Canada’s Brightest Ditch-Digger

So it’s Francophones, not Anglophones misgendering you?

No. Decanting is pouring, bit specifically not mixing.

Oh man, I think it’s the ‘e’ at the end of your name, which in a bunch of Romance languages would make it feminine. If it’s any consolation, solid men’s English names like ‘Lindsay’ and ‘Ashley’ are almost exclusively women’s names now for the same reason. (The “-y” or “-ie” marks a cutesy diminutive version, i.e. “bird” to “birdy”.)

I don’t think it’s the similarity to “Imane” (unless this is happening in your home culture) because I have never heard of that name before. However, I have seen “Imran” and I would have assumed that “Imrane” was the feminine version because of that ‘e’.

Wasn’t Imran Khan a famous cricketer?

First time I’ve seen the word ‘cryptofascist’ outside of Red Dwarf.

Yeah! I’ve never heard it in BC, Canada. “I’m going upstate BC.” “Prince George?! Fort Saint John!?!”

Doesn’t sound right.

Yes! First time I had hot pot was with a couple of exchange students. This was one of their dipping sauce ingredients. I’ve never been able to find it on my own. What’s it called? I’d take a shot at making it myself. Also, what’s the red stuff that goes in the sauce? I thought it was maybe fermented tofu. I’m pretty sure I’ve found that, but all of it has weird food coloring in it. I find I have to keep a lot of chemicals out of my food.

I couldn’t catch it either, but yeah, that’s rough. Definitely a step above “shut up”.

A reference to Habbakuk 3:11 in the Bible, which Jesus alludes to in his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem (see Luke 19:40). Habbakuk is prophesying against the people of God and saying they’ve become such a bunch of self-serving hypocrites that even the stones and timbers of their house (figurative or literal) cry out against them.

If you want more explanation, I’m happy to unpack it more, but that’s where it comes from.

As to why someone felt it made a good message for a rock wall? I don’t know. Often Christians interpret it as the stones are crying out in joy at Jesus’ arrival, but that misses the Habakkuk allusion, the political reality of Jesus’ conflict with the Jerusalem temple authorities, and the context in which “hosanna” historically gets used.

I’ve heard this story before, but never registered the date: December 25th, 1937. Having played in Boxing Day rugby matches, and considering holiday “sport” matches in general I’m going to make a couple reasonably informed guesses. 1) The goalie was drunk. Quite drunk. Everyone was drunk. 2) Everyone was still on the field … drinking, the goalie just didn’t realise they weren’t playing any more because he couldn’t see them.

… with FAS? FAS gives people eyes like that, doesn’t it? It looks like she has a pretty flat upper lip too. That might be part of the reason she looks … off. And obviously, that haircut is doing her no favours.

I discovered one lighter that no one will steal from me. They’ll give it back to me a week later when we run into each other. It’s a Toronto Maple Leafs lighter. I buy them whenever I see them now.