Feeling so terribly, terribly sad, discouraged, depressed this morning, after only about a half-night’s worth of sleep. Thinking about the large number of people who at some point in the next four years are going to wake up and understand how thoroughly they’ve been played, and will be very, very angry, I found this refrain running through my…[Read more]

@MissRori

The thing is, I don’t actually believe that we are “owed” happiness, and I don’t think that the Doctor would believe that, either. I think we have to earn happiness, and we do that, not be doing good things and being rewarded, but by choosing to be happy. We have to choose happiness, regardless of whatever we are dealt that might not…[Read more]

@puroandson

Great Tom Lehrer number. My husband grew up in the Boston area, and his dad was a Harvard grad who was tone deaf but had a fondness for Lehrer’s humour. As a result, Mr. Arbutus grew up on his songs. I would have to think that some of them were pretty inappropriate for a little kid to be singing along with, but I don’t think my…[Read more]

@pedant      I did mean to comment on the remarkable Jenkins piece you posted. Really, really powerful. Thanks! (And to @JimTheFish for the article links, too.)

My hero.

@pedant      That’s a great tune. I love the 1970’s hairstyles on those guys, takes me right back to the day!  🙂

@CathAnnabel       Thanks for linking, nice work. My son included Blowin’ in the Wind as part of a poetry analysis project he did a few years ago. Seriously, no one with any familiarity with Dylan’s work could say it wasn’t legitimate as poetry.

Tears of Rage is a gorgeous song, I was first familiar with it as done by The Band. Another lesse…[Read more]

@puroandson      This might do, courtesy of Arbutus Jr.’s playlist. It might even be on one of the EA FIFA soundtracks, he has picked up a lot of favourites from those!

@puroandson       Civilise YouTube? Even Don Quixote wouldn’t have taken that on. 🙂  You’re very brave. I make comments in very few places. I stepped out of my huddle today to post several things on a news story about the politically-motivated, undemocratic firing of the Vancouver School Board by the provincial government this week. Trying…[Read more]

@pedant      You must be on time delay, the door was locked and bolted a couple of hours ago.  🙂  For their sins, the Jays now get to go to a quiet place and think about how they can be better. Meanwhile, the door is still open for the Cubs, whose fans are even more long-suffering than we are up north.

Meanwhile, @puroandson‘s news is much m…[Read more]

@puroandson     Hello, sweet Hybrid! I love “pupil-free day”, but surely for you, it’s a “teacher-free day”? Or maybe Puro Solo counts as a teacher? You know, the older I get, the more convinced I am that the planet is swarming with very stupid people, people who in harsher periods of history would not have survived their own stupidity. I try har…[Read more]

@puroandson        Arbutus Junior is in Grade 12, but school runs from September through June here, so the fun has just begun. Festivities are next spring but the photo shoots are in the fall, hence the early purchase of the suit. I admit we dropped a stupid amount of money on it, but between you and me, he looks gorgeous!

They call it “prom”…[Read more]

@puroandson     As well as what to do with all the tickets you just had to keep 

Personally, I attach mine to the fridge with magnets. Currently, I see the following: restaurant receipts from  Mexican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican restaurants in Chicago, unused Taste of Chicago food tickets, the tag from a Hawaiian pineapple bought in Oahu, and recei…[Read more]

@pedant     The Indians appear to be doing to the Jays what they did to the Red Sox. Still, at least the Sox’ll get Encarnation next year

Oh, shut up. I refuse to believe that yet. Although if things don’t improve on Monday, strong drink may be required. And the Sox can have Joey Bats. I’m starting to think we won’t miss him.

@winston     They did. I could go on and on, but I will try not to.  The game was close, they just couldn’t get their big bats going.  🙁   I’m telling myself that they just need to get back to their own sandbox, with their own fans, and get their Latin machismo back!

I suppose you’re entitled to drink all the coffee you want, if you don’t d…[Read more]

@puroandson      We have a Rancilio Silvia. It was the smallest decent one we could get, and it’s served us well for quite a few years now. It does have a steamer, but only a single heating unit, so you have to heat up the steamer, use it, then turn it off and let the heat readjust for a few minutes to pull your shot. Mr. Arbutus has gotten exce…[Read more]

@winston  @puroandson     Oh, yes! I forgot to add The African Queen, that’s a favourite of mine, too. I am compelled to point out, though, that Hepburn wasn’t in True Grit, she was in the sequel, Rooster Cogburn and the Lady. She was fabulous in it, of course!   🙂

@puroandson      Joke received and duly laughed at.  🙂  I’ve always assumed “pulling” referred to pulling the lever on the tap. @pedant may well know better than me, though! But over here, our tap brews are definitely not coming from the cellar. In the microbreweries near me, in fact, you can see the tanks in the back. Maybe “pull me a gin an…[Read more]

Wow, I turn my back for a few days and the pub is filled with interesting conversations! My current obsessions (baseball playoffs, my son’s new 3-piece suit, classic cocktails, memorizing Hoagy Carmichael songs, etc.) have kept me preoccupied for a few days.

@puroandson      his virtual world needs a new word for ‘met’ as ‘read’ wouldn’t work,…[Read more]