For past updates, check out my blog archives.
Wow! It seems like this was a fairly busy week. I can’t say I accomplished any great feats but there definitely seemed to be a lot to do.
The big news came approximately 12 hours after I signed off from last week’s blog, that being my Mom and I heading to the Glencoe Fair Parade.
The day could not have turned out better. The weather was great. Mom and I got a great spot on the main street to sit. The parade was fun to watch. (We even saw Yvonne Chappus in the parade who was nice enough to recognize us Milners.) After the parade, my Mom and I had a nice visit with her friend Carol and her husband David. We also went to Value Village and the Independent to get groceries in Ingersoll before we finally found our way back to Thamesford. Both Mom and I were definitely tired by the time we got home but it was worth it.
(Keep scrolling for a gallery of photos from the 2026 Glencoe Fair Parade.)
On Monday, a quick trip to London saw a stop at the offices of Shelf Life Magazine, to pick up the October/November 2026 issue and some books for future reviews. The website has been updated with excerpts from the issue, so if you’re looking for your next favourite book, check out the Shelf Life website. For the balance of the week, there was some work to be done around the house (including mowing the front lawn and trying to fix leaks in the drain pipes.) There weren’t as many jobs to apply for this week but I still managed to get a few sent off.
My Mom and I are almost finished the 11th and final series of Cheers. (We may be finished the last two episodes by the time you read this.) Right now it looks like we’ll be checking out How I Met Your Mother for our next binge-watch.
Speaking of TV shows…
Time for a mini-rant…or rather a bit of an opinion. (Unlike the more politically-minded people out there, I’ll actually welcome and encourage anyone of a differing opinion to say their peace.)
The New York Times recently published a list of what they had determined “The 100 Best Television Shows of the 21st Century.” (I’ve included the link to The Economic Times because I’m not going to make you subscribe to a newspaper to follow along with what I’m talking about.)
Forgive for this old white guy (if that’s allowed) for using this phrase “Back in my day” but…
Back in my day, a century was 100 years, not 26. Is this the New York Times basically publishing a scoop that Hollywood won’t be producing anything more of quality for the next 74 years? (Actually given what I have seen lately, that could be a plausible case. Or maybe they’ll just use this list and keep “rebooting” the shows over and over again between now and 2099.)
Full disclosure: As someone who got fed up with the quality of modern-day TV and needing to have access to about a half-dozen streaming services to access quite a number of these shows, I can honestly say I’ve watched one show in the Top 10 (30 Rock) which is the same number of shows in the Top 10 that I’ve never heard of (Fleabag). But that’s on me.
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of these “Best of” lists and have come to understand that for the most part, they are just jumping off points, designed to spark conversation along with controversy.
And here’s my conversation (and probably controversy) starter: What makes these TV shows “The Best”? What was the criteria? Was it writing, acting, cinematography? Was it judged on a cultural impact? How does one quantity what a “Best Show” is? How do you judge how one show is better than another?
I have no problem with someone presenting their own “Top 100 Favourite TV Shows” because it comes down to something that can be explained: one person’s opinion. If I had the time and ambition, I’d present my own. (I’ve always been tempted to do a Top 10 Characters of All Time” list.) However, presenting a “Top 100 BEST Shows” almost seems as if a bunch of so-called experts got together and said “Here’s our favourite shows but because they’re our favourite shows, they’re the best shows because we understand TV better than you peons out there.” And after a while, these lists are basically the same combination of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, The Wire, etc. as if no one wants to shake things up.
And yes, I’m sure all those shows are great but after a while it’d be nice to toss things up. Of course, in a time when people are afraid to rock their boat with an opposing opinion, I guess it’s par for the course.
As always, I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and happy week ahead and we’ll meet back here next Friday for my next update.
Want to comment on anything I’ve discussed here or in previous updates? Send me a Facebook Messenger text or voice message or email me.
