This is the last week of February. Knowing our popular and unpopular months, there's a little cheer!
Here's a satirical article in the press covering the reactions to a dog sitting on the seat in a train to Paddington. Being TV news host Emily Maitlis' dog, it got some attention. The attention of this writer takes a satirical twist. It was in theguardian.com - outlining the rules of train travel int regards to seats. The basic rules is that pets are allowed on trains.
Should pets be allowed at all? "Yes – as long as you remember that not everyone likes being on trains with animals, even their own pets. If you see me on a train with my dog, you can assume that something has gone badly wrong with my travel plans. I know my dog is adorable, but I am only prepared to talk about that for a limited amount of the journey. Getting an adorable pet was not my idea. Because my dog is also small and needy, it will probably insist on spending some time standing on my lap. This is not the same as a dog on a seat, and again, it will not have been my idea. I go on trains to take a break from my dog."
What about children? "I have travelled with small children, and in my experience most passengers would rather sit next to a dog than a toddler. On a crowded train, you should give up your seat for a toddler if you have for some reason come to dislike the person you are sitting next to. Older people should be offered your seat, depending on how old they seem, and not how old they are. Do not ask for ID."
Is it ever acceptable to put a bag on the seat? "No. A bag on a seat is worse than a dog on a seat. At least the dog is enjoying the ride. Even worse than bags is feet on seats. Any attempt to cushion yourself from the possibility of having to sit next to someone is both antisocial and prone to backfire – you end up sitting next to someone who hates you and they will give up their seat to the first toddler to come along."
Should you chat to your neighbours? "It is almost never acceptable to make eye contact with a stranger on a train, even if you are facing them across a table for a five-hour journey. I am very sorry my dog does not understand this."
This made me think of how a context can make "the" difference. In comparison, dogs sit on seats at the animal hospital I go to with Dezi. Most of them, like Dezi, would rather hide under the seat and disappear.
The orchid today won't be for sale at the vendor table at the RBG orchid show this coming weekend. This is an exotic and rare lady slipper orchid typically sold between expert growers only.
Just in - this news on how to keep New Year's Resolutions! Modify them - every day. That comes from The Beaverton - "North America's Trusted Source of News". Really? Who is this news source. Here's the answer it provides:
"The Beaverton is a weekly satirical news show airing Wednesdays at 10 pm on Comedy, just before Full Frontal with Sam Bee. A televised adaptation of the immensely popular website TheBeaverton.com, it files fictional stories of the utmost importance, informed by real events, the cultural zeitgeist, and national news media. Using a “fake news” platform The Beaverton offers devastating insight and biting commentary on Canadian life, politics, and the world around us."
Better than New Year's Resolutions, here's their headline on Harry and Meghan
LONDON – Meghan Markle, an actress best known for her role on the USA network series Suits is now adding another role to her CV: deprogrammer.
“Extracting a cult member is notoriously difficult, managing to do it after joining the cult itself is almost unheard of,” says cult expert Joanie Gorski. “This is one for the history books. Or at least several dozen podcasts.”
"The Cult of Windsor, which in its current form dates back to 1917, is known for being insular and territorial. Along with documented instances of incest and the grooming of teenage brides, accusations of pedophilia have also recently been leveled against a highly placed member of the organization."
There's more satire to read in the article. Consider the invitation at the bottom of the article: "Want to learn how to write satire as brilliant as this? We have workshops coming up in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver. Find out more." You have to move fast as the Toronto workshop is today.
I am consolidating some of my photo storage and found this picture - a delightful summer image of the condominium garden at the top of Thompson Street where we lived in Toronto.
