It was on February 6th, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died. She was vacationing at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya at the time and became the first Sovereign in over 200 years to “accede while abroad.” She wasn’t actually told until the next day. A telegram to Government House in Nairobi couldn’t be […]
Tomorrow, the Queen will have ruled Britannia for 70 years. Read More »
Unless, of course, you’re getting old: you feel cold more no matter what you’re wearing. But there are other defences against the snowy blast. The “seven-day forecast” is one. Another is Vitamin D, especially if it’s cold and dark. Here’s a third: Yuma, Arizona, which is the only place on earth that has more than 4,000 hours of sunshine a year.
So, to brighten up your weekend, here’s the week’s Omnium-Gatherum blog.
There’s no such thing as bad weather; there’s only bad gear. Read More »
Here we were all complaining that winters aren’t what they used to be. Gray and dark, with an odd sprinkling of indifferent snow, white winters are now like glaciers, a victim of global warming. But as we all (and especially the people of BC) have learned, climate change simply means perpetual extremes. So naturally Toronto gets more snow than it’s had in 28 years. Naturally, too, Canada is now ranked as the sixth most miserable place on earth, though not just because of our weather.
But here’s a long lovely essay on what winter meant and is coming to mean for northern hemispheric earthlings everywhere.
The Most Snow Since 1994 Read More »
Shakespeare’s words from Richard III express “the idea that we have reached the depth of our unhappiness and that better times are ahead.” That sums up what our health experts and politicians have been telling us about COVID. I just hope the next line – “Made glorious summer by this sun of York” comes true in New York and here in the County of York too. Bring us the sun, please, in great shiny gobs.
Meanwhile……
Now is the winter of our discontent. Read More »
Well, it’s always darkest before the dawn, even if it takes the sun three years to rise.
“Cold and closed” sums up things nicely right now. But at least the pandemic isn’t spreading with the speed of Omicron and the lethality of Delta. My view is, let’s hunker down for a few weeks more, and get in line for the fourth vaccine, and another one every year from now on. Meanwhile, read on…
One week into the New Year and… Read More »
This last collection of oddities from 2021 is awash with lists because, as one psychiatrist believes, lists satisfy four needs: catch-up, containment, crafting and creating ritual. That may be a little over-analytical, especially on this sleepy New Year’s Day when, for the second time, we’re locked down when we don’t want to be.
But what better way to pass the day than to dig deep into the first Omnium-Gatherum blog of the year?
The best of times. The worst of times. The list of times. Read More »
Even though we’re late risers on Christmas Day, Santa still hasn’t arrived. We hear there were long delays since he has to show his vaccination certificate at every chimney he climbs down. Then there’s the gifting pandemic which is so bad this year that Jesus is asking God if he can shift his birthday to July to avoid the clash with Christmas.
Oiye and Oh Well…….here’s the Christmas Omnium-Gatherum blog post to bring comfort and joy to your day and your life.
Happy Birthday Jesus Read More »
Thank you for that, Noel Coward. It’s what oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed for lots of people this time of year. But this year, the predations of the season take on a new and feverish tone. It knows if we’ve been bad or good, so we’d better watch out, we’d better….well, before we open any gifts, let’s make sure we get our booster shot, okay?
“Christmas is at our throats again.” Read More »
That’s not how the snow’s lain round so far this year. Where are the snows of yesteryear? I remember growing up in Edmonton, we would walk 20 miles to school in December – in our bare feet. Okay, maybe not. But you can still plug in your car battery to a heater if you’re outside,
Deep and Crisp and Even Read More »
Here I was, so proud of my three jabs, and going out to a concert, and dining with friends, and getting on a plane and not feeling it was a flight into danger, and looking forward to Christmas. Very looking forward to that part.
Maybe they were right when they said the virus will always be with us, ever-mutating, one step ahead of science, faith and hope.
Oh well, at least we can still read at home on weekends.
5th Wave, 4th Vaccine? Read More »
Electrically-heated parkas, socks and gloves are all the rage this winter. But so are parkas with onboard Wifi Hot Spots and heated battery packs. Which begs two questions: Will our grandkids hear in disbelief that our winter outerwear wasn’t electrified? And, why go south for the winter?
Meanwhile…here are some things to warm your soul indoors.
Three old Major League umpires were teaching their trainees how to call strikes.
“I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em,” the first umpire said.
“I calls ‘em as they are,” said the second.
“Gentleman,” the third one said: “They ain’t nuthin’ till I call ‘em.”
