For some inexplicably serendipitous reason, I pulled Mary Jo Bang’s translation of Dante’s Inferno (Graywolf, 2012) from my bookshelves this week and began re-reading it. I didn’t like her version at first read, and am still not convinced her modernization is up to the task of conveying the poem’s beauty
Continue readingAuthor: Ian Chadwick
Scripturient: The New Odyssey
Much has been made of the fact that Emily Wilson’s recent translation of Homer’s The Odyssey (Norton, 2018) is the first translation of that great work by a woman. But for me what matters is how well she renders the text into modern English and makes what can be a
Continue readingScripturient: More Greed: Council Votes Itself More Money Again
At its most recent budget meeting, Dec. 13, our perpetually greedy council voted 5-3 to increase their own individual expense accounts from $4,000 a year to a staggering $5,500. That’s a LOT of money for a council that has spent the last two years in virtual meetings, not attending events,
Continue readingScripturient: Power Play Behind Council’s Closed Doors
In the recent meeting of the Strategic Initiatives Standing Committee, last Tuesday, one of the issues discussed was the replacement of Deputy Mayor Hull during his unexplained absence, as well the “potential” (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) “Mayoral Vacancy” coming soon (readers will recall that Mayor Saunderson sloughed off his mayoral
Continue readingScripturient: Yet More Disrespect From Madigan
Earlier this year, I wrote about how Councillor Bob “Lapdog” Madigan had behaved in a churlish, misogynistic manner towards female members of council during council meetings, first in March, 2021, and again in October. But if you thought Madigan could not set the bar any lower in puerile, boorish behaviour,
Continue readingScripturient: Collingwood’s “Broken Windows”
If I sometimes seem to complain in a picayune manner, harping on the same signs of scruffiness and neglect that we see more often around town these days, there’s a reason for it. Mostly it’s because I care about my community and it deeply bothers me when others — especially
Continue readingScripturient: Fixing the Broken Committee System
Some days, the irony just pours from council news. In a story on CollingwoodToday, we learned that council, …will be considering changes to their procedural bylaw, which will include making a recommendation whether they will continue with the existing committee structure, or move to a committee of the whole structure.
Continue readingScripturient: Heritage District Rules Need Repair
A recent story in CollingwoodToday about a new homeowner who got caught in the quagmire of our heritage district rules underscores the need for a thorough overhaul of the rules, a review of how the district is managed, and serious improvements in how the town and the heritage committee communicate
Continue readingScripturient: Blame Everything on Satan
Three people have so far died of COVID-19 after attending a “multi-day gathering of faith groups” in Nova Scotia. Public health officials said that, “in violation of public health orders,” none of the more than 100 attendees were asked to show proof of vaccination. And, the attendees went unmasked while
Continue readingScripturient: Did Our Mayor Violate Copyright Law?
Did our mayor violate Canadian copyright law? And not just once? His “saundersonformpp” website recently had copies of three separate articles from Municipal World magazine about his vendetta (aka his vindictive judicial inquiry). As of yesterday morning (Nov. 17, 2021), they were all on his site. These pieces were not
Continue readingScripturient: Corrected post on chord wheel construction
Revised Chord Wheel – Scripturient (ianchadwick.com) Fixed the broken links, added in the missing images, added a link to the chord-builder wheel as well. Apparently, when moving the old ukulele group files on the server, I must have deleted the source folder with the files. I will have to recover
Continue readingScripturient: Utter Disrespect for Local Media and Citizens
Recently, CollingwoodToday ran a six-part series asking all members of council to express — without editing or Berman’s censorship “fact-checking” — their thoughts on what they had done on council, what they hoped to do, what challenges they faced, what they thought was their “enduring” legacy (stop laughing!) and whether
Continue readingScripturient: An Exercise in Hypocrisy
A story in CollingwoodToday is titled, Collingwood residents asked to add to council code of conduct. It suggests the town (aka council) is looking for public input into the always-changing, always-ignored Code of Conduct. Yes, I know what you’re thinking when you read that story’s headline. Stop laughing. As if
Continue readingScripturient: Our Council’s Reprehensible Greed
Our council’s sense of entitlement again came to light this week. A report from a consultant tabled in the Nov.1 meeting of the Strategic Initiatives Standing Committee recommends that the mayor receive a 9.5% increase, while councillors get a 5% increase (page five of the report). Nine-point-five percent? Who gets
Continue readingScripturient: Mayor and Council: Absque Verecundia
The same year Columbus set sail west for unknown lands, Sir John Kendal received a stern admonition in writing from the council of King Henry VII, of which he was part. The reproof, written in Latin, was for publishing self-serving documents meant to promote his goal to be appointed prior
Continue readingScripturient: The Cancer Diaries, Part 30
The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together… (Shakespeare: All’s Well That Ends Well, Act IV, Sc II.) Elumbated.* It’s an archaic word meaning “weakened in the loins” according to the OED. It apparently derives from the Latin elumbis “having a dislocated hip (from
Continue readingScripturient: Petitioning Mayor Saunderson to Actually Act Like a Mayor
There’s a petition being shared online that calls on Mayor Brian Saunderson to actually do his job as head of council and discipline the misbehaving Councillor Madigan. You can read my post about Madigan’s behaviour here, and download a PDF of the petition here. I doubt he will heed it,
Continue readingScripturient: How Can Anyone Afford a New House Here?
My sources suggest that a local retailer recently bought the Blue Shores house shown on the right, paying more than $100,000 over the asking price, for a total of $1.15 million By my standards, that’s a helluva lot of money. Where would anyone working in retail get the funds to
Continue readingScripturient: Why is Our Mayor Being Sued?
Ontario civil court records found online show our Mayor, Brian Saunderson, is listed as the first defendant in a recent lawsuit, along with his allegedly former employers. The lawsuit is for $150,000 and was filed Sept. 17, 2019. The plaintiff is Grand Mortgage Investment Corporation, which the Financial Services Registry
Continue readingScripturient: More Disrespect From Madigan
After my last post, I was informed about a similar incident of disrespectful behaviour during a previous public council meeting this year. It’s also by Councillor Bob “Lapdog” Madigan. And again his disrespect is again aimed towards female council members. Are you seeing a trend here? And why are local
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