Officially disguised as a Canadian
This is the most ridiculous headline I’ve read today, and I’ve been awake a bunch of hours already. Twitter Disputes Claim That ‘Mary Poppins’ Is Racist Because Of Characters’ Coal-Blackened Faces This is in reference to an article written in the New York Times this week by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, an American professor who lectures onContinue reading Yes, Mary Poppins is racist, but not because of “coal-blackened faces”
Two major events took place in 2001, exactly a month apart. On 11 August 2001, my boyfriend at the time and I decided that I should play hooky from work. He was a student and wanted to go ten-pin bowling. We were due to meet with my best friend for lunch at his house afterwards.Continue reading In which Randolph is hit by a getaway car a month before 9/11
(Originally posted on my technical blog.) For the last six months or so, I have been helping some really smart people put words on paper, both the physical and electronic kind, which is hopefully going to culminate in an actual technical book that I can point to and say “Yes, that’s the name I inventedContinue reading SQL Server 2017 Administration Inside Out
I used to be a vociferous defender of prescriptive grammar (I don’t like the term “Grammar Nazi” anymore, because that’s no longer funny or clever). After listening to, and reading, a podcast and associated transcript-turned-blog entry by Stephen Fry, I realised that it is necessary for language to change, to adapt.
(With apologies to Billy Joel.) Carrie Fisher, Leonard Cohen, Arquette, Geordie Howe George Michael, Nancy Reagan, Phife Dawg, Zydeco Garry Shandling, Garry Marshall, Rob Ford, Ron Glass David Bowie, John Glenn, Wilder, Castro Prince Rogers Nelson, “Freaky” Leon Haywood Zsa Zsa, Henderson, Ricky Harris, Harper Lee David Smyrl, Caldwell, “Wizard of Woo” Worrell, Green andContinue reading We Didn’t Start 2016
Warren Ellis (the British author, not the Australian musician, though both have immaculate beards) asked his friends to recommend one book to read this winter. I recommend subscribing to his Orbital Operations weekly newsletter. I asked a bunch of friends for the name of one book they planned to read this winter. I am delightedContinue reading Books To Read This Winter
A (long) thought: if the talk on social media by LGBTQIA community members and allies is tiring you out, keep in mind that it’s only been two days since Orlando. When you’ve forgotten about us, we will still be thinking about it. We’re still thinking about Stonewall in June 1969. Remember, this is Pride MonthContinue reading Reflections on queerness
In less than a month, the Calgary Men’s Chorus is sending a contingent to the GALA Choruses Festival in Denver, which is in the same country where 49 people were killed last night in a gay club by one man armed with an assault rifle that he got without a background check, despite being onContinue reading Reflections on the Orlando Massacre
My own memories of the last fifteen years on the Internet.
From his latest Orbital Operations newsletter: All of which is to say: so much of this absurd job is feeding the compost bin. I have spoken in the past to so many writers, not even limited to beginning writers, who focus on prodigious word counts and/or deep narrow research wells. Or just reading the mediumContinue reading Warren Ellis, on writing