1 billion per year for social funding, $248 million is spent annually on marketing and promotion and I guess the rest is administration or something. It’s definitely not disbursed in winnings.
I don’t know. I’m kind of creeped out by the whole notion of our government preying on its weak and vulnerable citizens and pushing then into an addiction in order to turn a quick and easy profit. When organized crime does this it’s called racketeering.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Walking Ottawa
I had hoped to get out to more of the Jane’s Walk activities this weekend, but could only manage one – Elements of Walkability with Chris Bradshaw. There were 13 other walks going on throughout the city Saturday and Sunday. So, if you went on any of them, I’m interested to hear what you thought.
Our walk was bright and early Saturday morning. They said they had over 70 people registered, but only about 25-30 showed up – but it was early and kind of cold and gloomy. The people who took part were obviously all urban pedestrian types, so Chris Bradshaw was pretty much preaching to the converted when he pointed out things like crosswalks that are too large or the dangers of slopey sidewalks.
I had hoped to see some City types out as well. If I was an urban planner or something for the city this would have been a great way to really see the city and meet and talk with actual people that live in the city. Maybe they all went to the afternoon things?
Anyway, Ottawa’s a long way from what I would consider a walkable city. Parts of the downtown core aren’t too bad -- the areas with low rise buildings, mixed commercial/residential, narrow streets, lots of intersections (e.g.: Bank/Elgin/Somerset). The market area would be really good if they made a nice big chunk of it pedestrian only. Cars weaving among the outdoor patios, market stalls, shoppers and buskers is unnecessary, dangerous and just takes away from the whole experience.
Dining alfresco, while two feet away an SUV is pumping exhaust into your face is unpleasant. On the other side of the coin, why motorists would even want to join in that market traffic snarl is beyond me.
Outside of the downtown core, there is little encouragement in the infrastructure for walking as a form of transportation – urban sprawl in all its glory. Perfunctory sidewalks that suddenly end, highway on and off ramps with no concessions for pedestrians, too many 4+ lane streets with crosswalks that are too wide, no buffers between traffic and sidewalks, walkways that remain snow covered in winter and flooded when it rains, et., etc.
I could go on and on. There are many visionaries like Jane Jacobs who know what it takes for a city to be alive and vital. We have all sorts of fine examples of thriving, walkable cities all over the world. Ottawa even had/has a Pedestrian Plan that’s been dragging on for years.
Ottawa certainly does a lot of planning.
Our walk was bright and early Saturday morning. They said they had over 70 people registered, but only about 25-30 showed up – but it was early and kind of cold and gloomy. The people who took part were obviously all urban pedestrian types, so Chris Bradshaw was pretty much preaching to the converted when he pointed out things like crosswalks that are too large or the dangers of slopey sidewalks.
I had hoped to see some City types out as well. If I was an urban planner or something for the city this would have been a great way to really see the city and meet and talk with actual people that live in the city. Maybe they all went to the afternoon things?
Anyway, Ottawa’s a long way from what I would consider a walkable city. Parts of the downtown core aren’t too bad -- the areas with low rise buildings, mixed commercial/residential, narrow streets, lots of intersections (e.g.: Bank/Elgin/Somerset). The market area would be really good if they made a nice big chunk of it pedestrian only. Cars weaving among the outdoor patios, market stalls, shoppers and buskers is unnecessary, dangerous and just takes away from the whole experience.
Dining alfresco, while two feet away an SUV is pumping exhaust into your face is unpleasant. On the other side of the coin, why motorists would even want to join in that market traffic snarl is beyond me.
Outside of the downtown core, there is little encouragement in the infrastructure for walking as a form of transportation – urban sprawl in all its glory. Perfunctory sidewalks that suddenly end, highway on and off ramps with no concessions for pedestrians, too many 4+ lane streets with crosswalks that are too wide, no buffers between traffic and sidewalks, walkways that remain snow covered in winter and flooded when it rains, et., etc.
I could go on and on. There are many visionaries like Jane Jacobs who know what it takes for a city to be alive and vital. We have all sorts of fine examples of thriving, walkable cities all over the world. Ottawa even had/has a Pedestrian Plan that’s been dragging on for years.
Ottawa certainly does a lot of planning.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Germaine
I saw this photo in today's Books section of the paper and thought it was beautiful. Whatever you may think of Germaine Greer's politics, this is a gorgeous face. Her skin is wrinkled and sagging, she has dark circles and bags under her eyes, her hair is white and uncoiffed, she had wattles under her chin. She wears corrective lenses and probably is carrying a couple of extra pounds. But, isn't this a mature, intelligent, interesting natural face? Isn't she, at 70 so much more stunning than some other celebs around the same age who have put a lot of money into looking not aged?
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Brunch
Goodtime party girl blogger, Alison has come to the realization that her partying ‘til dawn isn’t as much fun as it used to be.
I think I hit that wall long ago. In recent years I’ve noticed that most of my socializing revolves around brunch. Brunch is a good time to get together with people because:
No one’s not drifting off -- which old people tend to do after 10:00 pm.
Food options are awesome – it’s the only time you can have baked goods with whipped cream, chocolate and syrup and legitimately call it a meal.
It’s late enough in the day to start drinking, but early enough in the day for the drinks to wear off, giving you some productive afternoon time before the evening drinking begins.
Brunch drinking is totally different from night-time drinking. There are a whole range of drinks specifically designed just for brunch: Bloody Marys/Cesars, Mimosas, Bellinis, Sangria, Mojitos, Morning Martinis, anything you can make in a blender, anything you can add to juice or coffee, any kind of beer and wine Рespecially Ros̩.
