Kind of worried about the state of democracy in Canada's most populous province, Ontario. The premier does not seem to understand how it is supposed to work and appears to have started his term of office with the use of executive power to over rule whatever he feels like. Pray for Toronto, and Ontario, and for Canada, and for the world.
Bob Dylan wrote this: Ring them bells, ye heathen
From the city that dreams,
Ring them bells from the sanctuaries
Cross the valleys and streams,
For they're deep and they're wide
And the world's on its side
And time is running backwards
And so is the bride.
Yes, unfortunately, at the moment, random political weirdness seems to be our main claim to fame. The cancellation of the new sex ed curriculum made the Washington Post, and Amnesty International is making noises about Ford's use of the notwithstanding clause.
We elected a new bishop in Toronto diocese the same week as Ford was elected premier. I was sort of hoping someone would get the wires crossed and switch the candidates. Bp. Andrew Asbil wouldn't have made a bad premier, probably, though he probably would have been out of his element as leader of a Conservative majority government. I don't doubt Doug Ford would have been a disaster as Bishop of Toronto, but sometimes you have to take one for the team.
Best wishes and thoughts from the Antipodes. I feel like Canada or Australia only generally make the world news when something egregious, or whacky, happens; I have read something about Toronto council of late. 🙏
Until Ford got himself elected, Canada seemed to be getting a reputation as one of the few places left in the Civilised World with decent, sensible politicians.
And from my pov, Canada has been seen as a progressive country with reasonable politicians for a while... I remember a Canadian friend asking me in 2000 what Australia's view of Canada was. Liberal and progressive on important issues was my response back then.
Picture it: this totally hypothetical guy named Doug just wants to be elected mayor so he can finally show everyone who’s boss and the stupid Citizens of Stupid don’t elect him. So finally, he goes and gets himself elected Super Mayor (or “Premier” as some liberals insist on calling the position) instead and he’s all prepared to slash Stupid Casino Hater Town’s city council in half so as to very possibly prevent a fair election. Then, some jerk who thinks he can interpret the law just because he’s a “judge” on the (They Think They’re So) “Superior Court” says he can’t because “blah blah, violates Ontarians’ charter rights, blah blah.”
Politics being the most expensive form of entertainment ever invented. With endless sequels and re-runs.
.I don't know how many shipmates live in the Ottawa Gatineau area, but u hope all is well after the Tornado.
john holdingEcclesiantics Host, Mystery Worshipper Host
Augustine and I live in areas untouched...I can't speak for the Sharkshooter. There used to be a couple of others on the old Ship, but I haven't seen them post on the new Ship, so I don't know if they've boarded.
I just spoke to the Ottawa side of my family (who are all OK) and they were about to call us because they were worried about the weather news out of Toronto. We got some high winds yesterday but apparently all the trees that were in danger of coming down already came down in the last two windstorms.
Snowed yesterday and is snowing today on the prairies. Melting on roads, it was coming down as ice pellets yesterday when I cycled to work. Dry versus wet on clothes. We still have root vegetables to dig up in the garden.
john holdingEcclesiantics Host, Mystery Worshipper Host
Regroup a little. Winds and rain passed with little damage in my area, but the power went out around 6 pm and just came on half an hour ago. I can't speak for Augustine, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear his power was out as well, and may still be-- it could be several days, they say, before all power is restored. Having said that, many tens of houses have been damaged or destroyed in other parts of the region, so even a couple of days with no power pales by comparison.
Snowed yesterday and is snowing today on the prairies.
Just a small note, np: It doesn't make sense for you to declare what the weather is "on the prairies". I'm on the prairies. It's not snowing here. The prairies are a big place.
My home was not affected. Just very heavy winds and rain. There were actually two tornadoes, one in Ottawa, and the other, larger, one north of the city which hit Dunrobin (Ontario) before crossing the river to Gatineau (Quebec). Many homes, business and apartment buildings destroyed. Many hurt, some critical. I haven't heard of any fatalities. One major power station was destroyed in Ottawa, so some areas may not have power for some time. It is cold this morning. Was only 3C when I got up earlier.
My home was not affected. Just very heavy winds and rain. There were actually two tornadoes, one in Ottawa, and the other, larger, one north of the city which hit Dunrobin (Ontario) before crossing the river to Gatineau (Quebec). Many homes, business and apartment buildings destroyed. Many hurt, some critical. I haven't heard of any fatalities. One major power station was destroyed in Ottawa, so some areas may not have power for some time. It is cold this morning. Was only 3C when I got up earlier.
That sounds scary! Is it time for you to head back to Arizona for the winter?
I didn't realise there'd been two separate tornadoes - I assumed it was just one barrelling through from one place to the next.
