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Archive for the ‘Humour’ Category

TOP 10 Benefits of the Official Start of Summer

As summer in the northern hemisphere veers toward its official start early next week, here’s some benefits we can look forward to…

  • Omnipresent urban construction makes driving a more mentally engaging experience
  • The sound of birds chirping at 4:30 am is a great way to start the day (more…)

Life Lessons from ‘The Newsroom’

Anyone fortunate enough to have viewed the HBO series ‘The Newsroom’ is aware of its brilliance in characters and conviction, while exploring topics of the day, albeit with an American focus and viewpoint. Fortunately, the nature of character development is such that elements of everyman are revealed, especially in personal relationships – so the vitality of the stories can resonate with an audience beyond the U.S. border. (Having a few non-Americans in the regular cast helps.) (more…)

How Deep Is Your Bucket List?

For a long time, the most common expression featuring the word bucket was ‘kicking the bucket’. A somewhat humourous metaphor, it essentially serves as salve for the ominous image of the end of life.

In recent times, the bucket has been kicked over to a more positive, forward looking concept – albeit still relating to the end of one’s road – the ‘bucket list’. One suspects that longer life beyond work years has something to do with this growing popularity. (more…)

Subject to Interpretation

There are many popular phrases which have a built-in double entendre; this can stem from the individual words, or from the expression itself, open to tangential, perhaps oxymoron, interpretations; when these are applied to stripped down storytelling (ideally with clothes still on), the imagination can be pushed onto a different path…

Warning: If it looks like a new beginning, chances are the old beginning needed to have an upgrade. (more…)

TOP 10 Benefits of Springtime Heat

Hot weather has hit these parts (eastern Canada), and so time to recall what we’ve been waiting for

  • Good time to pursue hamster-powered air conditioner research
  • It becomes nice to receive a cold shoulder
  • Appropriate dress means more options for less
  • Sitting for hours deep in thought qualifies as a strenuous activity (more…)

An Alternative to Meditative Mindfulness

As we in Canada prepare for the first official holiday (attributable still, for some reason, to Queen Victoria) of the warmer weather cycle, many will be looking for relaxing ways to enjoy the time.

A list of topics, from an ad in Psychology Today concerning practicing meditation, could make an interesting adaptation to this first outdoors friendly, long weekend of the year… (more…)

‘What the Experts Say’

Is there a qualifier much more annoying that seeing a new flash, or being told by someone, that a given statement is validated because it’s ‘according to experts’? Apparently this means the case is closed. No need to linger, nothing more to see here.

Who are these, often unidentified, people or groups comprising the title of ad hoc ‘experts’? (more…)

TOP 10 Omitted Census Questions

It’s census time. Notwithstanding a google search implying Canadians are showing ‘enthusiasm’ since its launch via mail this week leading to a huge influx of internet traffic, one suspects this is primarily for one or both of two reasons: to make sure one is not part of the 25% selected for the long version; and to get it over with. (Perhaps a follow-up email could verify this by census.) As seemingly intrusive as questions are, there remain many unexplored areas… (more…)

TOP 10 Benefits of the Appearance of Spring

Now just over a month officially into the season, it finally seems to be blooming with possibilities…

  • ‘White out conditions’ refer to the need to correct typos 
  • Hibernating construction zones emerge and begin to multiply
  • One no longer has to pretend they’re ‘all season’ tires (more…)

Some ‘buts’ About it

A humourous piece in the current issue of Toastmaster magazine illustrates the difficulty many of us have in conversational responses without contingencies.

The author focuses on the common crutch word ‘but’, all too often used as an appendage to a reply which begins with ‘yes’ or ‘yeah’. Many of us feel the urge to qualify our rejoinders. If we do, that may be either with a positive or a negative bent. (more…)