Being a big free speechification kind of guy, I love bumper stickers and their nouveau cousin the magnetic bumper ribbon. I think anyone should not only be free but encouraged to say whatever they want all over their car, their bodies, their front lawn. So enamoured indeed are we that, briefly, a …

So much for the softie Europeans ganging up to capture the 21 July bomber clique. Of course, the UK and Italy are the members of Old Europe which act like New Europe so that has to be taken into account if we are to abide by the words and logic of the prophet Rumsfeld - remember him?  •  But I …

I have done something I have never done. I have beach bummed and will again today. Being albino between the freckles this requires SPF 50 or stronger taken with my tea and rubbed all over as well as a canny set of umbrellas and tarps to actually isolate myself from the slightest contact with any …

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Canada denied an application for leave to appeal the December 2004 overturning by the Federal Court of Appeal of the December 2003 ruling by the Copyright Board of Canada of the decision to put a levy on Mp3 players to cover the lost copyright fees left unpaid by …

The black 1972 Chevy Nova, license plate "Cleetus #1", drove into the Tim  •  Hortons just north of the crossing at St. Stephens, New Brunswick. He had declared the first two-four of Miller Lite and even the second but the cheap gin sat snug in that spot under the rear seat.  •  With all the fuss …

If a job ever came up to promote Portland Maine as a destination, I might go for it. I cannot think of another place that has amazing beaches 30 minutes from a lively downtown, which has cottage life within the urban confines all surrounding an industrial, fishing, recreational and cruiser harbour …

The announcement by the IRA that the armed struggle is over is news of a Berlin Wall falling nature. We have friends whose brother was blown up in a pub in the early 70s and we were with them when they got the news - very odd having that explained to a seven year old me. There was never any need …

So far this month that is...  •  I think that is kind of nuts. But I am also grateful for it. Yet I am somewhat enslaved by it. I am in thrall to the numbers. It is an odd thing as I am still sure that 299,000 of the visits are by bots. But that would still leave 2,453 real visits which in itself …

How to spot a phony Charter argument 101:  •  “Alberta's justice minister says he may invoke the notwithstanding clause under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect officials in his province from having to marry same-sex couples. Justice Minister Ron Stevens says his goal is to protect …

We stopped by The Standard Baking Company as we usually do in Portland. Can you tell I figured out how to post photos via my pal's computer?

Down at the waterfront on Commercial Street in Portland, you don't expect to see a 50 mm machine gun when you look over your pizza over to the next wharf. Click for a bigger pic.

Illustrated is the "Chocolate Boston", which is a chocolate milkshake with chocolate soft serve ice cream topped with chocolate sauce. The "Boston" can be had with other flavours but it is always milkshake plus soft serve plus sauce. Eaten with a spoon and a straw, it is apparently known only to …

When I travel I end up blowing a bunch of money at book and CD shops getting all the stuff and selection that Heritage Canada would keep from us - reasonably priced obscure American history and regional US music in particular. Not to mention a decent variety of jerky.  I know there is a Federal …

Hans Island is described as "a barren knoll in the high Arctic". The inukshuk was a nice touch but is it worth going handbags over?  •  “Danish officials in Copenhagen issued an official note of protest to Canada's ambassador yesterday after learning of Mr. Graham's decision to plunk down on the …

So how do we all feel now?  •  “Relatives of the Brazilian man shot dead by police at a London Tube station are considering suing over his death. Police have apologised over the death of electrician Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, who was shot when officers wrongly thought he was a suicide bomber …

I am proud to be a dislocated Haligonian, that little cool city that I never quite make it back to every summer - especially when you see (via Mike) this kind of normal fun highlighted from the Gay Pride parade in that most unlikely organ, that former bastion of arch-conservatism, aka the …

I was in New London, NH yesterday on the way down the  •  interstate 30 miles north of Concord and was at a place called Pizza Chef - or something like that - and had a "Syrian" which was basically a pita cut in half (destroying the pocket effect) with stuff between inside and baked. This was …

The trip was not hellish except that for the second time this year a Sony camera has died on me from lens mechanism failure and for the second time this week a bit of Sony electronics died on me. Lake George was an amazing bit of Americana, sort of a throw back to 1968 resort - beach, ice-cream …

It begins. Summer road trip hunting for snack shacks and vendors of high-test SPF lotions. Today we head south to Watertown, Lowville, Boonville past deep forest towns with the word "port" in the name due to misguided canal development and on down #12 before cutting east on #8, the lower …

I get in trouble when I post sandwich pictures. I think DJ Mixmaster Michael D. just about fainted on New Year's Day 2004 when I posted this one.  •  But I had to illustrate my obsession with Greek Village Take-out. Apparently my lunch needs do not just take a village but villages. My Cambodian …

