I had this particular mindset at work when they "enhanced" security in all our buildings. They spent millions. Now I have to scan my ID badge to get into the front door, to go through a turnstile into the lobby and to leave the lobby and enter the building proper (all 3 card readers are within 30 feet of each other. I also have to scan my badge to enter the 3rd floor area where I work. The thing is, no one actually checks to see if it's MY badge I'm putting through the card reader. So they've spent a fortune to make sure that only authorized ID badges are in the building while ignoring who is actually carrying them.

Last summer there was a BB link to a Globe and Mail article about the gradual confinement of a family over 4 generations. The great-grandfather roamed free over many square miles, while the youngest generation was practically confined to their yard. That really got my attention. We live on a busy street and it's a pain in the neck to get my kids (7 and 4) together with the kids in the next two houses down. Just this weekend, I finished making a path through the woods that connects three houses. Within minutes of finishing the path there were 3 kids playing the the woods and within 30 minutes there were 5 kids playing in our yard, in the rain, having a ball. It's exactly what I had hoped for, except for a few ticks. Future plans include more paths and a bridge over the brook/swamp in the woods that blocks access to about half our property. I think kids NEED to play outside. I recently googled a map of the suburban neighborhood I grew up in (1970's) and discovered that, while I spent most of my time on just three streets and in a few yards, we would on occasion roam an area that covered between 1 and 2 square miles. And starting at age 12 I was allowed to bike several miles to the next town with a friend, so at that point, the range expanded enormously.

My wife and I have been to "The Outback" three times. The last time we went we ordered this appetizer thinking it would remind us of our college days many years and extra pounds ago when we would eat cheese fries in the student center.

We expected an appetizer - something small and tasty to whet our appetites while we waited for our dinners to arrive. The "from above" photo does not do this dish justice - it is a MOUNTAIN of fries. We realized our mistake as soon as it hit the table. It is enormous. Six people might be able share this dish without ruining their dinner. Eight would be safer. A warning from the waitress that this was about 3 pounds of "food" would have been appreciated.

We ate some. It was quite good (fries, cheese, bacon? Of course it's good) The mountain looked almost as tall by the time our unnecessary dinners arrived. We each had about 2 bites of our main dish and called it a night.

That was our last trip to the Outback and that had to be about 10 years ago. We had been a number of times and ordered a number of things, but it's just not very good. There are plenty of places we can get better food, even if what we're looking for is junk food appetizers.