Dale S

An urban dad juggling parenthood, marriage and a full-time job. Sharing my views on style, food, getaways and where to find great deals on them all!

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

@BadDebutante You’ve just become one of my favourite writers.

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

Shuffling off to Tokyo

[Mark Bankston @BankstonAtLaw]

A quick open letter to NY Jets quarterback and massive weirdo Aaron Rodgers, from me, an attorney who for many years represented several Sandy Hook parents... 🧵

https://t.co/nAHjQoZxvk

[CALL TO ACTIVISM @CalltoActivism]

A British writer penned the best description of Donald Trump I’ve ever read:

“Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?”

A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface. Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:

• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.

• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss. After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created?' If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.”

-Nate White

[Nick Knudsen 🇺🇸 @NickKnudsenUS]

It’s the guns.

[greg garbacki @ggds1972]

@cityoftoronto
How does this make sense? We live in Cabbagetown and seniors in our area can't use the sidewalk. moving the snow from street back on on the sidewalk after we shoveled. #311Toronto #torontofail @CP24
@City_tv @globalnews @CTVNews

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

@MarcSkulnick @HamCityMagazine Change can be tough and this must have been a hard decision. I know how much you love what you do and the city of Hamilton. Onwards and upwards!

[HAMILTON CITY Magazine @HamCityMagazine]

At last we can reveal the cover for our Premiere Edition! Harrison Kennedy is a local legend & we're thrilled to have him on the cover of our inaugural issue. Watch this space for a Behind The Scenes video of the shoot & be sure to read Jamie Tennant's fabulous article! #HamOnt

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

Harrison is a legend

[HAMILTON CITY Magazine @HamCityMagazine]

At last we can reveal the cover for our Premiere Edition! Harrison Kennedy is a local legend & we're thrilled to have him on the cover of our inaugural issue. Watch this space for a Behind The Scenes video of the shoot & be sure to read Jamie Tennant's fabulous article! #HamOnt

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

@CTVToronto any idea what this 4 foot alter is that showed up in the middle of the Don River north of Gerrard?

[HAMILTON CITY Magazine @HamCityMagazine]

Hey #HamOnt - do you love this city as much as we do? A new magazine is coming in 2022 that will celebrate all things Hamilton. Sign up to stay in the know! https://t.co/IYEQeXwY9X

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

@MarcSkulnick @TedLasso @jasonsudeikis @brettgoldstein @hanwaddingham I woke up this morning and watched at 6am! There is a new character that I think I’m really going to like.

[Marco Polo @MarcAlexSkully]

Hey @BoyGeorge - remember your SMIRK nights at Venom in Leicester Square?! Can’t believe it’s been 25 years - they were legendary! (We met you & Philip Sallon at one of them - such a laugh!) #BoyGeorge #PhilipSallon #SMIRK #MoreProtein #London

[St. Louis Bar & Grill @stlouiswings]

Happy #NationalCaesarDay Canada! 🇨🇦 Enjoy the true north version of our National Cocktail from your favourite National Bar & Grill with a St. Louis Caesar Kit! (1/2)

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

@TheSocialCTV interesting discussion about displayed wealth today. Couldn’t help but notice Cynthia’s Tom Ford glasses. 😉

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

@MarcSkulnick @TedLasso @hanwaddingham @brettgoldstein @jasonsudeikis You forgot Trent Crimm, the independent, Nate the great, Keeley, Coach Beard!!! Everyone! (Except that wanker Rupert!)

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

Looks like Jason Sudeikis agrees with your sentiment.

[Marco Polo @MarcAlexSkully]

Recently binge watched all 10 episodes of @TedLasso - you don’t have to be a footy fan to love this show - it’s an absolute triumph. @hanwaddingham @brettgoldstein @jasonsudeikis deserve to win ALL the Emmys and if they don’t I will lead the revolt! #WeAreRichmond #TedLasso

[Calypso Lemonades @DrinkCalypso]

Trust me one sip and you will feel like you're in paradise with today's flavor, PARADISE PUNCH LEMONADE! RT and Follow for a chance to WIN a Paradise Punch Lemonade Party Pack. #TasteOfTheIslands #Giveaway

[Dale S @AnUrbanDad]

@IMDb hey, IMDB, what is the criteria for listing the cast from a movie or TV program? Wondering why Gal is listed second on a film in which she plays the title character?