Monday, November 8, 2010

Yays & Boos for Newfoundland

I had intended on posting about the recent CBC story about the Canada Reads competition but Laurita Miller beat me to the punch at Brain Droppings. She even had some good information about the upcoming Giller Prize. The Canada Reads long list of 40 has been voted on by the public and the top 10 results will be revealed tomorrow. Interestingly, the linked story notes that although Newfoundland and Labrador has only 1/60th of Canada's population it had 4 books in the top 40 or 1/10th.

  • Galore by Michael Crummey

  • Come, Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant

  • Inside by Kenneth J. Harvey

  • February by Lisa Moore

Also in the 'Yay for Newfoundland' category...National Geographic Traveler magazine recently posted their annual scorecard for 99 Coastal Destinations around the world. And guess who came out on top...yep, Newfoundland and Labrador. Specifically right here on the Avalon Peninsula. It managed to edge out the Pembroke Coast of Wales and Tutukaka Coast of New Zealand. So everyone mark the lovely Newfoundland and Labrador coast on your calendars for future holiday destinations (I think I missed my calling as a travel agent).


OK that was the good. Now for the bad and ugly...I think that the warm temps we've had here the past few days has softened some peoples brains *Checks calendar to see if it was a full moon* The CBC has also run a number of stories of bizarre incidents in and around the St. John's area. Feel free to link to the stories for more information. Or not.

  • Within a week, three cars were stolen and set on fire in the same park. I'm not sure if it had anything to do with Friday's 'Guy Fawkes Night' --Note: if you don't know what that is, please refer to my #fridayflash story Burning the Guy posted last Friday.

  • A Royal Newfoundland constabulary officer pulled over for impaired driving.

  • Man arrested for emailing bomb threat to a Grand Falls-Windsor hotel.

  • Court case continues for man who bit off part of a bartenders ear in a pub.

  • Man sentenced to two years for Conception Bay home invasion.

  • Old woman drives car into front of St. John's coffee shop (photo below).

  • Young man pleads guilty in home-care beating...this one takes a bit of explanation as the 29 year old man beat and robbed an 89 year old man with the assistance of his 67 year old girlfriend who was the old man's home care worker. I'm sure that the young guy will be on the wrong side of a beating himself when he gets behind the big, grey walls of Her Majesties Penitentiary. Did I say...his 67 year old girlfriend already? It appears love is indeed blind. And perhaps a teensy bit desperate as well...

Umm...but you know, aside from all that insanity...the Avalon Peninsula is still a cool place to live.


12 comments:

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Holy age difference, Batman!
I love the picture of the car "doing a drive-thru" at Timmy's!
How come you get all the good news over there on the island, eh?

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

And OH, that cop-crash happened on "Topsull Rd." We was there, we was!

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

And HAR to Mr. Perfect's comment about the clunkers and the ensuing controversy. (I like adding comments one at a time... it saves over amounts of thinking)

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Newfoundland would be a really cool place to live. Alan, find me a job there, wouldja dear? No, actually, find Dave a job so I can sit on my arse and blog all day. And a house, find us a house. A cheap house. And could ya come help us move all our junk? There's a good lad...

Fox Lee said...

And the coffee shop stayed open? Man, it takes a lot to ruffle feathers over there.

Laurita said...

Did you mention that a Newfoundlander is also in the running for the Giller? Fingers crossed for Kathleen Winter. Yep, we're a talented lot. :D

Also a crazy lot, but don't those two go hand in hand? Oddly enough, I found out about the Timmies accident before it hit the news. A mutual friend of ours who works just up the hill was quite dismayed that it could interfere with her morning coffee and croissant. :)

Perhaps you could get a job with the department of tourism doing brochures...

Danielle Birch said...

A fair bit of inspiration for stories, I'd say :)

John Wiswell said...

At that point, love may be senile.

Laura Eno said...

Sometimes I wonder if the world is indeed crazier, or if I just notice it more as I get older...

Alan W. Davidson said...

Cathy- So once I take care of your job, Dave's job, finding you a house and going to Ontario and packing your stuff...you'll be clear to move here? I'll get right on that missy.

I'll fall back on the old saying...Why don't you shove a broom up...and I'll sweep the floor for you as well! I've you moved, at least you'd have a writer's group to join out here on The Rock...

Nat- True enough. God forbid they should do without their coffee for an afternoon. Remember...Timmies set up an outlet in Kandahar so the soldiers could get their daily fix.

Laurita- I didn't mention her specifically. I think they said she lives in Montreal now, but she's still from The Rock.

Nice suggestion for a Cathy-job BTW. I bet she'd have no problem getting work out here. Mind you, no saying if they make the same as those high-paying jobs out there in the 'Big Smoke'.

Danielle- I bet you're right that at least one of those could be spun into something...perhaps with a horrific twist...

John- True enough. I'm also wondering if love is mutual in this case as well.

Laura- I wonder how you will perceive the world, then, when you hit 80. You know...in 50 years or so...

kathryn said...

Okay...so you're actually inviting more people to assist in the insanity of your homeland?? You may want to rethink this. Usually we went people to stay away and leave us alone.

Pretty heady stuff...and hilarious how you promote and then show us all your area's little dirty secrets!

Katey said...

Oh my god, and it was a Tim Hortons! Isn't that the only hanging offense left in Canada?

... no? Huh. Well if you had one, that'd be it, surely!