Where is John Pym Now That We Need Him?
John Pym is the sort of hero we need these days; a politician who risked his life and liberty to stand up against the abuse of power by a king…
Ian Chadwick
How Neoliberalism Leads to Libertarianism to Mad Max
Despite its misleading name, neoliberalism is not a liberal, progressive, woke, or left-wing ideology. It is a deeply far-right economic policy that aims to benefit the rich, the businesses, and…
Musings on Colour vs B&W
I grew up in the technological end of the black-and-white era. In the 1950s and early ’60s, our TV was black and white (technically called monochrome). So was everyone else’s,…
Can the USA be Saved?
The United States’ long experiment with democracy ended last year, just months shy of its 249th birthday since it declared independence from Britain. It quickly transformed itself into an authoritarian…
Thoughts on (Re)Reading Fowler’s
I had all but forgotten how delightful it can be reading Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage. It gives me the same sort of pleasure as reading at random through…
Canadians Vacationing in the USA Are Collaborators
The US dictator Donald Trump has consistently threatened Canada’s economy and our sovereignty since his inauguration. His threats to make us the “51st state” have so offended Canadians that it…
Knee Recovery Final, and Doomscrolling, 28
So it ended today, Thursday. My physio sessions are over after seven weeks. I achieved 119° knee bend and, with a push from the therapist, got to 120°, the magic…
Recovering Knee and Doomscrolling, 27
Tuesday morning, not long after I finished my morning knee exercises, I drove to Barrie for my annual visit to my urologist — and the surgeon who removed my cancer-riddled…
Doomscrolling Notes, and Knee Recovery, 26
Well, I am happy to say I was wrong. Despite more than seven million people (possibly as many as 8.2 million) participating in the USA’s No King’s protest, the events…
Knee Replacement Recovery and Doomscrolling, 25
Are the grackles gone? We’ve hardly seen any these last few days. Around this time of year, they head south. When they are here, they flock around our bird feeder…
Knee Replacement Recovery, 24
Saturday: Today, October 11, was the last day for this year’s Farmers’ Market, and it was a good last day for the market, weather-wise. I used to really enjoy going…
Knee Replacement Recovery, 23
Got up to another unseasonably warm October day here: 29C, the third hot day in a row. But tomorrow it’s predicted to fall to 16! I dropped by the local…
Knee Replacement Surgery: Recovery, 22
Today, I drove to a small, dead-end street near the trail where we parked, so we could walk Bella on the trail at the western edge of Harbourview Park. We…
Knee Replacement Recovery, 21
Thursday: I started the day with a 20-minute pedal on the stationary bike, then the first of my three exercise sessions, and a 600 m walk — shorter than usual…
Knee Surgery, 14
Not a day of setbacks, but no big milestones like yesterday (Friday), either. I managed two walks outdoors with Susan and Bella, but both shorter and slower than yesterday’s walk:…
Knee Surgery, 13
More milestones! Thursday, I enjoyed my first glass of red wine in almost three weeks, 15 days after surgery. Small, about 5-6 ounces (150-175 ml). It was delightful; a return…
Knee Surgery, 12
Well, the staples are removed and my leg no longer looks like, as per Young Frankenstein, a zipper. It was a quick, and quite painless process, and the incision looked…
Knee Surgery, 11
Seventy-two degrees, up from 58 when I first started physio last week, That’s how far my operated knee can bend when I’m doing my exercises. It’s still got a long…
Knee Surgery, 10
Back when the surgeon offered me an unexpected date in August instead of the expected December to February, I thought to myself it would be better to get it done…
Knee Surgery, 9
Well, I have a whole new set of exercises, most of which come with a pain factor increase, but nothing that seems to make any great leap forward in either…