On Conditionality
At the end of the debate on Motion 30 on April 21, 2021, MLA Hannah Bell spoke about “conditionality”:Finally, we also know that one of the main things that came out of the special committee in poverty...
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Nib Size
Insiders at The Bookmark inform me that they have two TWSBI Iris fountain pens on order:New Titanium finish Vac700R, every single pen is slightly different and unique in its color, not one is exactly...
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Spotify Liked Songs Reboot
As of this afternoon there were 348 songs in my Spotify “Liked Songs” list. Spotify has changed the way that “favourites” work so many times that I can’t recall when this particular slice of my musical...
View ArticleKarine Polwart, Gordie Sampson, Tim Banks, Lennie Gallant
From Karine Polwart’s latest newsletter:The last song on the Come Away In EP hasn’t, as far as I’m aware, ever been released. Lovelines was co-written in fleeting session with Canadian songwriter...
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Simple Projection Screen
I decided that we needed to upgrade our home cinema game, which isn’t hard to do given that it’s built around a $129 projector. So I invested in a $34 screen. Worth it for the packaging alone!Design
View ArticleVicarious Travel
As Ton has been travelling vicariously by revisiting travel photos, I have been travelling vicariously by revisiting travel blog posts. Like this one, about our 21 say stay in France:Twenty-one days...
View ArticleThe Liam Neeson Cinematic Machine
Liam Neeson is the star of a new movie, The Marksman, which is described like this:Along the US/Mexico border in Arizona, Jim Hanson a rancher and Vietnam war vet, is going through a tough time. His...
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Blackwing x Independent Bookstore Day
Superstar bookseller Adam, at The Bookmark, turned me on to the presence of special edition Blackwing x Independent Bookstore Day pencils in the shop. They are delightful. I bought two. The...
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We can't believe it's not summer!
Regular readers will know of my longtime aversion to the use of generic stock photography to illustrate news stories. I’ve written about this here and here and here.I will make an exception to this...
View ArticleMr. Hooper is Dead, Grover is a Alcoholic
Back during my brief flowering as a writer of comedic songs–Kitchen Utensil Love, Gay Squirrels, etc.–I wrote a song about Sesame Street, the lyrics of which evade me now, other than “Mr. Hooper is...
View ArticleJean Doherty
I was sad to read this morning of the death of Jean Doherty.I worked with Jean over the years in many different capacities, most recently through the PEI Home and School Federation, when I was...
View ArticleAdam Savage + Tom Sachs
My favourite interviews are those conducted by interviewers with nothing to prove; it’s why I enjoy listening to Alec Baldwin so much: he’s famous (and infamous) enough that he’s generally the equal of...
View ArticlePeak Poovalanche
What went unreported in this 2003 post about dinner out in Bilbao was that the night ended with the poovalanche of all poovalanches in the Oliver department of the family. What Catherine would chime in...
View ArticleSuch a long way to go...
suchalongwaytogo.mp3I have long enjoyed the 1980 Christopher Cross song Ride Like the Wind. Listening to it this morning I realized that one of the reasons I like it so much is the backing vocals by...
View ArticleCostas Halavrezos Emerges
Costas Halavrezos, spice merchant and former siren of the airwaves, has resuscitated his email newsletter, and least for an issue.Costas HalavrezosSpices
View ArticleThe Death of Cash
Something I haven’t read much if anything about as a side-effect of COVID-19 is the death of cash as a way of paying for things.I have $60 in my wallet that’s been there since, what, Christmas? For...
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Bee Shoes
While trying to help Oliver find new shoes, I came across a pair for myself. Bucketfeet Save the Bees shoes, by artist Laurel54. They arrived this morning.BeesShoesBucketfeet
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Oven
Spotted in the back of a 1983 oven placed at the curb on Prince Street for next week’s large garbage removal.LabelOvenTypography
View ArticleI Was a Teenage Communist
I Was a Teenage Communist, a 1982 sketch from SCTV, is from an era of the show when it was firing on all cylinders: terrific attention to detail, fine writing, brilliant makeup and costuming, and...
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Lil’ Packaging
The new retail packaging for Lil’ Darlings vegan sausages hit the shelves this week. I’ve been assured it will be possible to buy them at locations other than Founders’ Hall in the days and weeks to...
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