Category Archives: Wry

Stealing From the Rich to Give to the Future

Posted on 23 May 2015 by Larry Russwurm

I came across this article about what is purported to be Britain’s oldest living tree. The tree is about 4 000 years old. I was going to read the article and then probably forget it. But I noted that it … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, History, Science, Wry | Tagged 4 000 year old tree, Britain, Britain's oldest tree, commoners had few rights in royal forests, merry men, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario, pruning can help plants live better, Robin Hood, Robin Hood could have crafted a bow from this very tree, royal forests, Sherwood Forest, some hardscrabble trees are long lived, Somerset, stealing from the rich, yew tree, yew trees can make good bows | Leave a comment

The Great One and the Next Ones

Posted on 25 April 2015 by Larry Russwurm

Ever since Wayne Gretzky lived up to his junior hockey hype, scouts and NHL pundits have been trying to predict each successive “Next One”. That phrase wasn’t coined when Mario Lemieux came on the scene, but if it was it … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, Sports, Wry | Tagged Connor McDavid, Edmonton, Edmonton has 2 out of 5 great ones, Eric Lindros, Mario Lemieux, NHL pundits, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh has 2 out of 5 great ones, scouts, Sydney Crosby, the Great One, the Next Ones, the Stanley Cup, Wayne Gretzky | Leave a comment

Kitchener-Waterloo, Now With Only One Season

Posted on 28 February 2015 by Larry Russwurm

There is a long standing Canadian joke that goes something like this. There are two seasons in Canada, winter and construction. Things happen to a city when it gets big. It’s often said that the biggest cities never sleep. Well … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Geography, Politics, Wry | Tagged big cities never sleep, Canada, construction, high rise work continues in winter, K-W construction no longer halts in winter, Kitchener, Light Rail Transit, LRT, LRT work proceeds in winter, roofers continued in the winter, Waterloo, winter | Leave a comment

CEOs as DJs of the Business World

Posted on 21 February 2015 by Larry Russwurm

A “successful” CEO will try to limit her lowest level employees to less-than-inflation wage increases. After all these employees should have gotten better education and skills. It’s their fault that no one at the top speaks for them. Then the … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Mathematics, Music, Wry | Tagged CEO, clubs, corporations, DJ, DJ and CEO make people dance, do CEOs and DJs really know what's best for their customers?, hierarchy, hourly wage serf, minimum wage increase, musicians, shareholders, skilled employees, unions | Leave a comment

The English Springboard

Posted on 7 February 2015 by Larry Russwurm

English sounds like the ideal place to start when learning another language, especially a European language. This is because English steals words from other languages. Indeed this can be seen by the mere fact English has more words than many … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, Wry | Tagged English, English only policies are bad, English steals words from other languages, French speaking Canadians can usually speak passable English, has ignorance allowed English-only speakers to excel at many other things, if English speakers who bothered to learn another language throw in with others it might be our downfall, languages, most anglophones don't bother with a second language, other languages are ciphers, saving my brain for things other than language, there are common words between English and many languages | Leave a comment

Canada Stats: A New Ratio

Posted on 24 November 2014 by Larry Russwurm

Most Canadians have heard the following fact about living in Canada. 90 % of Canada’s Population lies within 200 miles of the American border. When your country stretches for thousands of miles further north, this is a significant statistic. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, Mathematics, Wry | Tagged Alberta, Atlantic Canada, British Columbia, Canada, Manitoba, New Brunswick, no sales tax, Ontario, Prairies, provinces, Quebec, Quebec is the outlier, Quebec was here before any US colonies, regions of Canada, Saskatchewan, the truth about Alberta and rats | Leave a comment

NaNoWriMo the Third

Posted on 2 November 2014 by Larry Russwurm

National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo has existed for over a decade. But for me personally, this is the third time participating. And I’m doing it wrong for the 2nd of 3 years. My first year and this year I … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements, Writing, Wry | Tagged 50 000 word challenge, Camp NaNoWriMo, collection of short stories, doing things wrong, Fabrications, it can be hard to keep starting short stories, More Fabric, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo has a collegial atmosphere, National Novel Writing Month, novel, novels can sag | Leave a comment

Baby Boomers Were Crooks

Posted on 4 October 2014 by Larry Russwurm

I may not prove the title in an air tight way in this rant. I am just going to posit this statement and make suggestions for how I see things. Others have danced around the obvious here. They have shown … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, Politics, Wry | Tagged at minimum there were more crimes in boomers' youth because there are more boomers, baby boomers, baby boomers were crooks, baby boomers will always be a marketer's darlings, crime has fallen since boomers were young, did less guidance cause boomers to be crooks, drug culture grew with the boomers, gen X, gen Xers, North America, the Crooked Generation, US presidents who were boomers did drugs, violent crime has fallen since baby boomers were young adults, young adults | Leave a comment

Science Leaks

Posted on 13 September 2014 by Larry Russwurm

Not only does Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper muzzle government scientists, but now in a strange new twist he has begun taking the limelight for their discoveries. One of the ships from the 1845 Franklin Expedition was found. The Franklin … Continue reading →