COUTTS, AB – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has arrived on foot at the Coutts-Sweet Grass border crossing station, petitioning for refugee status in the US on the grounds of being persecuted in her home country. “In my home land, I am singled out for my beliefs,” pleaded a bedraggled Smith to a US customs officer. […]

The post Danielle Smith applies for refugee status in USA appeared first on The Beaverton.

You’ve probably found yourself rifling through your junk drawer, desperately looking for AAA batteries or a tape measure. Then, when it’s not there, you check every other cabinet and drawer in your home, hoping what you need will magically appear, only to be disappointed when it doesn’t.

This is probably a sign that your junk drawer is understocked—and yes, full of junk. Instead of continuing to make do without these once-in-a-while essentials, it’s best to buy them when you need them least. That way, in a moment of frantic searching, you’ll have exactly what you need.

Below, we’ve rounded up the tools, supplies, and other surprisingly useful goodies you’ll be glad to have on hand in a pinch. Though they may live in your junk drawer, we promise you they’re anything but junk.

Clearspace. I used to check my Gmail app multiple times a day on my phone. I did it so often my kids noticed and gave me a hard time about it. I tried iPhone’s screentime feature, but I always just ignored its “you’ve reached your limit” notifications. The thing that finally got me to quit the habit was the Clearspace app. It adds a brief delay between when you tap an app icon and when it opens. That little pause has been transformative in curbing my phone use. My iPhone screentime has plummeted. It’s amazing what adding just a bit of friction to our digital habits can do. The delay gives you just enough space to ask yourself, “Do I really need to check my email right now?” Usually, the answer is no. Clearspace recently added a “Push-Up Mode” where you have to do push-ups before the app opens — it uses your phone’s camera and AI to verify you’ve actually done them. Pretty cool!  

In the Quarter-Zip Era, These Coaches Still Wear Suits. While most basketball coaches have gone casual and don athleisure for games, a few college-level holdouts are sticking with the old-school practice of wearing suits. Scott Cacciola at the NYT talked to these throwback dressers to find out what’s behind their sartorial decision. Some of them did it as a homage to the game’s coaching greats like John Wooden and found that wearing a suit gave them greater confidence, authority, and gravitas. It was a way to signal the stakes of the game to themselves and their players. Colorado’s Tad Boyle put it this way, “If you’re not going to dress up for the 30 most important nights of your year, when will you?” These suit holdouts are a reminder that sometimes dressing up isn’t just about looking good — it’s about honoring tradition and setting off life’s significant moments. Dress well for others!

Vitamin String Quartet. I love a good string quartet. While they’re associated with classical music, the Vitamin String Quartet covers pop and rock, making instrumental songs that are enjoyable to listen to while you’re working. VSQ has covered everyone from Taylor Swift to Coldplay. My favorite of their offerings is their Killers tribute album (of course!). It’s weirdly soothing to hear “Mr. Brightside” reimagined for the violin and cello. Makes for perfect background music when I’m writing, as there are no lyrics to distract me, but the familiar melodies keep me engaged. 

The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence by Baltasar Gracián. Back in high school, a mentor gifted me this little book that I still return to periodically. Jesuit priest Baltasar Gracián wrote The Pocket Oracle as a guide to surviving the shark tank of 17th-century Spanish court life. Its 300 pithy maxims offer a roadmap for succeeding in a competitive world while keeping your honor intact. Think of it as a manual for being “cunning as serpents and innocent as doves.” The book has drawn admirers from Schopenhauer to Nietzsche, who recognized Gracián as a keen observer of human nature. Whether dealing with office politics or character building, its insights on practical wisdom remain as sharp as ever. If you’re looking to develop both strategic smarts and personal nobility, pick up a copy. And if you want a taste of Baltasar Gracián, read my favorite maxims from his book here.

Over on our Dying Breed newsletter, we published “Sunday Firesides: Bear Witness to Your Own Vitality” and “Why I Hate Making (and Watching) Online Videos.”

Quote of the Week

One of man’s finest qualities is described by the simple word ‘guts’ — the ability to take it. If you have the discipline to stand fast when your body wants to run, if you can control your temper and remain cheerful in the face of monotony or disappointment, you have ‘guts’ in the soldiering sense. The ability to take it must be trained — the training is hard, mental as well as physical. But once ingrained, you can face and flail the enemy as a soldier, and enjoy the challenges of life as a civilian.

—Col. John S. Roosma

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

The return of Donald Trump — and his jokes about the 51st state — will likely provide new opportunities for Canada to decide how much and how loudly it wants to differentiate itself from its neighbour. In the process, could Trump also end up recharging Canadian patriotism or nationalism?

I am lucky enough to be the guardian of the feline George Clooney: My long-hair Siamese mix, Atlas, was born a poor stray under a warehouse, and he has grown into an impossibly handsome, regal cat. Seriously, he’s crazy good-looking.

My other cat, Francis, has a cleft lip, a perpetually runny eye, and a great personality.

Both of them—but especially the beautiful Atlas—have thick, luxurious coats and demand lots and lots of petting, provided that it coincides with their schedules, moods, and locations.

What this means is that we live among drifts of cat hair. It collects between our fingers when we’re petting, it floats in the air like pollen, and it mats on furniture, throw blankets, clothing, and bedspreads.

I know, kind of gross. Except that at some point somebody (I forget now who that angel was) told me about the ChomChom Pet Hair Remover, and it changed everything.