Great ketchup ...

A few years back, I switched my preference from Heinz Ketchup to French's Ketchup, mainly because Heinz had closed its tomato processing plant in Leamington, Ontario and moved operations to Mexico.
I switched over to French's because it continued to use Canadian tomatoes, even though their ketchup is made in the U.S. It tasted good.
In the past few months, I changed my preference again. I now use President's Choice Ketchup. It is made in Canada and it tastes just fine. And it is usually less expensive. I made a nice western sandwich this week and I was pleased to have another great tasting ketchup.
Don't be shy. Give it a try.

Yes! Back in the game on Monday ...

Not sure if this is good karma or just good luck, but I have been invited back to work. I got the call Monday and after a very quick interview, I agreed to a 10-month contract that begins on June 1^st. I will be back in the Sudbury newsroom and back in the journalism game.
(See my posting below from March 20, 2020.)

I have to admit I was slowly getting used to the idea of being at home and doing whatever I liked, especially when I could hit the couch mid-morning with a great cup of coffee and a good book. For several hours a day I would totally immerse myself into whatever great novel I was reading. What a luxury.

Then there were times I would stare at the wall and think, what the hell am I doing? My life is passing me by and I am stuck here. And then I would think of so many other people in the world who are indeed struggling in hard situations. So, slap my face and think positive! So yes, this is a good thing and I am blessed with a good life.

A powerful message ...

I don't know if this has ever happened before. The entire front page of the Sunday New York Times -- May 24,2020 --was presented with no articles and no advertisements. It was nothing but a list of American citizens who have died as a result of the COVID-19 virus. A very powerful message ...

Clever poetry

I like poetry that is clever.
Following is from the New York Times this week.

-- A rhyme for Orange --
Worth sharing...

:)

Lapis Lazooli, a poet and truly,
A man with some dubious talents.
Said to me, last July with a glint in his eye:
“What I’ll tell you will throw you off balance.”

I admit I was leery, ennui-ed, somewhat weary;
Just what was he cooking this time?
“I’ve unlocked the enigma, destigma-ed the stigma;
And for orange I found a real rhyme.”

Now, it’s really no news that New Yorkers schmooze,
We’re verbal and vocal, loquacious.
But in Coney Islond, we will not be conned,
“Gimme a break, that’s fallacious.”

He tugged at his beard — it was worse than I feared —
And he whispered, his voice was a hiss:
“Neither Ogden, nor Parker, nor Stephen Sondheim,
Dared to attempt such a perilous rhyme.
Forget about Seuss ’cause he knew he’d be lost;
Not Wordsworth, not Shelley, not Shakespeare, not Frost;
Not Yeats, not a one in this august mélange,
Would ever endeavor a rhyme for or-anj.
But I — ”

He then cleared his throat trying hard not to gloat,
(I was doing my best not to cringe.)
“The word that’s a rhyme, that’s mundane yet sublime:
Orange — its mate is doorhinge!”

Doorhinge?! Doorhinge?!
Now, I am no yokel, I’m Brooklyn, I’m local,
Won’t ever be tricked, teased nor taken.
“Well, I’ll tell ya, Lapis, that’s nothing but crappis,
You’re messhugah, you’re mad, you’re mistaken!”
“No!
You’ve no ear for whimsy, your knowledge is flimsy,
Van Gogh never could sell his art.
Galileo was hounded, Prometheus grounded.
Here’s the moment, my friend, that we part.”

A rough time for young people

 One has to feel bad for young people who were looking forward to their high school graduation and prom. The world is a confusing place for a lot of young people and now this COVID-19 pandemic is making it a lot worse. I know that graduation and prom are huge things for a lot of young people. It is a celebration of something they have achieved; a celebration with friends and people that are special to them. But all they are hearing is that there is no celebration for them; to practice social distancing and to just suck it up. It’s a hard thing to deal with.

Sadness

Feeling sad over the crash of the Snowbird jet that occurred in Kamloops yesterday. It is terrible that a member of the team lost her life. I know there will be an investigation and I wonder if the age of the aircraft will be considered.  The Canadair Tutor was built in the 1960s as a trainer. These planes are more than 50 years old. The Tutor was retired as a trainer by the RCAF about 20 years ago, but it continues to be used for aerobatics.

Withdrawal?

I might have to do some research but I am pretty sure I am experiencing withdrawal every time I finish a book. I have read five books in the past two weeks. Nothing special, just novels.  I find I get totally immersed in what I am reading for five or six hours at a time. The only reason I stop is because my butt is sore, my back is sore, my neck hurts or my eyes are sore. And then I feel exhausted and usually take a half-hour nap. I finished a book about an hour ago and found I was feeling let down. I knew the end of the story had to be coming, but still I was disappointed when I finished the book. So I took a nap. Now I have just taken the first shower in three days and realized I have to scoot out and get some groceries. When I get back time to have something to eat and maybe start a new book!

Summer is on the way. Time for a buzz!

It was nice to drop by at Jennifer's place this week where she was kind enough to try her hand as a barber. For me it was a perfect time to get a backyard buzzcut. So thanks Jenn!
One of my cousins remarked on Facebook that this photo made me look like my old man. Well, I am the old man now! :)

Electric vehicles are great ... but not in the North

I am thinking the jury is still out on the verdict of whether electric vehicles will grab a significant portion of the consumer market anytime soon.

I purchased a newer vehicle in December all the time thinking that I should hold out for an electric vehicle, or at least a gas-electric hybrid. The other vehicle was 10 years old so I figured it was time.

Living in Northern Ontario, my first instinct was to have a vehicle that was reliable in the winter. I honestly don’t believe the electric vehicle market is there yet. My new Jeep is a gas guzzler, but not at bad as my old Nitro. Still I am enjoying the current low gasoline prices, even though I have no where to go!

There is a different story for commercial vehicles, that can afford to have charging stations and support systems for batteries. In mining for example, if you purchase an electric vehicle, you likely purchase a spare battery unit at the same time.

When one battery needs recharging, you replace it with a freshly charged battery and go back to work in minutes. You put the other battery on charge.

We did this in the 1980s when I was a miner at Kidd Mine in Timmins. One of my jobs was to drive the electric underground train hauling ore. If the loco began losing power in the middle of the shift, we pulled into the shop and switched out batteries. It took about 10 minutes. Enough time for a smoke.

This would be nice if you could do it with your new electric car in 2020. It doesn’t work like that. Also, with communities in Northern Ontario – indeed in most of Canada – being rural and remote, it is not always easy to find a charging station.

That’s the key reason for me. Winter and long distances. I don’t see electric vehicles measuring up anytime soon. I can foresee news stories in the next few years where motorists with electric cars run out of power and get stranded in a snowstorm or on a busy highway. Yes, it happens with gas vehicles already, but I believe it will be more of an issue with electric cars.