Yes, your life is flying by. The end of June is the end of the first half of the year, the year you still think of in the back of your mind as new. Time to get another hobby or make a greater change.  •  Update: freaky:  •  “Authorities said Thursday they are trying to determine who altered the …

Oh dear. What else can one say?  •  “In the latest administrative nightmare to emerge from Public Works Canada, auditors say high-level bureaucrats lost control of a $24-million contract with cost-cutting consultants.”

Watching the Yankees die a thousand deaths this year has all the delicious splendor of that day and year and decade when the Montreal Canadians watched Patrick Roy let in nine goals, tell the owner, GM and coach behind the bench that he was never playing for the loser club again and get traded to …

Of all the "-isms", extremism is the best. Mainly because it means nothing but also because in the 1990's...or was it due, like so much, to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure that extreme became a positive. Anyway, Nixon was against it and had the CIA rooting it out in Canada in the 1970s right …

Seeing as I never did anything with MySpace (or Twitter, or Orkut, or Friendster....) I wonder if the fact that Facebook works for me and my undergrad pals says something about us:  •  “The research suggests those using Facebook come from wealthier homes and are more likely to attend college. By …

An interesting article in The Globe this morning on the recruitment of older folk, in large part established professionals, for the Canadian military:  •  “"In the last two years, our strategic intake plan has been heavily dominated by the combat arms," says Captain Holly-Ann Brown, a spokeswoman …

I am a bit at a loss at the political plan - you know, the plan to get re-elected. If making everyone unhappy is the road to electoral success, it seems the Not Pre-existing Government is doing a great job:  •  “The receding tide of electoral support for MacKay defies most of the rules of politics …

Bees are your most ignored life partner. I heard recently that if bees were to disappear, we'd have about four years to find an alternative or humans would die off.  •  Last night, right at the deepest part of dusk, I saw an extraordinary thing as I was watching a sugar maple as I listened to the …

This is a pretty good clue:  •  “A police officer forced a young man whose clothes were deemed un-Islamic to suck on a plastic container Iranians use to wash their bottoms.”  •  Good luck if they ever try to pull that on the Australians. The question really is only are they all ready pulling that …

An interesting week. The Red Sox have gotten back in gear and gotten back into the groove as the Yankees again falter. Summer is now here which means it will be a bit colder this weekend compared to last. Gary reports a tornado yesterday from the cold front that gave us hail up here. That was the …

A bit quietly, something ended the other day when Lessig packed it in, leaving the unproblem of intellectual property and digital media behind. Having beaten the drum and been a leader of the idea that copyright should not apply to expressions, much to the disgust of the creators of ideas who own …

I just heard that on Watertown NY morning TV as a description of a humid day. That is up there with the Pictou Co., NS phrase "it was darker than the inside of a cow."  •  ...and are they "mash potatoes" or "mashed potatoes"?

Why can't we make a cheaper simpler and secure tool like the US is planning:  •  “Ms. Harty said a planned introduction of a passport card - "that card will be wallet-sized and about half the price" - should ease the problem for Americans who cross into Canada for work or on day visits. The …

Yesterday Jay wrote the following about his own comment:  •  “David, my bad...  •  If the CPC wants to advertise on Pam Anderson's left nipple it's cool with me. (But it was a fun rant nonetheless.)”  •  My immediate reaction was that he would never have written that if we had been talking about a …

I don't agree with the NYT's headline "Things Going Right for Red Sox, but for All the Wrong Reasons". Over the weekend Manny hit, Wakefield stilled the spin of his knuckleball, Pedroia and Youkilis are turning out to be home grown gold. Sadly, the Yankees have found their form but they fell back …

It appears Ottawa is awash with straws these days as there are any number of neato ideas with which one can grasp so as to make one feel better about oneself, such as this:  •  “"It's getting harder and harder to reach people through the regular media. Fewer people are watching the network news …

How many weeks have there been in my life when I saw elephants? Is it better to see an elephant than a ball game?

I think that the middle of June is the best time of the year, the world so green, the sports of winter finally dead.  •  Update: James Bow has confirmed Andrew Anderson has packed in one of Canada's most popular blogs, Bound by Gravity. I know this is so last Tuesday but I checked in only to see …

What indeed? I am chaperoning a trip fo grade three kids to the zoo. I thought my life would be chaperoning exempt. The zoo is 200 km or more to the east which means there is five hours in a bus involved. Not a yellow bus, God be praised, but I am told a comfy one. I am still bringing ear plugs …

Why does the internet connection fail during lightning? Will the new shingles hold? Will anyone get out of bed and cross town for the presentation?

