And the Rest of It

Odds and ends ...

It's just an economy:

Canada’s economic recovery lost momentum in the second quarter after posting consistent growth since the depths of the pandemic and delivered a shock to forecasters.

The economy contracted 0.3 per cent between April and June, or 1.1 per cent on an annual basis, Statistics Canada reported on Aug. 31. Adding to the dismal report, the federal agency delivered preliminary data for July that showed gross domestic product declined 0.4 per cent, a worrisome start to the third quarter.

 

 

On the Korean Peninsula:

North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), the isolated state's rubber-stamp parliament, will meet on Sept. 28 to discuss economic policy and other issues, state media reported on Thursday, as the country faces mounting economic crises.

** 

U.N. human rights investigators have asked North Korea to clarify whether it has ordered troops to shoot on sight any trespassers who cross its northern border in violation of the country's pandemic closure.

 

Clarify? Not stop?

Now Japan is facing an election:

The Japanese government is considering holding a general election on Oct. 17, Kyodo news said on Monday citing government sources, even as public support for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hits record lows in two new opinion polls.

A Lake Ontario Triangle?:

These days, Prince Edward County is best-known to visitors for its sandy beaches and up-and-coming wineries. But there is a much darker side to the region that few sightseers ever learn about.

Dubbed the Marysburgh Vortex, or alternatively “The Graveyard of Lake Ontario,” the small stretch of water off the shores of Prince Edward County has for centuries played host to shipwrecks, airplane mishaps, strange sightings and mysterious disappearances.

 

God bless you, Sister Doris!:

It seems that every town in the southern German state of Bavaria — no matter how small — has a brewery, and beer is brewed by all sorts of people. And before you judge farmer Zausinger for his morning beer run, consider who he bought it from: Sister Doris Engelhard, a 72-year-old Franciscan nun. She claims to be the world's last nun brewmeister, and woe unto anyone who would argue that title.

Sister Doris has strong opinions about her beer and when people should drink it. In short: Always, especially during the 40-day penance period leading up to Easter. "During Lent, fasting is difficult for me," she says. "Eating one meal a day is tough. But beer is liquid — it doesn't count as food when you fast. A strong beer gives me strength!"