The Sahara

 The Sahara is not just the world's largest hot desert,it was once covered with Rivers,lakes and Grasslands.

Quote from Tupac Shakur

 Reality is wrong.Dreams are for real.-Tupac Shakur

Quote from Rebecca West

 The choice between law and justice is an easy one for courageous minds.-Rebecca West

Portuguese proverb

 All bite the bitten dog.-Portuguese proverb 

A song from 1956 that I like

 Earthbound(1956)-song from Mario Lanza.

Acromotophilia

 Acromotophilia - A paraphilia in which an individual expresses strong interest in amputees.

The wonders of agar

 Agar is extracted from red algae.Agar,also known as agar agar is essentially a vegetable analog of gelatin.Agar is widely used in vegetarian and vegan cuisine.

      Agar is a gelling agent.Agar is widely used in Asian cuisine for jelly dessert.Agar can also  be found as a thickener in soups,ice creams and jams.

Before fossil fuels

 Before fossil fuels much of the world was powered by whale oil;demand for whale oil was so high it almost drove some whale species to extinction.

       Bowhead whales used to be killed in large numbers for their oil-rich blubber.

       There was a time when every streetlight in London was lit by whale oil.Thousands of street lamps in London were powered by whale oil during the 18th century.

      Today it seems so barbaric and backwards to hunt whales for whale oil.

About eating seaweed

 The taste of seaweed is from naturally occurring glutamate,the same substance that people are concerned about when it is used as an additive,i.e. monosodium glutamate in foods

.        There is some concern about the high iodine content of seaweed;iodine is of course essential for thyroid hormone production but too much can cause the same symptoms as iodine deficiency ----i.e goitre which is an enlarged thyroid gland.

Mini cucumbers that I bought and consumed in June 2026

 In June 2026 I bought and consumed six delicious Lebanese cucumbers-Mini cucumbers 

-NATURE FRESH FARMS 

-Taste good,feel good.

-Product of Canada.

-NATURE FRESH FARMS, Leamington,Ontario.

        I found these cucumbers firm, succulent and delicious.

African proverb

 Do not carry a mountain on your head for people who will forget your footprints when the rain falls.-African proverb 

A song from 1986 that I simply love

 Notorious(1986)-song by Duran Duran.

Portuguese proverb

 Wipe your sore eye with your elbow.-Portuguese proverb

Persian proverb

 The guard's sleep is the lamplight of the thief.-Persian proverb 

A song from Lauryn Hill that I like

 Can't Take My Eyes Off You-song by Lauryn Hill.

The tongue of a woodpecker

 The tongue of a woodpecker wraps around the skull to protect its brain while pecking.

Asia and Africa

 Egypt is the only country that spans two continents:Asia and Africa.

Avunculicide

 Avunculicide -The act of killing one's maternal uncle(mother's brother)

Mariticide

 Mariticide -The act of killing one's husband.

Prolicide

 Prolicide -The act of killing one's children.

Quote from Leon Brown

 The more you know yourself,the less you need the approval of others.-Leon Brown

African proverb

 When the crocodile invites you to swim,first ask the fish how the last invitation ended.-African proverb 

Place names

 Toponymist-A person who studies place names.

Gauging the immense wealth of Elon Musk

 Elon Musk has become the world's first trillionaire in June 2026.If he starts spending 1 million dollars every day,it would take him over 3000 years to spend all his money.

Zinc deficiency

 Low levels of zinc in the blood have been associated with cognitive impairment.

Roasting tomatoes

 Did you know?

Roasting tomatoes removes water and concentrates their  natural flavors and sugars ,making them taste sweeter,richer and more intense than fresh tomatoes.

He overcame bullying big time

 Elon Musk,the richest man in the world in 2026,was born in South Africa.He was bullied relentlessly as a kid.

Anglophones in the Saint Laurent borough

 Anglophones in the Saint Laurent borough of Montreal are primarily concentrated in the western and southern residential sectors of the borough,most notably in the affluent Cavendish area(near the Cote Saint-Luc border) and the Marlborough neighborhood,Norgate area,BoisFranc and Nouveau Saint Laurent.

Mulch

 Le paillis-French word for mulch.

Black actor Lorenzo Tucker

 Lorenzo Tucker(1907-1986) was nicknamed 'The Black Rudolph Valentino ".He was a prominent leading man in the pioneering race films of the 1920s and 1930s.

  Lorenzo Tucker was born in Philadelphia and died in Hollywood,Los Angeles of lung cancer.

Famous black actor of the 1920s and 1930s

 Q.What actor of the 1920s and 1930s was nicknamed "The Black Rudolph Valentino"?

Answer.Lorenzo Tucker(1907-1986).

Streets I walked on Saturday,June 13,2026

 On Saturday,June 13,2026 in the afternoon I took the 170 bus from Cote Vertu metro which goes north on rue Decarie.I got off on rue Poirier at the intersection of Decarie.Then I walked on Painter Circle street .Then I went on Stanislas street and walked on Stanislas from one end to another.I walked on Chemin Laval briefly and went one block east of Stanislas street to come on rue de la Sorbonne.Then I walked along the entire length of rue de la Sorbonne from Chemin Laval to Boulevard Henri Bourassa where it ends.Rue de la Sorbonne and Stanislas street are notable for their quaint cottages and charming wartime houses.This was the first time I had walked on Stanislas street and rue de la Sorbonne.

            I also walked on rue de Londres from one end to the other for the first time in my life.I also walked the entire length of Cambridge Street that runs from rue Grenet to rue de Londres,for the first time ever.