I have something of a spot for the Phillies as, in the old days of the Expos and the NL East and national media that was not so Toronto-centric as to singlehandedly kill off a team, it was once possible to watch them. But they are one of those teams, like the Cubs, known more for their failings …

It is a very instructive day in the news if you are interested in constitutional law. Yesterday, the US courts confirmed the primacy of the person and the bar on making things up:  •  “The appeals court yesterday ordered the trial judge in the case to issue a writ of habeas corpus directing the …

Jay and I have been discussing the Atlantic Accord and likely both been making errors all over the place but none as silly as the ones likely being made in the political forum these days:  •  “"I am concerned about this allegation we've broken the [Atlantic] accords...We have done no such thing …

Having roofed before, as with laying large amounts of sod, I do not do it any more. As you might be aware, I am what is known as not handy half by choice. It is not because I am lazy or fabulously wealthy but when (not if) I made a mistake I would likely leave it and then would hate that mistake …

Quoted:  •  “Flag waving "causes the fans, at times, to become aggressive toward each other. ... It's a zero tolerance policy..."”  •  A hint can be found below.

Canada is a funny place, where the bits add up to more and less than the whole depending on what week it is in relation to the recycling pick-up. Consider March 2006:  •  “"It is important that all members of our caucus have every opportunity to advance important issues. The regional caucus …

It was Thor, the God of Thunder and Marvel goodness one and opening day at the Watertown Wizards zippo. Our company included a former high school pitcher who was able to explain whallops of stuff I was not picking up. My Mets t-shirt itself triggered two conversations with other and …

I am being whisked away after work to a Gen X at 40 authorized event, the first game of the Watertown Wizards 2007 season. Should be fun as it is supposed to be stinking hot and, at a buck a ticket for kids, a great deal.  •  The G8 summit is wrapping up and I am worried again about Russian …

For the first time in about 18 years, I did not watch one Stanley Cup playoff game and I really don't care that the Senators lost. Why is that:  •  Kids: I have no interest in watching idiots fight and explaining it to my kids. NHL hockey thinks fighting is part of the game but I can go to NCAA …

Always good to see someone not turn out to be a party hack. Especially interesting to see someone representing my old hometown of Truro NS take a stand like this:  •  “Mr. Casey said he and Gerald Keddy, another Nova Scotia Conservative MP, have met repeatedly with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in …

I've told you before how much I like going to Chicky's in Portland, Maine but sadly Chicky's is no more. My buddy Tom, who played the piano at this dear departed joint, sent an email about a benefit that is being held for the staff who have been left high and dry by the sudden absence of the …

By focusing so completely on avoiding international law, by presuming what has gone before is inapplicable or wrong, it's tough not to mess things up:  •  “...the chief military defense lawyer here, Col. Dwight Sullivan of the Marines, said he viewed the decision as having broad impact because it …

So if that is the logo of the 2012 Olympics, what will the slogan be: "London 2012 - Bljezjef Braznats!!!" ???  •  That has to be the stupidest thing I have ever seen. And here is what some twits associated with the choice say:  •  “"The new emblem is dynamic, modern and flexible, reflecting a …

I was watching the end of another over ripe edition of Jamie Oliver's new TV show about cooking in his backyard...except he seems to have a personal gardener which really makes it the gardener's yard...and watched as the great smiley one baked a tomato and sausage roasty thing in a brick oven he …

Remember when talking about the weather was a euphemism for something between being intensely dull to sensibly steering clear of controversial topics? Intersting story in the NYT this morning about the US channel the Weather Network and how the dullest station on the TV is now coping with …

Last weekend we got to watch the Memorial Day parade in South Portland Maine. Every town and village I'd guess ran a parade at about the same time and an air force refueling tanker flew overhead giving them each an overpass. When I bought waving flags, a lady told me to have a happy holiday but it …

That was a good May. Good old May 2007. Caught two baseball games, worked only a couple of days in a ten day stretch and the seeds have come up. Plus the Tories in PEI got the boot which has made everyone happy. Now just wait for the fiscal review and next budget when we all find out what Pat …