As a result of discussions with The U.S. Homeland Security agency and the UK Home Office Secretary, the Canadian government has today implemented heightened security measures at all Canadian airports. The new measures are a direct response to the UK's announcement earlier today that they had successfully foiled a "significant terrorist threat" which involved hiding bombs in carry-on luggage on as many as ten trans-Atlantic flights between London's Heathrow Airport and various U.S. points of entry.

I am an idiot. For regular visitors to this site, the news is hardly a shock. Newcomers, however, have now been brought up to speed.  While evidence pointing to my lack of intellectual prowess abounds in the archives, the full extent of my idiocy only came to light late last night.

Let me explain. For almost 13 years, I lamented to anyone who could stand to listen, that Halifax lacked a truly cosmopolitan bar, one where age, race, and income did not matter. In my travels, I had encountered such venues, places where the music -and only the music - dictated the proceedings and caused people of all stripes to intermingle freely in one joyous and raucous mass. Up until last night, I was convinced that only a plane ride could get me there. Then, after thirteen years living in this city, I stepped into Bearly’s House of Blues and Ribs for the first time.