http://gregmercer.ca Newspapering and other adventures Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:01:11 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Guelph Mercury, 10/07/21 An anti-aging pill? Really? Yep. Scientists think they're on the verge of breakthroughs that could help us live until we're well into our 100s. Just what we need - a youth pill that can wipe away all of our bad genes, bad eating habits, and bad luck. And it ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/07/27/a-youth-pill-sold/ Guelph Mercury, 14/07/10 Here’s the thing, dog. You’re cute as heck, and a lot of people really love you. But we need to talk. It’s time you’ve started pulling your weight around here. I know it’s tough being a puppy, what with all the napping, destroying gardens, chewing shoes and all that. At ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/07/16/listen-up-dog/ Guelph Mercury, 07/07/10 They’re the “the jewels of our country,” so says Environment Minister Jim Prentice. But we seem to care about our national parks less and less. Instead, we prefer the Great Indoors, where we are in complete control and out of the sunlight. No wonder so many of us ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/07/13/great-outdoors-no-thanks-we%e2%80%99re-canadian/ Guelph Mercury, 30/06/10 No, robots have not taken over your radio. It’s just the Auto Tune era, making its —hopefully—last few gasps for air. If you’ve accidentally stumbled on a pop song on the radio in the past few years, you’ve likely heard Auto Tune at work. It’s that comically artificial, ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/06/30/auto-tune-this-column/ Guelph Mercury, 23/06/10 Let’s hear it for the fun sheriff. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has crashed the party once again, and this time they’re after Guelph’s downtown sidewalk patios. The provincial agency that regulates alcohol sales in Ontario says downtown restaurants that have sidewalk patios not abutting their entrances ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/06/24/fun-sheriff-cancels-patio-party/ Guelph Mercury, 16/06/10 Back in March, police in Waterloo went looking for stolen property. What they found was a closet pharmacy that ended up sinking an entire football team. Three months later, players from the Waterloo Warriors stood in a hallway outside a press conference they were barred from, trying to keep ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/06/21/steroids-coming-to-a-gym-near-you/ Guelph Mercury, 06/09/10 Next time the man pushes you around, check your wallet. If you’ve got $75, you can fight back. Small Claims Court has been long called The People’s Court, but now it’s really starting to look like it. From medical negligence to car crashes and police brutality, the cases ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/06/10/taking-the-man-to-small-claims-court/ Guelph Mercury, 02/06/10 A funny thing happened to a friend of mine a few years ago. I went to visit him and his wife at their new home, their first home, and was stunned by how nice it was. There was art on the walls, flowers on the table and nice ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/06/02/leaving-the-cave-behind/ Guelph Mercury, 26/05/10 Editor's note: Apologies to Michael Chong for a mistake in an earlier version that made it appear he spent twice as much on travel as Frank Valeriote. Valeriote, of course, was in office for only half as long in that fiscal year. Math! Maybe they’re worried we’ll insist ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/05/26/hey-mps-what%e2%80%99s-the-big-secret/ Guelph Mercury, 19/05/10 Vancouver has its natural beauty. Stratford has its Shakespeare and Bieber Fever. Montreal has its hockey riots. A lot of Canadian communities have their thing. You know, that sense of identity that makes a city a place where things happen. A thing that makes it unique, helps it stand ... http://gregmercer.ca/2010/05/20/let%e2%80%99s-run-with-this-idea/