Interesting theory, but: Pulp, "Common People", 5:50. One of the greatest pop songs ever recorded, in my opinion.

This reminds me of the days before CDs when the best song on each tape always seemed to be Track 7. Why was that? Like it took listening that long to prepare you for the greatness.

I do everything in my power to avoid flying Air Canada. Cory's "self-parody" crack is about as apt as it gets. Aside from the general incompetence (baggage loss, overbookings, cancellations, etc.) they have a shady side as well. They seem to be in the practice of opening routes/flights to compete with smaller, more reliable airlines, and then closing these routes once the competition bows out. There used to be a direct flight from St. John's to London (4 hrs), but every time another airline tries to offer it (I think it was Astraeus last time), AC reopens theirs, cuts prices, and then disappears into the night once they've got the monopoly again. Frustrating.

@18: Well, would you look at that. Shows how little I know about angry spirits and science..

Um, people? An Italian scientist named "Vera Maxia"? Even if you were duped by the premise, you couldn't possibly have wondered after you came to that, could you?

The parent in me cries foul at this. Loose oars in a kid's room (at least in a room for a kid young enough to have an anchor pillow and wall stickers of a preschool-looking pirate ship)? Next to a mirror? Methinks a trip to the ship's leech will soon be in order, yarr.

Congratulations, Cory! She's beautiful. Such a great round head for that large brain!! I love the name Poesy, but I vote for the nickname "Natch" or "Notch", depending on how you pronounce Fibbonacci. Enjoy it all and keep a secret diary of it from day one. I started at a year and regret letting the first 12 months go by unrecorded by anything except my faulty memory. Best to all of you.

Cory! Massimo's is fantastic, but for years before I converted (I practiced restraint on my stumble home from the College Street bars back to the upper Annex) I was a Cora's (Habord and Spadina) man. Did you ever try that?

There's a great legend about Cora's and Papa Ceo's (sp?), which was right next door. Apparently they were brothers who got into a fight and so split into two stores. I've always wondered if that was true.

Also, out west in the Junction, where I lived in Toronto last, Vesuvio's is pretty good.

I don't know that I've ever seen a more compelling headline than "Giraffe-fight!". How could you not watch? It might as well say "video-based crack".

I kept imagining them huffing and puffing like fat guys between flurries, gasping for air and saying, "'kay, 'kay, just ... gimme a ... sec here..." before having at it again.