Sep
30
2003
I’m home, sick with a sore throat and flu-like symptoms. M stopped by a few minutes ago bearing comforts, including Chinese Ganmaoling tablets. The information sheet inside the package of tablets was written in Chinese, with the following English translation: “Ganmaog”, a most effeotine preparotion for thetroatment of common cold and infhienza, is extrocted from [...]
Sep
29
2003
Am I weird because I didn’t like Breakfast at Tiffany’s? It seems to be near the top of everyone’s list of favorite movies. On CBC Radio a few days ago, Bill Richardson posed the question “what movie would you like to be watching during your last moments of life,” and this was his choice. I’ve [...]
Sep
26
2003
Chefs in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia have organized to form the Endangered Fish Alliance. They are committed to not buying or preparing endangered species such as Chilean sea bass. Swordfish and Orange Roughy are also on the list. These fish are endangered because they have been overfished due to high demand (and greed). They [...]
Sep
25
2003
One of the enduring issues at the blork blog is the question of what is the best pizza in Montreal? Amelio’s on rue Milton is the long-standing winner, but we’ve seen some decent challenges lately. Il Focolaio on Phillips square is way up there, and Prato on the Main is also in the running. One [...]
Sep
23
2003
Osso bucco is very easy to make, but it takes time. In the most simple terms, the recipe can be stated like this: sear the meat, and braise it in wine, tomatoes, vegetables, and herbs. Deciding “tonight is osso bucco night” at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday seemed like a good idea, and it was, but [...]
Sep
20
2003
Last Saturday’s New York Times travel section (online edition) showed this image of a line of Segways wheeling past the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I’m torn. I love the Segway for its innovative technology, and I’ll bet they’re loads of fun to ride, but I hate what it represents in terms of human nature. Photo: [...]
Sep
18
2003
Blow-hard email Spammers, while morally corrupt and developmentally sub-human, are at least fairly clever at their own game. Here’s an email I got at work today that appears to be a legitimate message about hurrican Isabel which is currently blowing the bejeesus out of the eastern seaboard of the USA. It’s from “Weather Alert” and [...]