When I checked the weather at 8 o'clock this morning it was 0° with a wind-chill of -2; first time we've been in minus numbers for a while. It's glorious now though: 16° and sunny.
As I suspected the Big Wind blew all of nothing our way, passed north of us and dumped firehose rain on Brampton. I got home and had to water the garden - which I had abstained from in anticipation of Mother Nature's loving ministrations.
Glad to hear everyone is OK though. It WAS a Big Wind.
@lilbuddha introduced me to the McIntosh on a Purgatory thread [I had to google as I thought it was a saying] - I can't say we get that variety here (or I've never noticed). Next time I find myself in Canada I will try one.
I saw pictures of that - as it's almost in the middle of the city, I'm surprised there wasn't more damage, or more casualties. Glad to hear you're OK, @Caissa!
I think this is a situation like when I used to be offered cognac and cigars at some fancy functions. Demurring and deflecting is my response. "Thank-you, but no thank-you."
I'm reminded of a party I was at in Orkney about 35 years ago, when someone started passing round a joint. I looked at it, thought, "no, I really don't want to do this, and anyway it's illegal" then passed it to the person next to me, made my excuses and got off-side pretty damn quick.
I wouldn't like to think of myself as being prissy about it - like NP, it was just something I didn't want to do.
Did it in my twenties ( I turn 55 next month) with friends and fellow student politicians. Alcohol is my drug of choice. I am not sure if I will try edibles when they are readily available. As an ex-smoker, I have no interest to smoke it.
Quirks and Quarks on CBC Radio had a very good program on it this week. It can be streamed and info read on the link. It was rebroadcast on Radio One this afternoon (17 Oct).
Seriously though, while I have no desire to try it, if people's suffering can be alleviated by taking CBD, then I say hurrah and good luck to them.
Seriously, CBD is the only thing that will unlock my back from sciatica spasm in five minutes or less.
I can be immobilized and 4 Aleve (naproxen) and 600mg of Ibuprofen won't even touch it, and six drops of CBD under my tongue for five minutes and I'm unlocked. 12 drops and the pain is just about gone.
The other advantage of CBD is it doesn't accumulate in the liver and blow a hole in it over time.
Also - I recently discovered by accident(contact high) that Sour Diesel is like - the antidepressant God intended us to use. Seriously, if my depression ever rears its ugly head again, I'm hitting that pipe.
I've just noticed this thread. O well. As far as the Ottawa tornado was concerned, leaves were blown about in the Arborea barrio where I live but no damage. However, we lost power. I was about to leave for Lotusland the next morning at 6.30 so I simply packed by candlelight and then took the 97 southbound to the aerodrome, and sat in a quiet corner reading for the next five hours until my flight took off. According to my neighbour, the light returned the next day, owing to the exertions of the linemen. Looking at the coverage, the transmission stations looked as if they had been bombed.
On return, all was well. The temperature is yo-yoing away, and one never knows if one is to don one's parka, or excavate one's panama hat. What is more important is that this is the last week of the farmers' markets, so I am stocking up on root vegetables for the winter.
What felicitous timing for your travels, Augustine the Aleut!
I would say the temperature had been yo-yoing here too, but that implies some regularity or pattern. Here it's been more like an EKG - holding steady at colder than usual, then a spike of hot, a spike of very cold, and then back to just plain old cold.
Happy vegetable shopping Augustine! Glad all was alright with you.
Those temperatures are quite a swing. We are on an upward trajectory as summer approaches. Though a chilly wind appeared with storms yesterday to remind us nature is in charge.
A sprinkling of snow on the way to Sant' Onoforio's for the 8.30; the French radio predicts a 30% chance of snow showers later (or at least I think it did-- my occasionally spotty French means that there is always an element of surprise).
Weird. On a related topic, we were driving around rural southwest Ontario (near Simcoe and Lake Erie, if that helps) a few weekends ago and saw actual fields full of pumpkins. One of those things that theoretically, you know must exist, but you never quite believe it until you see it.
I could hardly believe it when I saw a recipe using canned pumpkin. As bad as those using cream of mushroom or chicken soup. Tinned passionfruit is nasty too. It tastes metallic to me.
Weird. On a related topic, we were driving around rural southwest Ontario (near Simcoe and Lake Erie, if that helps) a few weekends ago and saw actual fields full of pumpkins. One of those things that theoretically, you know must exist, but you never quite believe it until you see it.
Come to Indiana to see fields of pumpkin. One of our historic poets wrote a poem starting with this line...
