Dog On A Root

"I can sit for hours in front of the T.V.  And if I get bored... I'll get up and turn it ON." - jim Young

Introduction “Pleased to meet you. Hope you guess my name.” - Jagger/Richards - jim Young Hello to all the readers of the Great North Arrow. I am excited to join the team with my own column that I hope you will enjoy reading each month. I’d like to introduce myself and tell you a bit about my background. The first thing you will note about me when you read my byline is my name is jim Young. No, that’s not a typo. The “j” in lower case is how I print my first name. It helps to keep me humble which can be kinda hard for a writer sometimes whenever he or she sees their name in print. The capital “Y” in my last name however, signifies my pride in my family name. I first lived in Stroud, Ontario and then Painswick before it was annexed by the City of Barrie. In the 50s and 60s these both were small communities where everyone knew your name. The people were laid back, friendly and always looking out for their neighbours’ best interest. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that whe...

- jim Young 20200615 Buffalo Chicken Dip This is a great snack to bring to a party or to serve as an appetizer when you have friends over. But sometimes it's a long time until your next party or gathering with friends - like when a pandemic comes around and all of a sudden parties and gatherings are outlawed. The great thing about being a grown up is you don't have to wait for a party or a gathering. You can make this up any time you want just because you like it. You can serve it with tortilla chips, crackers or vegetables like carrot or celery sticks. Whatever you want. Sometimes I will make up just a ½ batch of this d elicious dip - just for me. Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 30 min. Total Time: 40 min. Stuff Required: 1 cup boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced, ½ cup hot sauce 4 oz cream cheese, softened ½ cup sour cream ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup blue cheese, crumbled ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese Do This: Preheat oven to 350° ...

- jim Young 20200613 "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.” - Plato Net photo from JusticeForGunOwners.ca In the wake of a senseless tragedy that occurs, such as last April when a gunman killed 22 people in Nova Scotia, it’s natural to feel vulnerable and seek ways to make us feel safer. Trudeau, through an Order-In-Council, took action to assure the public’s safety by banning 1,500 variants of 11 types of firearms. Two of the weapons used by the gunman in Nova Scotia are on that list. Does that make you feel safer? It shouldn’t. They were already illegal, at least in the hands of the gunman, so in fact nothing has changed really, except that the rights of many “law-abiding citizens” have now been infringed upon because laws that were already in place, were not being enforced. In fact ALL of the weapons used by the gunman were illegally obtained, many of them from the U.S. Can someone ...

- jim Young 20200603 “I consider any gun that can chamber a round and send a projectile down its barrel at a high rate of speed into my body - causing me injury or death - to be an assault weapon.” - Henry Rollins There are a lot of good reasons why we need gun control laws in Canada and none of them include “ it’s an effective method in the fight against crime.” There are also a lot of good reasons why some guns should not be banned in Canada and none of them include "for the protection of my country." These are just emotional knee-jerk reactions used on both sides in an attempt to justify one's position. We need to be able to rely on our government officials to have the common sense to separate the wheat from the chaff and make realistic, unemotional decisions as to what lengths they should go to ensure the safety of Canadians while protecting the rights of responsible gun owners. It appears that we can’t. The first thing you should know about me up front is that I am n...

- jim Young 20200601 Make this Zesty Cheese Sauce thick or thin depending on what you want to use it for. As a thick spread you can use it on your sandwiches to add a little cheesy spice flavour or spread it on your favourite crackers for an extra special snack. As a dip or thin sauce you can use it for tortillas or nachos. Sticks of celery, pieces of cauliflower or broccoli will all taste better dipped in Zesty Cheese Sauce. Heat it up and pour this cheese sauce over your mashed potatoes. Anything that you would use a cheese sauce or cheese spread with, will taste a little better with a bit of this Zesty Cheese Sauce. Time: 10 minutes Yield: ~450 gm (1 Cheez Whiz jar) Stuff Required: 225 gm Jalapeno Cheez Whiz (½ jar) 1 cup cheddar cheese, old, shredded ¼ to ½ cup of milk (depending on if you want a thick spread or thin dip) ½ tsp red pepper flakes 2 tbsp horseradish Do This: Add Cheez Whiz and cheddar cheese to a medium bowl. Microwave for 1 - 2 minutes unti...

- jim Young 20200601 “If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn.” - Andrew Mason My free-range garden is in full bloom already this year. I don’t think flowers should be confined to pots, vases or segregated areas along the house and edges of our property. They should roam free to spread their beauty wherever their seedlings may fall. These beautiful yellow flowers, reminiscent of the marigold, that are spotted throughout our yard, perfectly complement the green backdrop of our lawn which consists of a variety of grasses, clover and assorted Perennials. The colours yellow and green are next to each other in the rainbow so why not in your backyard as well? Together yellow and green is soothing and undramatic; a perfect combination to induce relaxation in your backyard. With an imaginative name such as the “Dandelion” how can this be anything but a fun flower? Derived from the French name “dent de lion” meaning “lion’s tooth'', the ...

- jim Young 20200601 “‘Business!’ cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. ‘Mankind was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business.’” - Jacob Marley in the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” Hydro One is quick to boast of suspending time-of-use electricity prices on March 24th, but they often try to gloss over that this reduction of rates was in fact mandated by Premier Doug Ford and not instigated by Hydro One. When Hydro One announced this program was slated to end a short time later, Premier Doug Ford decided “no it isn’t either” and mandated a further extension. Now Hydro One is offering assistance with one hand and taking it back with the other. The “time-of-use” electricity pricing schedule is to be temporarily replaced with the “COVID-19 Recovery Rate” until October 31st, at a fixed rate of 12.8 cents per kWh versus the previous rate of 10.1 cents per kWh. While companies across our country are struggling just to s...