A journal of various casual notes and thoughts, collected and edited throughout the weeks. Possibly expanded later to longer posts. This is definitely NOT a daily journal.
Physical and Political Squalls
We had our first snowstorm in Ottawa yesterday - 12 cm worth. The forecast had warned of 15-20 cm, maybe, but we don’t usually match their guesses. I just stayed in and watched - it came down all day. The local buses were stranded and there were hundreds of ‘accidents’ across the province. Not really accidental, of course, as it’s people just not driving for the road conditions. Some roads didn’t get sanded or salted, some people were driving in snow for the first time—or just forgot how—some still had summer tires on. I had mine swapped today. My winter tires are on rims and they store them there, so quick and easy. However, walking to/from the garage was dodgy. It's only a few blocks, but the sidewalks were still icy—no maintenance crews out locally yet. And walking on them was stressful, like when on uneven ground. Muscles were compensating and not relaxed like for a leisurely stroll. We will have more snow, although the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts it will be below normal.
As for politics, last week was eventful in Ottawa, what with a new budget, two Conservative defections, and rumours of coercion by Poilievre and party members. As in, if you leave, you're a traitor to your country, and we will do nothing to rein in the radical redneck part of our base. MPs are off in their ridings this week and return for a budget/confidence vote on the 17th. It will pass, but what news Conservative drama will there be? As for south of us, we had more of the normal, or rather, normalized, rants by Trump. Government shutdowns seemed to be the focus, not tariffs or Epstein files
Podcasts
I’m on chapter 5 of 27 of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, by Agatha Christie. Downloads are steady, and feedback so far is the same, as in none. I like this one, but I am already thinking about what will be next. I enjoyed reading A Room With a View, and similarly styled stories are The Age of Innocence and Howards End. The former is set in late 1800s New York high society, similar to the setting of the recent series The Gilded Age. It’s a story of love and betrayal, and of a society that can be open and also very closed. The latter is set in England in the early 1900s, and involves a house, Howard’s End, and three families, one from each level of society. Once again, interesting interactions between the levels, but I think it is less subtle than The Age of Innocence, and will make a better podcast. I watched and enjoyed the movies that were made based on these. The cast of Howards End (1992) included Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Prunella Scales, and Anthony Hopkins. Check it out.
Movies and Shows
In addition to those above:
Rewatching Killing Eve for the third time. I’m on Season 3. It did slmp a bit in the last two seasons, but i still love ste sory andthose characters, especially Jody Comer’s Villanelle.
Watching Season 1 of Elementary (2015) with Lucy Liu and some guy
finished episode 2 of Pluribus. Meh. Interesting concept, but poorly executed so far, with mediocre acting. Maybe it will perk up, although online feedback seems to be a giddy 9/10 from fans. So perhaps no reason to change, Apple TV knows its market and is content not to try to raise the bar.
Alien Earth - I really enjoyed Season 1, the whole Peter Pan and Wendy concept, conflicts and alliances of synths vs aliens. A second season is being discussed.
Canada Post
They seem to be still limping along. Their exec has submitted a new proposal to the government, which will, I assume, focus on simplifying their offerings and cutting jobs. I do get mail, including postcards from overseas and some back copies of magazines. I get The Economist weekly, with good coverage but a cramped font, so I can only read early when my eyes and the light are better. They tend to pile up. Arriving less often and with a more readable layout are The Atlantic and Foreign Affairs.
I enjoyed this post. Your words just flowed and it was a relaxing read.