Interesting little piece over at the MotherCorp about a mad dash to the department’s mailroom, a released and then “un”released report and similarities to Adscam.

In short, a ATIP request initiated by Canadian Press asked for the annual report on Public Works’ real estate portfolio, which contained data on such things as vacancy rates and returns on investment. These reports are never made public.

Initially, the Department OKed the release after the legal eagles said that there was no real reason to not release it.

The department’s real-estate branch had consented to the full release, and the Access to Information office at Public Works had determined after extensive consultation that there was no legal basis to withhold any of the report.

The file, though, was deemed “sensitive” — partly because it was a media request — and was sent to the Conservative minister’s office for review. The office initially gave the green light, but had a change of heart on the very day it was being mailed out.

Togneri insisted that only one small section of the report be released, despite the uniform view among Access to Information officials that the entire 137-page document could not be withheld under the legislation.

The copy was in the mail room when work from the Minister’s office was received that some minion had better get their sorry ass down there and get it back. I woulda hated to be that minion!

In the end, though, the department released only a heavily censored version just as Togneri had insisted — 82 days later than allowed under the law. The final release included just 30 pages.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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The Onion Ring besting the PM is still getting attention.

95,544 fans as of the writing of this post.

Hee-hee. I love it.

Of course, someone has started a counter group: Can this Doorknob get more fans than Michael Ignatieff. I might join the one other fan. Just to show I’m truly non-partisan.

In other news: Colts over Saints – 45-42 (OT)

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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Update #2

Yes, he does have prostate cancer but will stay on as the Leader of the Dippers while undergoing treatment. Best wishes and good karma from this former-Dipper to he and his family.

Update –

CBC is reporting that he will announce that he has prostate cancer.

I really hope that this is not true.

CBC has announced that Jack Layton will make a statement about his “personal status, and his immediate future as NDP leader” at 2 pm today.

Huh?

He’s gonna step down? Didn’t see that coming if that indeed is what this is about.

It’s the “personal status” thing that bugs me. Is he ill?

Maybe he wants to run in the T.O. mayoralty race.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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Yup, it is six years to the day that I finally gave up tobacco for good.  I, like many smokers, had tried to quit several times before but had succumbed. But this time, with a ten year old and a newborn part of my life, I decided that this time, my addiction was NOT going to win!

And I pat myself on the back for succeeding. Yay me!

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Random stuff that popped into my mind this week:

1) Why are there only about half the number of OC Transpo buses on a Friday morning than any other day of the week. It couldn’t be that drivers are calling in sick and the Corp. simply isn’t bothering to replace them? Naw… that can’t be it.

2) The days are getting noticeably longer – and that makes Trashy very, very happy.

3) Don’t you hate it when little kids get sick and they look at you with that “why aren’t you fixing this, Daddy?” look? Cuts ya to the soul, it does.

4) Earbud etiquette: when is it rude to stay plugged in? At a store? Out for a walk? Are there some social situations where you should absolutely fer sure unplug yourself? What about when you’re at the counter buying something from the corner store. The clerk doesn’t give a crap about you so why should you give a crap about him?

5) Concussion update: feeling much better. The headaches have subsided to a dull throb. And even though some (Dave) will think that I will be a total wussy by doing so, I’m buying a helmet.

6) I’m writing this while sitting on the 148 on the way to work. The Wordpress app on my iPhone is pretty effective and I’m getting the hang of the keyboard. I expect more and more of my posts will be courtesy of George (my iPhone’s name).

7) One last thing – I’m still chuckling about the onion ring madness that has gripped the nation for the past few days (56,566 fans and rising!).  Seriously, if you want a good laugh, scroll few some of the hundreds (or thousands) of wall posts on the site. You’ll see stuff like this:

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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Craziness abounds… the Onion Ring fan club has grown to beyond 44K!

Like I said before, this is a great example of how quickly a message – however a bit silly – can move along the social media stream.

I will be interested to see how the mainstream media and politicians respond to this. My guess is that it will be more or less ignored. But really, Iggy or Harpy really SHOULD show up at a photo op with a box of onion rings!

More than 44 thousand voters (or would-be voters) would get a kick outta that!

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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Earlier this morning, I posted a scribble about the Facebook movement to sign up more “fans” for an onion ring than Stephen Harper can claim - and it looks like the goal may be met by the end of the day. – 20,246 – the last time I refreshed the page.

And it is getting some attention in the mainstream media – albeit on a blog…

From thestar.blogs.com

Harper vs. the onion ring

An odd new campaign began in the last 24 hours on Facebook.  The challenge: to pit an onion ring against Prime Minister Stephen Harper and see who gets more fans. As I write this, the onion ring is a good deal behind the Prime Minister — around 14,000 fans, compared to the nearly 30,000 fans of Harper.

And what is the end game of this contest? I have no idea. Perhaps the gold ring has something to do with the Olympics. Or not.

One comment on the site criticises this as “silliness reduces the seriousness of Facebook and can hurt their democracy campaign a tad.”

Huh? Of course it is silly! But I really don’t think it is hurting anyone! If Harper was smart, at his first photo op he should bring along a box of onion rings…

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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There’s a fun little thing going on over at Facebook. Someone got the bright idea to see if an onion ring could garner more “fans” than Stevo. As of this morning, The Ring has  11,121 fans while the PM has over 29,000. And this “fan club” started just yesterday – as far as I can tell.

This is, of course, all in good fun and one shouldn’t try to read too much into this unprecedented groundswell of Onionosity in Canada. But this does should how viral the new media really can be and should be a cautionary note to public figures who do not recognize its power.

