learn something new everyday - had no idea magpies are restricted to western Canada
They like to taunt my cat. Not a fan.
I didn’t know that, either - I thought every place in the world was accursed with magpies.
I like watching the magpies and the squirrels fight - it gets awfully loud when those two screeching species go at it!
We watched the magpies at the zoo taunt the snow leopards one day - they knew just how far the cats could reach and stayed just out of range, squawking away.
Magpies, the Bird world’s teenagers. Give me ravens any day. At least they make trips to the Mall interesting as they fly away with the groceries people leave in the back of thier pickups…
Misplaced magpies are occasionally found in the Thunder Bay area, but it made no sense to put northwestern Ontario in Ontario in the first place rather than in Manitoba.
Saw one get seriously pissed off at a squirrel last summer. That was hilarious (and extremely noisy)!
I never saw magpies until I went to Saskatchewan (and other places farther west as well.)
Elvis is back. Only he’s 16 years old and French-Canadian.
Any of you folks ever go to a T&T Asian Supermarket? I know they have them in Calgary, Edmonton, and a few in the Vancouver area. Ours has been open for a couple of years maybe, but it’s way on the other side of the city. I’m thinking of going there before Christmas and buying some wild and whacky Asian grocery items to impress myself and any guests.
Anyone?
I have been to one once or twice; I love trying new foods and seeing what they’re like, but it is intimidating to see a whole supermarket of them! I usually try a couple of new things at one time.
Coconut tarts are delicious and not challenging for non-Chinese people at all; almond cookies are delicious and also not challenging. Meat buns are also very tasty (I like the barbecued pork ones). Oh yeah, barbecued pork is very yummy!
My ex lived spitting distance from there. Used to go a lot. I find it fun to just go there and sort of… Spectate, lol. So many aisles of salted duck eggs and durian.
I’m a bit disappointed that the PA doesn’t play Chinese sounding music. It’s always the same “softcore porn” soprano saxophone solo. 
NM.
T & Ts are the bomb. We go pretty regularly to stock up on dim sum, Pockys, and wasabi peas. If you haven’t tried it get the mango or green tea ice cream; super addictive! They also have a good selection of sushi stuff, hot sauces, and other weird and wonderful confections.
One note, avoid anything involving durian. I can stomach a lot of unusual food though I’m no Andrew Zimmern, but I concur with him that it is the food of the Devil.
2013 Newsmakers make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - an amusing piece of satire from Maclean’s…
Heh - very nice. 
…and also a house. 
So, it’s minus 18 and feels like minus 30. We have a winter storm blowing in expected to drop something like 25 cm of snow by tomorrow night. I got groceries today and gas for the snow blower.
I have the wood stove going in the basement, the fireplace in the family room going. The kids are here this weekend and I have a big pot of chili simmering on the stove.
Cold beer beside me and the Leafs and the Hawks coming up on HNIC. I’m feeling particularly Canadian at this point… 
Whaddaya expect? It’s owned by Loblaws.
And the Leafs beat the defending Stanley Cup champions 7-3.
All is right in the universe. 
So? If they’re importing my udon noodles and my cuttlefish flavored chips, would it kill them to make some President’s Choice Erhu music?