Old as dirt. Twice as gritty.
Sex in a Smart car
The other day Castanet News ran a item with the headline ‘Smart cars, amorous drivers’. My car, as it happens, is Smart as all get out. Far too...
Missing boat
Somewhere out there is a boat called the Och Aye. She’s a rare beauty, she is, and she’s missing. She has been missing for close to 1/2 century. Of...
The art of kitsch
Wide awake at 4 am, searching for an idea for today’s column. Nothing came . . . nothing came. . . . Then I saw something delightfully kitsch - I’m...
Squarely pegged
Once upon a time, many years and miles ago, a square peg went forth into the round hole world to see what all the fuss was about. Life in the round hole world...
Had enough? Move south
The trend of moving out of country in protest after an election has Canadian/American border authorities concerned. Officials are predicting serious and...
War of the words
The following message has been making the rounds on facebook: The message managed to stir up a drama-infused grammatical storm. Here is a brief excerpt of the...
Ultimate online IQ test
It saddens me to say this, but there are suspicious people in the world who doubt the value and solid empirical scientific evidence behind online IQ tests. I,...
Must-read survival tips
This past weekend, an unexpected blizzard containing wind and snow and traffic jams swept through several eastern US states. The entire world was surprised and...
Snow shocks locals
Recent snowfalls have brought shock and disbelief to Okanagan residents. “It was just snowing and snowing, snowing like crazy!” reported one...
De-snark, refuel, snark
In which you will discover my resolutions for 2016, a review of 2015, some predictions for 2016, and, finally, a bit of wistful thinking. My 2016 social media...
Bad brain
Your brain has a secret sense of humour. It is one reserved for laughing at you. Yes, your brain thinks you are a poor sap, and it is almost always bored with...
Jim is epic
Oh yes. He’s epic, alright. Epic at snoring, that is. “You’re delusional,” he told me when I gently (haha) pointed out the problem....
Seems legit
I’ve been getting a lot of great email these days. It’s as though I’ve signed up to some awesome all-inclusive mail delivery service that has...
Remember, honourably
With each year, Remembrance Day grows more angst-ridden and superficial, with too much focus on the banal online messages and too little on simple silence for...
The Nanny State
Social media has made a dramatic difference in the way we stay connected to the world around us. It allows us to keep our grubby little fingers on the pulse of...
When you die, you're dead
If the title of this column makes you shrug because you think it makes pretty good sense, you are probably a card-carrying member of the State The Obvious Club....
The Machine
Few know about this, but in a hidden room somewhere in Ottawa resides the The Machine. Our political leaders turn to The Machine for help with speeches and...
Election voting guide
Wrote this item in 2011 for the last election. Same scenario, different year, so here's a rerun for you. Here we are on the cusp of the federal election,...
Exploding heads
Hello. My name is Jo Slade, and I am a catchphrase addict. It is a trait I inherited from my father. During the 70s, he would say things like, ‘sit on...
Princess Jim
For reasons I cannot begin to understand, I have a reputation in my family for being fussy. A fuss-pot. Difficult. Hard to please. A princess. Mind you, when I...