Brunch starts mid to late morning and can finish in an hour or you can make a whole day of it. (in which case there will be no productive afternoon break).
Hosting brunch is a lot easier than hosting a dinner party.
Or, if you want to go out, there are so many amusing brunch places to explore – surprising places sometimes, where completely different things happen at night.
Brunch takes care of two meals at once, saving both time and money.
And, finally, you can have lots of good-time party fun and still get to bed by 11:00.
Here’s a recipe for Goat Cheese, Roasted Pepper & Baby Spinach Frittata that I think I got from the LCBO Food & Drink magazine.
6 eggs
¼ cup milk (or milk-like product)
Salt & pepper
1 roasted red pepper cut into thin slices
Handful of baby spinach1/2 cup creamy goat cheese
1 Tbsp. butter (or butter-like product)
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced green onion
Whisk eggs, milk, salt & pepper. Stir in roasted pepper, spinach and half the goat cheese. Melt butter in frying pan, (cast iron is best) add onion and stir around for a bit. Stir egg mixture and dump into medium hot pan, making sure all the stuff is evenly distributed. Cook until barely set and then stick the whole thing under the broiler for half minute or so until the top gets a bit brown. Sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese on top. Let it cool for a minute before cutting into wedges
I think I hit that wall long ago. In recent years I’ve noticed that most of my socializing revolves around brunch. Brunch is a good time to get together with people because:
No one’s not drifting off -- which old people tend to do after 10:00 pm.
Food options are awesome – it’s the only time you can have baked goods with whipped cream, chocolate and syrup and legitimately call it a meal.
It’s late enough in the day to start drinking, but early enough in the day for the drinks to wear off, giving you some productive afternoon time before the evening drinking begins.
Brunch drinking is totally different from night-time drinking. There are a whole range of drinks specifically designed just for brunch: Bloody Marys/Cesars, Mimosas, Bellinis, Sangria, Mojitos, Morning Martinis, anything you can make in a blender, anything you can add to juice or coffee, any kind of beer and wine Рespecially Ros̩.
Brunch starts mid to late morning and can finish in an hour or you can make a whole day of it. (in which case there will be no productive afternoon break).
Hosting brunch is a lot easier than hosting a dinner party.
Or, if you want to go out, there are so many amusing brunch places to explore – surprising places sometimes, where completely different things happen at night.
Brunch takes care of two meals at once, saving both time and money.
And, finally, you can have lots of good-time party fun and still get to bed by 11:00.
Here’s a recipe for Goat Cheese, Roasted Pepper & Baby Spinach Frittata that I think I got from the LCBO Food & Drink magazine.
6 eggs¼ cup milk (or milk-like product)
Salt & pepper
1 roasted red pepper cut into thin slices
Handful of baby spinach1/2 cup creamy goat cheese
1 Tbsp. butter (or butter-like product)
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced green onion
Whisk eggs, milk, salt & pepper. Stir in roasted pepper, spinach and half the goat cheese. Melt butter in frying pan, (cast iron is best) add onion and stir around for a bit. Stir egg mixture and dump into medium hot pan, making sure all the stuff is evenly distributed. Cook until barely set and then stick the whole thing under the broiler for half minute or so until the top gets a bit brown. Sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese on top. Let it cool for a minute before cutting into wedges
This is Not a Cat Blog
This post is going to seem like I’ve jumped on the kitty-blogging bandwagon, but I haven’t. This post is really about laundry and only incidentally about cats.
After I finished doing laundry yesterday (see?), there was enough cat fur in the lint trap to make a small kitten (photo not available). I’d washed a lot of rugs and blankets and stuff the cat hangs around, but still.
It’s spring, so critters are shedding their winter fur (or long underwear in the case of Zoom’s giant feline). Bazel (my cat) has also been doing a lot of wretching the last week or so, but since I very cleverly give him regular doses of furball dissolver, he hasn’t hacked up anything too disgusting.
Nevertheless, I figured I’d better start brushing him. Cats love it, they tell me. They don’t know Bazel. Bazel doesn’t love anything that involves touching him – no petting, no stroking, no cuddling. As far as he’s concerned, I only exist to feed him and to give him nice fleshy bits to attack.
After I finished doing laundry yesterday (see?), there was enough cat fur in the lint trap to make a small kitten (photo not available). I’d washed a lot of rugs and blankets and stuff the cat hangs around, but still.
It’s spring, so critters are shedding their winter fur (or long underwear in the case of Zoom’s giant feline). Bazel (my cat) has also been doing a lot of wretching the last week or so, but since I very cleverly give him regular doses of furball dissolver, he hasn’t hacked up anything too disgusting.
Nevertheless, I figured I’d better start brushing him. Cats love it, they tell me. They don’t know Bazel. Bazel doesn’t love anything that involves touching him – no petting, no stroking, no cuddling. As far as he’s concerned, I only exist to feed him and to give him nice fleshy bits to attack.
He’s like the Kato to my Clouseau. I never know when Bazel will pounce and gnaw. A dangling hand, a bare foot...maybe my elbow looks particularly fetching one day. It can be annoying. He does it when I’m sleeping, too, when he reckons it’s time to get up.
Anyway, the brushing wasn’t a big success. I had to wait until he was snoozing and sneak up on him. As soon as the brush appeared he was on me. But with some diligence and many hours, I did manage to thin him out a bit.
Anyway, the brushing wasn’t a big success. I had to wait until he was snoozing and sneak up on him. As soon as the brush appeared he was on me. But with some diligence and many hours, I did manage to thin him out a bit.
Bazel may not be cute and cuddly, but he's kind of interesting and always on the alert for something to attack, so our place is completely bug and rodent free at all times.
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