Author: scruss

  • WindShare AGM 2006

    WindShare is having their AGM tonight. I got a nice plaque for my years on the board.

  • roti frenzy

    How much does it rock that my work is within easy walking distance of Roti Boys? Their jerk chicken paratha-style roti is full-on at all times.

  • Ontario Government Giving Every Household a Say in Province’s Electricity Future

    The Energy Minister wants your thoughts on the Supply Mix. Quick, do you know what the supply mix is? Do you care?

    I’m guessing that, as long as the lights are still on, that you can read my blog, the fuel bills aren’t too high, and acide rain hasn’t caused the cat to rust, you don’t really care about the Supply Mix.

    But Donna Cansfield wants you to care. She’s sending everyone a brochure Our Energy, Our Future (online here) to make you think that they’d give a one before they go build nukes anyway. And since you were consulted, it’s your fault when the cost overruns roll in.

  • send not for whom the (division) bell tolls

    It may sound like the first line of a particularly contrived blues song, but I woke up this morning and realised I’ve completely forgotten how to do long division. Guess I’ve used calculators for far too long.

  • How to dismantle an nuclear power station

    … [the] process is only projected to be completed by the end of this century, as it is not considered safe to start dismantling the highly radioactive core until the 2080s

     — BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Tackling the UK’s nuclear legacy

  • bankie haircut

    I had my hair cut last night by Arthur, who came over from Clydebank in 1969. His workmates were amused how broad his accent got when we were talking.

    It was at The Barber’s Chair, a chain (franchise?) of old-style barber shops. I think I’ll be back.

  • snow fair

    We get a little snow, and the TTC goes borked again. Gahh!

  • green drinks Toronto

    Green Drinks Toronto was good last night. Had a chance to catch up with Jim Prall, too.

  • cleanairpass

    cleanairpass claims to offset the emissions from your car. Hmm…

  • Staedtler Noris Ergosoft

    Staedtler Noris Ergosoft, Ergosoft Learner's Pencil, and Lee Valley Belt Sharpener

    I like these pencils. And no image scaling tricks were used; the bigger pencil is the bigger, thicker Learner’s Pencil. At the back is a Lee Valley belt-clip sharpener.

    I think I was supposed to review these for Pencil Revolution, but looks like someone beat me to it.

  • everything old is new again: clean coal

    Clean coal seems to be in vogue, but when I read about it, I thought — hang on, isn’t this just the old town gas technology?

    I’m guessing the new clean coal guys don’t want us to know about the old town gasworks in the UK, most of which still have toxic wastes lurking deep down.

  • the mighty elocom

    I’d been suffering from some winter eczema on the blade of my right hand. It meant (like, if I wanted to) I couldn’t karate chop, but I could probably give someone a pretty good karate sandpapering.

    It got worse recently, and beyond the control of over-the-counter meds. The doctor gave me a wee pottie of Elocom, a fearsome skin ointment, on Friday. The eczema’s almost gone; it’s just a tiny bit of dry skin now.

  • endangered snow

    Snow looks like it’ll go away soon. But it’s been a weird winter.

  • powered up

    I am now one of those annoyingly smug Bullfrog Power subscribers.

  • The week of shaving carefully

    So how did my first week of shaving with a plain safety razor go? Pretty well, I think.

    I’ve discovered that Weleda shaving cream and after-shave balm work well for me. They have a muted, natural scent, and are very soothing.

    What didn’t work for me was Lush Prince shaving cream. This heavy, waxy preparation clogs up the blade, it smells too strongly of neroli, and is a horror to rinse off. I also cut myself the only time I used it. Styptic pencil owies resulted.

    Catherine has remarked on the closer shave (I suspect ‘cos I’m spending more time on it). It’s strange, but the stubble seems sharper. I wonder if multiple blades smoothed the razor-cut ends of the hairs, and thus gave an impression of a smoother, longer-lasting shave?

    I like my Merkur. Using it for a year will end up cheaper than any cartridge razor, and result in far less trash.

  • Old German Guys were better than Coldplay

    I guess by appropriating the main riff of Computer Love, Coldplay might’ve thought they could suck less. Nope. They’re still the Sade of the 2000s; music for chartered accountants.

  • Imagine Me & You, and a redwing

    We just saw Imagine Me & You; fairly amusing, mostly harmless. But there’s a problem; in a scene (Hec & Rachel’s breakup, if you must know) a red-winged blackbird can be clearly heard. There are no redwings in England …

  • don’t mess with my childhood

    Why is the Canadian release of The Magic Roundabout called Doogal? Surely everyone knows he’s Dougal (unless you know him as the francophone Pollux)? Sheesh.

    It’ll suck. Since there’s no Eric Thompson, and no mention of sugar cubes for recreational purposes, it’ll be v.poor.

  • shavin’

    They’ve just discontinued my razor of choice — the Wilkinson Sword/Schick Diamond — so I’ve decided to go old-school. Now that Wilkinson Sword has the four-blade Quattro, and Gillette their five-bladed monstrosity, I’ve realised that the whole multi-blade thing is a load of hooey.

    Consider this: if the first blade was supposed to do most of the work, then draw the hair out a bit to be cut below the skin level, further blades would have less and less effect. It’s just as likely that the whole multi-blade cartridge thing was a scam to sell more, and non-standard, blades that could easily be made obsolescent by the time generic manufacturers caught on —  the old Instamatic effect.

    So I bought a Merkur safety razor (from Toronto Salon Supply, at Bay and Dundas), and a bunch of Merkur blades. I didn’t shave particularly close today, but it’s just as close a shave as the old twin-blader I used to use.

    The plus side is that I’m throwing away no plastic with every blade, so I’m shaving the planet.