"When the frost is on the pumpkin and the fodder's in the shock..." (James Whitcomb Riley)
When I lived in New Hampshire I frequently drove past a field where pumpkins were grown. I didn't really notice them in the summer, but after the first frost all the vines died, and there was just a field of pumpkins. I loved seeing them.
-7 when we got up this morning in Saint John with a windchill of -10. Planning to go to Freddy Beach next Saturday and hope there is not any snow on the ground.
Comments
We elected a new bishop in Toronto diocese the same week as Ford was elected premier. I was sort of hoping someone would get the wires crossed and switch the candidates. Bp. Andrew Asbil wouldn't have made a bad premier, probably, though he probably would have been out of his element as leader of a Conservative majority government. I don't doubt Doug Ford would have been a disaster as Bishop of Toronto, but sometimes you have to take one for the team.
And from my pov, Canada has been seen as a progressive country with reasonable politicians for a while... I remember a Canadian friend asking me in 2000 what Australia's view of Canada was. Liberal and progressive on important issues was my response back then.
Politics being the most expensive form of entertainment ever invented. With endless sequels and re-runs.
True. I have a sense this discussion really belongs elsewhere, so I'll leave it at that.
Prayers ascending that everyone's OK.
Snowed yesterday and is snowing today on the prairies. Melting on roads, it was coming down as ice pellets yesterday when I cycled to work. Dry versus wet on clothes. We still have root vegetables to dig up in the garden.
Just a small note, np: It doesn't make sense for you to declare what the weather is "on the prairies". I'm on the prairies. It's not snowing here. The prairies are a big place.
Best wishes to you all affected. Sounds like a mighty storm. Glad you're okay, john.
Good luck with the vegetables NOprophet_NØprofit.
That sounds scary! Is it time for you to head back to Arizona for the winter?
When I checked the weather at 8 o'clock this morning it was 0° with a wind-chill of -2; first time we've been in minus numbers for a while. It's glorious now though: 16° and sunny.
As I suspected the Big Wind blew all of nothing our way, passed north of us and dumped firehose rain on Brampton. I got home and had to water the garden - which I had abstained from in anticipation of Mother Nature's loving ministrations.
Glad to hear everyone is OK though. It WAS a Big Wind.
AFF
@lilbuddha introduced me to the McIntosh on a Purgatory thread [I had to google as I thought it was a saying] - I can't say we get that variety here (or I've never noticed). Next time I find myself in Canada I will try one.
But happy Thanksgiving wishes anyway...to you and all Canadian Shippies.
What, you mean they didn't push the deadline back another year at the eleventh hour? Everyone on the payroll must now be on the payroll.
Great. I'm off to Shoppers Drug Mart to buy a bottle of CBD.
AFF
I led a very sheltered childhood ...
Seriously though, while I have no desire to try it, if people's suffering can be alleviated by taking CBD, then I say hurrah and good luck to them.
I wouldn't like to think of myself as being prissy about it - like NP, it was just something I didn't want to do.
Seriously, CBD is the only thing that will unlock my back from sciatica spasm in five minutes or less.
I can be immobilized and 4 Aleve (naproxen) and 600mg of Ibuprofen won't even touch it, and six drops of CBD under my tongue for five minutes and I'm unlocked. 12 drops and the pain is just about gone.
The other advantage of CBD is it doesn't accumulate in the liver and blow a hole in it over time.
Also - I recently discovered by accident(contact high) that Sour Diesel is like - the antidepressant God intended us to use. Seriously, if my depression ever rears its ugly head again, I'm hitting that pipe.
LAFF
On return, all was well. The temperature is yo-yoing away, and one never knows if one is to don one's parka, or excavate one's panama hat. What is more important is that this is the last week of the farmers' markets, so I am stocking up on root vegetables for the winter.
I would say the temperature had been yo-yoing here too, but that implies some regularity or pattern. Here it's been more like an EKG - holding steady at colder than usual, then a spike of hot, a spike of very cold, and then back to just plain old cold.
It's been sufficiently wet and windy to completely bugger our sunflowers* though.
* cleverly planted below the bird-feeder by our little feathered friends.
Those temperatures are quite a swing. We are on an upward trajectory as summer approaches. Though a chilly wind appeared with storms yesterday to remind us nature is in charge.
It's late October - it's allowed to start getting a bit chilly. As long as they hold off with the sn*w for a wee while yet, I'll be quite content.
https://twitter.com/qikipedia/status/1055957246474039296
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pumpkin-boat-motor-manitoba-1.4877628
Come to Indiana to see fields of pumpkin. One of our historic poets wrote a poem starting with this line...
"When the frost is on the pumpkin and the fodder's in the shock..." (James Whitcomb Riley)
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44956/when-the-frost-is-on-the-punkin
Now to see if I can execute ...
AFF