For the record, I predict that The Great and Wondrous Onion will have double the number of fans by the weekend.

It’s also a good laugh to scroll through some of the comments being posted on the site. Here’s a sampling:

Even though both make people cry, onions do it without intent!!!

Do you think A & W would give us corporate sponsorship? I’ve always liked their onion rings… mmmmm

This onion ring would NEVER take a 2-month holiday in the middle of my meal!

I think anything can get more fans than Stephen Harper. Harper does what he wants, leaving a horrible taste in our mouths. The onion ring is battered than fried and leaves a wonderful taste in our mouths.

One day, I wanted to buy a coffee, but I was 14 cents short, and this onion ring gave me a quarter … and even said ‘keep the change’ … that’s why I’m a fan!

This onion ring has suspended the production of all other onion rings until after the Olympics

Oh, and in the time it took for me to write this, His Whole-liness’s fan base has grown to 11,460.

ALL HAIL THE RING!

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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the study that spuriously linked vaccines to autism has been withdrawn!

NOW, I’ll be waiting for all of those anti-vaccine types to start screaming that the pharmaceutical companies had a hand in this… conspiracy theorists are gonna have a  hey-day!

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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…because most of the content is crap that isn’t fit for the consumption of a semi-intelligent human being!

I have always liked shows that were a little edgy and most definitely NOT formulaic. That’s why I have usually shied away from the traditional cop and medical dramas. They’re all pretty much the same, IMHO.

But once in a while something different, edgy and non-formulaic emerges from the landfill. Lost is one of those shows and it kicks off it’s final season tonight.

I’m not going to go into the convoluted multilevel plots lines or the multi-dimensional characters. Only Lost fans would understand anything I would say and it’s not my purpose to alienate any of the hordes (1) of my faithful readers. But I will say this: if you are turned off by conventional television, it might be worth your while to rent the past seasons of this innovative show. Start with season one and go through the series in order or you’ll find yourself as lost as the island castaways.

Other television that has been worth my time over the years:

Arrested Development – this short-lived series about the world’s most dysfunctional family always had me rolling on the floor in laughter.

Buggy the Vampire Slayer. Dry wit. Social commentary. Great writing and acting. This show had everything.

Dead Like Me – another short-lived series about a teenager who, after being killed by a toilet-meteor, becomes a “reaper” who helps the recently dead find their way to, uh, somewhere else. The sticky note industry was a direct beneficiary of this series.

St. Elsewhere – Where Howie Mandel worked before making deals with game show contestants. Riveting. Well-acted. And an amazing script. Way ahead of its time.

M*A*S*H – Yes, this was laugh-track comedy. But the show could whack you upside the head once in a while with a commentary on the horrors of war. I clearly remember watching the show as a 12 year old when Radar uttered the following memorable line in the OR:

“I have a message. Lieutenant Colonel… Henry Blake’s plane… was shot down… over the Sea of Japan. It spun in. There were no survivors.”
– Corporal Radar O’Reilly^[1]

Damn fine TV.

1. The definition of a “horde” is being used quite liberally here.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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I had a bit of a scare yesterday.

It was decided yesterday morning that it was a good day to introduce the youngest (2 yr old) subunit to skating. After all, if he is to lead the Leafs to victory in 2035, he should learn as soon as possible, right?

Typical Canadian family’s day: off to Canadian Tire, find some skates for the little guy, sharpened the other three pair and we were off to one of the many community rinks in the City. This one is particularly family-friendly as it is a long oval that encircles a full-size hockey rink.

Three of us lace on the blades – I stayed in boots for the first 20 minutes or so as I find bending over whilst holding up a toddler while on skates is way too hard on my lower back – and off we went. I was quite proud of the two kids. The smaller one did OK for his first time out. He fell down a lot and laughed about it. And my 6 yr old had a blast too. Until she hurt herself a bit later, which was right after…

I was a complete and utter moron…

First time out this year, ice that not free of ruts – calls for a take-it-easy kind of skate. Get used to the feel again, right?

Nooooooooooooooooo… not me….I have to be a big twit and try to show off in front of my kids! One second I am cruising along at a fair clip (well, for me), and the next thing I know I’m on the ice, seeing stars and momentarily unable to move! Scared the living crap outta me! Scared the living crap outta my wife and kids too! And the guy on the rink – who were all asking if I was OK. Apparently my head sounded like a 2X4 smacking the ice. My 6 year old asked if I was dead.

Once I had regained my senses, my head ached, my jaw was outta whack, my right elbow was killing me. I felt like I had just been hit by (the latest Leaf) Dion Phaneuf.  The look on my spousal unit’s face was unsettling as it seemed though she was expecting to be looking at a corpse!

Needless to say, I didn’t argue when she said that we get outta there and to the hospital tout de suite.

And here’s a funny thing about hospitals and head injuries: you don’t wait for long before being seen. I was registered and into the Urgent Care area within 20 minutes. Saw a nurse 10 minutes after that and a Doc a little bit later. After a series of tests he thought it best that I get a CT scan to ensure there wasn’t any swelling or bleeding. Who says that the health care system doesn’t work?

A while later, the Doc reported that all was clear and that I could go home. But I should expect headaches for a few days. He was correct.

The lessons learned here?

• Don’t be an ass your first time on blades your first time out for the year. Take it slowly.
• Get to the Doc if you do bang your head and lose consciousness – even only for a few moments
• And, sigh, wear a helmet. My head is quite obviously as hard as a piece of granite but the force of the noggin hitting hard ice can, and could have done some serious damage.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

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