knitting up the ravelled sleeve of care

Crafting a Recovery By Ann Hood

All of us, I knew, felt calmer and lighter. Whatever weighed on us — our personal sorrows, our financial woes, our uncertain futures — had temporarily vanished as we knitted. “It’s cheaper to buy a sweater at Target,” Karen pointed out. “People don’t knit to save money.”

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Good Column on Science

Global Warming not a fraud I think Carroll makes an important point about the politicization of ignorance here.

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this is a very cool story

Pulitzer-winning photog breaks up bank robbery

Komenich said, "My main reason for doing it was that it seemed like the guy was down on his luck. I just didn't want things to escalate. It was sort of a half-baked attempt at a bank robbery."

He added, "All my life, I've been a witness. I haven't really intervened because it was my job to watch."

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Cane Toad problem - fighting fire with fire?

Raining Toads

Anyone witnessing toads raining down from the sky would be forgiven for assuming that freak weather or biblical wrath were responsible. In northern Australia, however, aerial deployment of toads is a radical way of trying to save a bushy-tailed marsupial from extinction.

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Big Kitties having fun

In pictures: Bengal tigers make a splash at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Arizona

Some cats DO like water!

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I suspect vowl play....

Gmail on april fools day

I feel some sympathy - I used a typewriter through college that lost the ability to type the lower case letter 'a'

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Rhetoric of disrespect is hardly 'freedom of Speech'

Ottawa Protestors shut down Ann Coulter's speech


Ottawa provost François Houle invited Coulter to "educate yourself, if need be, as to what is acceptable in Canada."

He noted, by example, that "promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges."


Liberal MP Scott Brison told Coulter's political opponents to "vote with your feet."

"If you don't agree with what she has to say, then ignore her."

While I am happy to ignore Ann Coulter, her tour has raised a fair amount of debate around "Freedom of Speech". As a result of the Zundel and Keegstra cases, Canadians have crafted hate laws which couple "freedom of expression" with "responsibility".

In an Academic Environment, freedom of speech requires a respectful and civil discourse between people of opposing views with the intent of promoting understanding rather than agreement. University of Ottawa is hardly the blogosphere where vituperative commentary is common.

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a different outfit at the Oscars

Ottawa firm's bomb suit gets Oscar attention

with all the land mines and bombs all over the place it is wonderful to think there is some protection for the people defusing them.

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Today's cool research story

Electronic 'iShoe' aims to prevent falls

"He said he'll use his $30,000 prize to further his research efforts, help with baby expenses and, possibly, to buy a new couch.

"I do a lot of work on the couch and as a result our couch has become phenomenally dilapidated, so I think we're likely to buy a new couch," he said.

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