Larry Cote sure hit a nerve yesterday with his latest column, Engine noise and masculinity, making it his most widely shared effort since his debut in the Voice seven years ago. We’ve heard it too—the big increase in loud, even ear-splitting exhaust noise in recent years, especially jumping during and after the pandemic. Lately on the scene are jacked-up, decade-old-plus roaring pickups, typically flying Canadian flags and emblazoned with decals conveying a vulgar message for the Prime Minister. But there are plenty of straight-pipe Harley riders out there, too, and loud ‘60s muscle cars driven by near-deaf geezers who more than likely can barely hear their own exhaust racket anyway. Can the coppers do anything? Sure. Will they? Nah. There’s no political will, certainly not at the provincial level, given that these noisemakers are by and large rock-solid PC (or farther right) voters. Larry’s masculinity thing, though, that’s right on. Decades ago, my father, a minor gear-head himself, shared various tidbits of automotive wisdom, two of which were: (1) The shinier and cleaner the pickup truck, the less likely the owner actually needs to drive a pickup truck (to this I would add, based on years of observation, the bigger the pickup the smaller its owner); and (2) The louder the vehicle's exhaust, the smaller the driver’s, ah, gearshift. Classic over-compensation. (Does this make the opposite true as well? Are EV drivers, in their quietly humming sedans, transporting extra-ample, um, packages?) All that said, I understand the appeal of a little extra noise. I’ve driven two cars in my life with exhausts I modified—a VW Bug in my teens, and a Saab sedan in my 30s. (I know—the Saab in particular does not leap to mind as likely offering much auditory oomph, but it was a manufacturer’s option, sold by the dealer.) I’m sure I annoyed plenty of peace-loving citizens along my usual routes of travel. Thankfully, my interest in sounding like a ground-level Spitfire waned after that...
A rose by any other name: Speaking of columns that sparked reaction, my recent tale of woe regarding a contractor’s refusal to refund a deposit provoked plenty of comment, some by email, some in person. I’ve lost count of folks on the street who have commiserated with similar stories concerning a baker’s dozen of contractors across multiple trades, inside Niagara and out. A few readers have asked why we did not identify the contractor in my case. The point of the column then and now was to serve as a cautionary tale—don’t let what happened to us happen to you. Do your due diligence via the Better Business Bureau, Google Reviews, and other online sources. If you find that your potential contractor’s BBB rating is a D+, no matter who it is, avoid them, full stop. I’ll have an update later on all this, as it turns out there are provincial mechanisms to help consumers go after bad actors, which we’re currently pursuing…
Some almost-summer reading: Are you as tired of the national and international news as we are? It's called Media Fatigue—covering both social and news media—and we in the news business are not immune. Honestly, my spouse and I now literally will watch the weather channel rather than suffer through yet another prolonged talking-head panel discussion (CBC is bad; CNN is agonizing). It hasn’t helped that the world genuinely seems to be going to hell lately, between raging wars, raging fires, raging quasi-fascist politicians and ex-presidents, and raging rage, directed at drag queens of all people, and at random children at a playground. Racism, homophobia, religious extremism. ChatGPT edging out global warming as an existential threat. Take your pick. No wonder adolescent mental health has been declining. (Dave, you're fatiguing us with all these links!)
Our fine website and parent Village Media network are not the only sources of fascinating reading, of course, and so I offer the following recommendations for when the daily news grind is too much to stomach, although I don’t promise feel-good pablum. First up is Star columnist Heather Mallick, admittedly an acquired taste, on her experience with Covid, and worse, Long Covid. Closer to home, if you missed them, check out our recent topless protester story, a widely shared letter to the editor about boxwood blight, today's soul-searching column by Catherine Brazeau, and this excellent column by Michael Coren, and this one too. Not even tech billionaires trust the latest manifestation of artificial intelligence. This is a concise look at the made-up crises being fanned by the far right in the US (and the poison is seeping northward). And finally, one of the best HBO black comedies you may never have heard of: The Larry Sanders Show. (If that link doesn’t work, try this one.) It was a weekly half-hour of absolute genius that ran for six seasons in the 1990s. If the article inspires you, you’ll be happy to learn that the show is available for free on both the CTV app as well as the Bell Fibe app, each of which is accessible on various smart TVs and devices, such as Apple TV. Highly, highly recommended. (The CTV app is horrible and buggy though. Use Fibe if you can.) Enjoy the binge, and all those familiar faces that went on to their own careers. See you next time.