Is it time to cut equalization and other aspects of the massive Federal funding to the anti-constitutionalist PEI government?  •  “ It may be the law, but same-sex couples can't get married on P.E.I. None of the provincial bills that cover marriage have been changed, and P.E.I.'s attorney general …

“"...they pushed him to the floor and basically unloaded five shots into him..."”  •  Amazing. Hot pursuit of a human bomb.  •  Update: More...  •  “The Muslim Council of Britain said Muslims were concerned about a possible "shoot to kill" policy. Spokesman Inayat Bunglawala said: "There may well …

Ok - I know...we all know...I made The New York Times first (and the Business section is so much cooler than the Arts one) but... it is still very mucho neato that little Stevie Garrity, one of my once teen clients who I met back in 1998, got himself referenced in the global paper of record, too …

Delegates review Tantrama City diorama before Time Conference 2007  •  Two years after the decision of the United States in 2005 to alter daylights savings time, a meeting was held with regional leaders to review the trade implications and determine if a regional approach was not now required in …

My policy on panhandling is clear:  •  I buy a lot of crap that costs way too much. What a panhandler gives me materially is more honest. I get a bit of "no thing" in return for a small amount of expenditure. A bargain I understand.  •  I pick favourites. I try to support a few who are there all …

Is I was not born rich. See, I make the right moves but just not with enough magnification. On May 9th I bought a share in Google. One. So far, over ten weeks it is up 19%. If I had started with a million shares, I could retire today on just that decision made ten weeks ago. That is what bugs me …

I know I watched a lot of the test matches for the Ashes on BBC 2 in 1970 as that was the only thing on - hour after hour, day after day of unfathomable sports as we visited everyone we were related to who was over 78 for two months. This gent below, waiting the start of the big game starting the …

This place is my new obsession.  •  I forgot how much I missed the Greek diners of Halifax. Dolmadakia is good and part of life again, though I recall it being just "dolmas" then. The lunch specials are not listed but I am having a warm pork tenderloin sandwich with zippy red pepper sauce on a Pan …

It's always a big day when the Supreme Court of Canada makes a ruling on a Mi'kmaq treaty. Today it is all about R. v. Marshall; R. v. Bernard, 2005 SCC 43. For those who don't know, the Mi'kmaq are the First Nations peoples of Maritime Canada with communities extending into Quebec's Gaspe as well …

Why? Why must we have our differences? There ain't no good guy. There ain't no bad guy. We just disagree...  •  “Canadian business leaders fear major economic disruption if this country does not get in step with an American move to extend daylight saving time. Yesterday, the U.S. Congress quietly …

In a continuation of a proud family's relationship to technology, established by my father's use of rubber bands as the all-purpose auto repair kit, my radio has healed itself. I blame static I suppose now that I think of it, the bane of the Sony ICF-2010. There is a background buzz audible at …

NYCO has been playing with maps (because everyone knows the graphical representation of data is waaaaay better than podcasting) and I made the grade. It is interesting to note that while there are many upstate bloggers there are zippo shown by the way of North Country bloggers - the upstate of …

So it begins. Another footie season as Morton drew Ayr in the Scottish Cup. Mighty Morton won it in 1922. It could happen again. I saw Ayr in the Cup back in '77 or '80 in Edinburgh when Georgie Best was too hungover to make it to the game for Hibs. When we left early in a blow-out some Ayr git …

Regardless of what you think about same-sex marriage, this story is a bit weird to me so I need some ethical guidance:  •  “After tying the knot for more than 3,400 people, Orville Nichols expects to become the first person in Canada to be fired for refusing to marry a gay couple. Mr. Nichols, a …

I have had the same radio for over 15 years on the bedside table - a Sony 2010 - which is such a sweet model that even used ones cost $400 bucks or so on eBay. They were discontinued in 2003 and I fear it is unrepairable. It probably just needs the dust cleaned out of it but I have this feeling …

More scenes from Market Street where it looks like a Tonka kid's dream these days. These stones uncovered below appear to be a storefront of some kind circa 1830s.

Below is the lastest strip in a web based cartoon called Day By Day which a bunch of bloggers post and which drives me nuts. Today's is one of the worst examples but is illustrative of a number of points:  •  It derives its imagery in part from Doonesbury, the long running counter-culturish strip …

This is interesting. Moderate Muslims in the UK playing the fatwa card:  •  “Britain's largest Sunni Muslim group yesterday brought the full weight of Islamic law against the perpetrators of the July 7 attacks on London's transport system, issuing a binding religious fatwa against suicide terror …

I knew what a wiffle ball was but I really did not know that is was officially called that, that there was an official version and that in fact there is The Wiffle Ball Inc. of Shelton, Connecticut, USA with a website.  •  It is a strange old world.

