4th August 2008

Alternatives to treenapping

The rain has arrived. From yesterday onward we’ve been treading water, figuratively. Helping to push some young lad who had a broken heart and a broken car off the road just before getting to camp was an exercise in blinking, to keep the vision clear. No tears on our part, just victims of the incipient precipitation. In fact, my plan to liberate trees from the ditches might be sidetracked, as I am unwilling to water-test my sandals to the degree required.

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posted in environment, travel | Comments Off on Alternatives to treenapping | 355 words

9th June 2008

Gas, music and jet roar

First of all, a new personal high today; that barometer of economics that “sets the tongues a waggin'”, the price at the pumps, hit 1.51$/litre. It doesn’t bode well for unlimited travel this summer. I know, in the world view the price isn’t very much, but a 13 cent jump for no apparent reason shows me that my bus pass is a precious commodity.

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posted in economy, environment | Comments Off on Gas, music and jet roar | 252 words

27th April 2008

Hammered into form

Ask an average person “What would a program on CBC called Land And Sea be about?”, and the response is predictable. Farming and fishing. Don’t underestimate the producers at CBC, though, because that response is too easy. This afternoon, I learned that the cymbal industry is alive and well in New Brunswick, and that your average cymbal is never average. With thousands of models to choose from, and a market that is extremely competitive, it’s a world that requires sizzle and crash.

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posted in technology | Comments Off on Hammered into form | 332 words

7th February 2008

Remembering the five cent bar

I’m trying to reconcile my desire to “own” stuff with an allergy to the “fair market value” model. It’s easy to explain with an example; I can remember the five cent chocolate bar.

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posted in economy | Comments Off on Remembering the five cent bar | 386 words

20th November 2007

On the crossover of the season

Finally, the season change has caught up with the clock. When I left for work this morning, the sunrise reflected off the bottom of solid stratus, harbinger of the weather to come. By the time my first coffee was pouring from the dispenser (inflated recently to 70 cents), the snow was covering all in sight. We’ve made the crossover, and from today until “a long time from now” we should have a consistent blanket.

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posted in Wx | Comments Off on On the crossover of the season | 232 words

20th September 2007

I feel a bit loonier

The news should have made the bus stop; instead, it was the usual road construction. After an absence of three decades, the real dollar (dollard?) has come back to daze and confuse us all. To the chagrin of industrial barons and closet economists alike, our currency was (for a brief moment) today at par with the almighty dollar. But, as a famous Peggy once sang, “If that’s all there is, my friend, then let’s keep dancing”.

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posted in economy | 1 Comment | 326 words

10th September 2007

Nostalgia as my culture

The local newpaper has been running a series for the last few days on nostalgia. So right! For a person who hasn’t already forgotten what day it is, the thought of yesterday (so many of them to work with) is good fun. I know, that’s not really a complete sentence, but most memories are like that; incomplete… phrases.

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posted in music | Comments Off on Nostalgia as my culture | 317 words

5th September 2007

Media envy (reductio ad absurdum)

For those of us who suffer from NMGANBCAI disorder, today was a difficult day on several fronts. (Oh right, always explain the acronym: Need More Gadgets And Net But Can’t Really Afford It). Although I still don’t have a cellphone, and my desire for an iPhone has waned, Apple continues to tempt me. The new iPod touch (a tactile, visual replacement for the now obsolete MP3 players that are found all through the house). Sweet.

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posted in technology | Comments Off on Media envy (reductio ad absurdum) | 280 words

29th May 2007

Sometimes there is no smoking gun

So what’s an offended politician to do? After all the ranting on the public stage, the accusations of calumny and worse, the assurance that the smoking gun would be found, what do you do with an official report that says nothing was found? It’s easy; you continue ranting, making accusations of calumny and worse, assuring anyone that is still listening that the smoking gun is, well, still out there. At least, that’s one way of keeping a small percentage of your faithful close to you.

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posted in politics | Comments Off on Sometimes there is no smoking gun | 351 words

23rd January 2007

Saved penny is earned penny

Benjamin Franklin is credited with the phrase “A penny saved is a penny earned”. Well, today I have done well. A master shopper. Let me take a bow, I’ve earned the right.

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posted in economy, environment | Comments Off on Saved penny is earned penny | 286 words

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