Bits and Bites

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The winter of 2013

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The tree in my backyard

From the front window

I like the way the snow looks sitting on the fence

As much as I dislike snow, at times like this I can't deny its beauty.

Greater love hath no man than this

Want to know something about altruism? As part of the story about the repairs needed to the Lancaster bomber, CBC includes this

The (Canadian Warplane Heritage) museum’s Lancaster is dedicated to the memory of Pilot Officer Andrew Charles Mynarski of 419 (Moose) Squadron, 6 (RCAF) Group, who won the Victoria Cross for his bravery. In the early morning hours of June 13, 1944, the Winnipeg native's Lancaster was shot down. Instead of bailing out, Mynarski – his clothes burning – tried to free the trapped rear gunner. The gunner survived the crash, but Mynarski died from the burns.

The complete article Lancaster repair costs soar

Sherlock Holmes I'm not.

1005 songs in my iTunes playlist, only 945 in the same playlist on my iPod. Where are those songs? I sorted the iTunes playlist and there were 60 songs that either had never been played or were last played in 2011. WTF

Spent 3 hours Googling and searching for an answer. Nothing worked. Then for some reason I looked at one of the song's "Options: Get Info" tab. Turns out some fool turned on "Skip when shuffling." For all of the missing ones. Guess whose iPod playlist is on shuffle.

Is it cold enough for you?

I know it's winter, I know it's Canada, but WTF

"I have an emergency"

The oddest 911 calls for 2012 from the Chatham-Kent Police.

• A man attended the Wallaceburg police station inquiring if anyone had turned in his lost dentures. He still had his top teeth, but he was looking for his bottoms.
• A man called police to report that his unlocked vehicle had been entered. Stolen was a winning donut and coffee tab from Tim Hortons. You know you’re Canadian when…
• A man called police to report that two girls damaged his car. However the evidence indicated that the white substance on the car had been left by birds and not girls.
• A man called police claiming he had just been struck by a vehicle. The man even provided a full description of the suspect vehicle. Through investigation, the man finally admitted that due to his intoxication, he tripped over a trailer hitch in the driveway.
• A man called 911 to report that there was a squirrel on his front porch acting in a suspicious manner.
• A man called 911 to report that there was a large snapping turtle on the sidewalk that appeared to be getting ready to jump into traffic.
• A woman called police to report that she has just been threatened by her downstairs neighbour. Apparently as the woman watered her plants, some water dripped down onto her neighbour’s dog.
• A 13-year-old youth called police to report that her mother would not allow her to do her own laundry.
• A man called police in January to complain about the weather report he just heard on a local radio station. They reported "slight flurries" when in fact he was driving in a "snowstorm."
• A woman called police to report that her drug dealer was lacing her crack with drugs that caused her to hallucinate and hear voices. She asked police to make him stop doing that.
• A woman called police to report that she was just attacked by a duck who was now sitting in a puddle watching her. The woman was not injured and officers failed to locate the duck upon their arrival.
• Police were called to a family dispute between a father and his adult son. The son called police because his father told him to brush his teeth and he didn't want to. Police were able to defuse the situation by talking the 20-year-old son into brushing his teeth right away, thus making his 63-year-old father happy.

Idiots

This is for all those who believe that the killings in Connecticut are the result of excluding god from the schools. Do you want to know where your "logic" leads?

Let's assume that your god exists. By extrapolation he is all-knowing and all-powerful. And how does he use this knowledge and power? He acts like a vengeful dickhead; a showoff who, when he can't get his own way, arranges to make his point by having children killed. How very old testament. Can't understand why bad things happen? We must have offended god and he is justified in punishing us.

Fucking idiots.

Why is it

• that the hair on my head is sparse, but not in my ears?
• that the photo on my new health card is of my father?
• that getting down on the floor to pull the cat's toy from under the refrigerator is easy, but getting back up requires Herculean effort?
• that in order to read the fine print on instructions I have to take my glasses off?
• that my bladder has grown smaller?

The kindness of strangers

New York City Police Officer Larry DePrimo helped a homeless man, using his own money to buy the man a pair of all-weather boots and thermal socks. The picture below of his act of kindness has gone viral on Facebook.

Update December 4, 2012

The homeless man is once again barefoot. A sad commentary to which it is unnecessary to assign blame and which doesn't detract in any way from Officer DePrimo's actions. From the interviews with DePrimo, even knowing that I don't think he would regret what he did. Kindness is its own reward and the man is blessed for his.

Bits & Bites

• In an unusual move, Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, becomes the Governor of the Bank of England. He is the first foreign national to hold the post.

• It's status quo after the federal by-elections. The Conservatives retain 2 seats and the NDP 1. House standings remain: Conservative - 165, NDP - 101, Liberal - 35, Bloc Québecois - 4, Green - 1, Independent - 2.

• Rob Ford the Mayor of Toronto, Canada's largest city, is ousted for conflict of interest. But he's not going without a fight or without blaming "a left-wing conspiracy." Rob, Rob, Rob. You used city property for your own purposes and then, after the Integrity Commissioner called you on it, participated in the Council discussion and vote that determined you didn't have to pay from your own pocket. And your excuse was you hadn't read the conflict of interest guidelines. Conspiracy has nothing to do with it. You screwed yourself.

• Finally, to "un-Grinch" Christmas, $2 million of toys and goods stolen from the Salvation Army have been recovered.