                   I also walked the entire length of rue St-Cyr that runs from Cambridge Street to Chemin Laval,for the first time ever.

      It was a fun promenade,a successful walk.

Postern

 Postern-a back door or gate.

A song from 1956 that I like

 My Dream Sonata(1956)-song by Nat King Cole.

The news

 The news is often a big black cloud over our heads.

The Canary Islands

 The Canary Islands are a deadly route for people smugglers;tens of thousands of people have died trying to reach there from Africa in recent years.

Botham street in Ville Saint Laurent

 Botham street in Ville Saint Laurent,Montreal is named after Harry Botham(1897-1973).

        Born in Suffolk, England,he immigrated to Canada in 1906.In 1923,he became one of the first residents of rue Saint-Germain(located just north of Cote Vertu Boulevard),where he lived for the rest of his life.

          He was highly active in the early days of the Montreal Scouting movement.

Poison dart frogs in captivity

 Poison dart frogs in captivity are not inherently toxic.Their famous venom is not self-manufactured but derived from their diet.In the diet,they feed on specific alkaloid-laden ants,beetles,and mites,which themselves acquire toxins from plants and insects.

Zoolater

 Zoolater(noun)-a person who worships animals or treats animals with excessive reverence or devotion.

A song from Public Enemy that I like

 Burn Hollywood Burn-song by Public Enemy.

A song from Steve Caraway that I like

 Sausage Factory -song by Steve Caraway.

A new song from The Backstreet Boys that I like

 Bottle Up(2026)-song by The Backstreet Boys.

Spring cleaning

 Spring cleaning is when a home gets a new twinkle in its eye.

The boroughs of Montreal

 Q.What is the smallest of the 19 boroughs by area of the city of Montreal  in 2026?

Answer.Outremont.

Rue Pomba in Ville Saint Laurent

 Pomba street in Ville Saint Laurent,Montreal is named after Pierre Pomba(1913-1974),who served as the very first urban planner for the former city of Saint Laurent.

       A Belgian architect by profession,Pomba served in this municipal role from 1970 until his passing.

    

              Pomba street is located in the industrial park of the borough of Saint Laurent.

Poison dart frogs raised in zoos

 A poison dart frog raised in a zoo won't hurt a fly.It's the wild diet that makes it deadly.

            The frogs get their poison from what they eat.In the rainforest,they consume formicine ants,melyrid beetles,and other arthropods that produce potent alkaloid toxins.These toxins are derived from plants the insects eat,creating a complex chain of chemical defense.

           In captivity,fed on fruit flies and crickets,the frogs produce no poison.They still look just as bright and behave just as boldly-but without the punch.

        The moral:You are what you eat.Even if you're a tiny,brightly colored amphibian.

A gross habit of rabbits

 Rabbits look cute but they usually eat their own poop directly from their butt to digest it a second time.This helps them absorb extra nutrients & vitamins their stomach missed the first time.

Another song from 1959 that I like

 Give Me Your Love (1959)-song by Nat King Cole.

A song from 1959 that I like

 Madrid (1959)-song by Nat King Cole.

Jactation

 Jactation -boastful or excessive bragging.

Example:His constant jactation about his wealth annoyed everyone.

Another quote from Taras Grescoe

 If,in a democracy,all citizens are equal before the law,then a bus with one hundred passengers should have the right to one hundred times more road space than a car carrying only one person.-Taras Grescoe 

Quote from Taras Grescoe

 A few reasonable policies won't do much good if the surrounding society is insane.-Taras Grescoe

A song from Queen that I like

 Don't Stop Me Now-song by Queen.

Author Taras Grescoe

 Author Taras  Grescoe was born in Toronto and grew up in Vancouver and Calgary.He moved to Montreal in 1996 after also living in Paris.

Soldiers

 Soldiers often goosestep in crisp uniforms.

The Philippines

 The Philippines sits on the edge of a ring of fire,making it prone to powerful earthquakes.

Yokelish

 Yokelish-unsophisticated or rustic.

African proverb

 When the river dries up,we will all see where the crocodile sleeps.-African proverb 

They can't taste sugar

 Did you know?

Cats can't taste sugar because they lack a key protein for sensing it.

Nubiferous

 Nubiferous -producing clouds.

About Japan

 Japan consists of more than 14,000 islands, although only a small portion are inhabited.

Another song from Herbie Hancock that I like

 Stars In Your Eyes-song by Herbie Hancock.

A song from Herbie Hancock that I like

 Saturday Night -song by Herbie Hancock.

Noorduyn Avenue in Ville St.Laurent

 Noorduyn Avenue in Ville Saint Laurent,Montreal is named after Robert Noorduyn(1893-1959),a Dutch-born aeronautical engineer.He was the founder of Noorduyn Aviation Ltd,which became a major player in the Canadian aerospace industry.

Eating cucumbers for fiber

 If you are eating cucumbers for fiber,it is crucial to eat them unpeeled.The cucumber peel is where much of the vegetable's insoluble fiber resides,which aids in preventing constipation and supporting regularity.They also contain a type of soluble fiber called pectin,which helps feed beneficial gut bacteria.

Fissure

 There is another fissure in a fragile ceasefire sometimes.

Safeguards

 The safeguards fail sometimes.

When cortisol stays high in a man's body

 When cortisol stays high in a man's body it suppresses testosterone production.

Hide in plain sight

 Cacher en pleine vue-to hide in plain sight in French.