They came in waves. Supper arrangements and meetings at places. It was all very civilized - especially as five were under one to eight. But there are the ice cream orders and these need beer and these need wine and these think ice cream, beer and wine are Baal's work. But the train took the last …

Elmoo is not going to  •  be happy with that putt  •  This is a bit day in the family sporting calendar. When The Open is played in Scotland we always have a family connection. My great-uncle was a groundskeeper at Royal Troon and my uncle, as a senior member of Gullane #1, has been the starter …

Why are pictures of children dressed up as Harry Potter news? I find it as disturbing as if they were dressed up as Ronald MacDonald rushing to eat a new burger from McPigs.

The dig behind City Hall is winding down and the things uncovered are being carefully covered again. I am already looking forward to the report on what was found. In the last few days items found have been displayed - when I did not have the camera unfortunately. But the business end of a big meat …

Family visiting. Pals with 3 kids in town. Waterslides. Kingston Buskers. Yet...I feel it is only right to try to fit this in, too. Johnson v. Clement. Holy-fre-holy:

Soccer against a largely Greek team and then stayed up to 2:00 am yakking with the bro. Fun but now every thing aches. The bottoms of my feet ache most of all. We held a tie 3-3 playing 9 against 11, though. Mighty mighty fun. Film at eleven.

With all the news recently, I missed this:  •  “"We're not the public service of __________," he said. "We're not just another department. We are the ___________ Forces, and our job is to be able to kill people."”  •  Fill in the gaps with the name of a country and then check here to see if you …

One of my favorite teams, Arsenal, traded off their captain yesterday - well, traded the contract as they do in soccer. For 30 million or so CND. I have wanted him gone for a long time. The reaction of the author at the delightfully named (and incredibly well written if incredibly rude) Arseblog …

Last Updated Thu, 14 Jul 2007 16:15:59 EDT  •  CBC News, Tantrama City  •  Ottawa rejected on Thursday a plea from Tantrama City to help fund the $1.4 billion refurbishing of an elderly hydrofoil yard, saying it would set an expensive precedent. Other potential infeasible industries across the …

This is rattling through just now...

We missed the French Festival across the river at Cape Vincent this year. We were there last year and had a great time. To make up for my absence, North Country Public Radio has some great photos, a five and a half minute radio essay on it as well as other information on their regional news page …

I kind of feel like Toto must have...

There are few things which have been as constant in my life as loud. I was going to actually create a wee web radio thing about me and loud but then I thought, having listened to one recently for over an hour, that there is a heck of a lot of effort that goes into one of those things for any extra …

In the midst of a day full of interesting meetings, I got to shake the hand of the man who owns the North-end Beverage Room. Just wanted to put that on the table.

Steve in Manchester has put it very well again:  •  “Why, why, why? You were born here FFS! What medievil twat filled you with that much hatred? Was it moral outrage? Bare female arms at the height of summer? Rowdy young men quaffing ale outside the pubs of England? Was it the very notion of …

Living up to a stereotype is apparently important for these residents of St.John, New Brunswick:  •  “Police in Saint John say there's little they can do to stop a new kind of sporting event in the city, one the participants call "extreme backyard wrestling." It's similar to what the professionals …

Well, I'm relieved that's cleared up. I knew it wasn't you and I really suspected it wasn't me.

I guess it is a bad idea in Ontario to poach 23 fishing including 15 females loaded with eggs during spawning season  •  “...Crown prosecutor Veronica McGuire was not seeking the maximum penalty. In fact, she was not asking that Homiakov be jailed at all. She only sought an $8,500 fine and the …

My mapping of the range of frozen custard continues with this information emailed from Gary in New Hampshire:  •  “I am not sure where to find froz. cus. in NH. People seem to go  •  for just ice cream scoops here. There is a terrific farm near us with a dairy barn and ice cream, and most …

I am working on another book on the US constitution. As you know, I have decided this year to read a few shorter books on the principles of that document and I am already in that place where I am both confused and starting to argue with authors - a little learning is a dangerous thing.  •  One …

Look kids! A barge drydock from the mid-19th century!!!  •  The ever excellent NYCO and her canal interests leads me to the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum about two hours south of here:  •  “This place is interesting in that it's probably the only Old Erie park that is treated like a …

A great obituary for someone you would never have met or even heard of.

As you can guess, I liked our visit last week to Ithaca. We added two days to summer holidays there in a few weeks to do some more exploring and that is going to include a return trip to the Farmer's Market as well as Ralph's Ribs.  •  The photos are pretty self-descriptive but suffice it to say …

Chuck Cadman has died of skin cancer. Sad that we just got to know how great a representative of his own electors he was.

I am in the middle of of a personal three-day weekend, more practice for my summer holiday. If you just jump right into a summer holiday, my theory is, you are not really prepared for it so you spend the first few days figuring out how to act on holiday - the right beat up clothes to wear, the …

I suppose I really dislike Real Madrid because of its legacy of Franco fascism and his manipulation of the Spanish league until the 70s which placed them, his personal pets, on top and gave them the base of wealth they continue to enjoy today. I bet Michael Owen is having such thoughts with this …

Sometimes new things actually do happen on the internet:  •  “BBC Three is to premiere comedy series The Mighty Boosh on the internet before it is broadcast on television. The second series of the show will premiere via broadband from 19 July - a week before it is shown on television.”  •  Seven …

Ebay is quite the thing. Checking my alerts for the preset "Greenock" search and, voom, there is my Grannie.

It's the little things in life that make it good. Yesterday I noticed that North Country Public Radio had added a transmitter at Cape Vincent, the nearest village in the USA to us - where I saw this beauty and which holds its French Festival this weekend - though we have to miss it.  •  What this …

Liberal Election Commission Planning Sub-Committee, July 2007  •  With the summer upon Tantrama City, the designated leadership has convened to review its requirements for the upcoming all-party Election Commission planning session:  •  “Sub-committee Minutes, 8 July 2007  •  Melvin MacKay …

Attentive readers might not expect I might find illumination in the words of the Monarch but look today at what Elizabeth R wrote this morning:  •  “The dreadful events in London this morning have deeply shocked us all. I know I speak for the whole nation in expressing my sympathy to all those …

Brave talk for me safe elsewhere. Like many who write on these things, I have good pals and family in London so, like on 9/11 and New York, I worry for them. With the G8, Live 8 and the Olympic decision, London today was likely a likely target. Sadly but thankfully, with the greater experience of …

Since I last asked in February, we have gone from under 5,000 visits a day to over 12,000. You can't all be bots. What are you from?

In a victory for humankind, workplace keystroke surveillance was deemed illegal in Alberta today. Hoo-ray. Once again class - just because you can do something with a computer does not mean you should.

I kind of got caught in over exposure dreamy land at Lower Buttermilk Falls, a state park right at the south end of Ithaca. It was quite the thing to see a great swimming hole with a real live life guard, families actually using those BBQs on a stick they put everywhere between 1964 and 1971 and …

If I never read the Boingsters, I probably would never encounter the "right to take" as a great new idea. But two recent posts point out something of the hypocrisy and the case-by-case arbitrary judgement that really is at the core of the arguments against respect for authorship - let's call them …

Post "post-9/11" that is. I am trying to note if I see any markers for the ending of an era. Whether you think that that terrible day was caused by the alignment of a great number of extraordinary unlikelihoods giving the terrorists a clean run they would never have gotten on any other day or …

With the end of Parliament, with the coming of a cold that can snap someone from here to Ottawa with a sniffly tag, with the days of humid lethargy it is hard to figure out what one could possibly write about on a blog like this. One recent note of note I noted was that of Mancunian Steve on his …

You know the odd thing is I can't think of any French food I crave yet I consider myself a foodie and would stand by that at the risk of being slappy-faced by a man in a big white puffy hat.

This is the real reason we visited Ithaca last weekend - not the ice cream, not the fine beer store and certainly not the hotel which shall go nameless with the blinking light on the smoke detector. The Sciencenter is hard to beat for an afternoon with the kids. Basically, it is only about 150 …

The potential success of the Tory Mr. Congeniality Tour 2005 seems already in some doubt if we are to go by this report from PEI:  •  “I was having my breakfast at the market today when in comes Mr Stephen Harper who is visiting PEI. He was studiously ignored and left the eating room in a minute …

Right at the north split of #13  •  I really do not love ice cream. I can remember great ice creams like the elementary school era Moonglow flavour at the village of Morden on the Bay of Fundy shore or, during high school, the candied ginger root ice cream at the Fundy Dairy Bar in Bible Hill on …

OK - now I am really in trouble. Some of the best ice cream I have ever had (green tea flavour even), the best farmer's market I have ever been to, the best children's fun learning spot I have ever seen, the biggest and best grocery store I have ever been in (a Wegmans - I know it is wrong, Linda …

I am not planning to watch much of Live 8 though I hope it all goes well. But lines like this from the schedule strike me as a little freaky:  •  “12:45 p.m.: Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof will address the world from London.”  •  I wonder if I will hear it from where I am sitting with any luck at …

People make much of the payroll of the Yankees as evidence in itself of the power of the team. This year, mid-way, they sit at just .500 and sixth team in the AL wildcard race. Some of the side references to the facts of their trading and payroll from this New York Times article, written after …

Happy New Atlanticans Celebrate Canada Day 2007  •  Despite concerns raised over large gatherings of the populace by authorities since the collapse of the regional health summit, Tantrama City joined the rest of New Atlantica and all of Canada celebrating the national holiday, except of course for …