91Ô­´´

If it had happened 2,000 years ago, the population might have rioted in the streets. At the very least, Roman leaders would have put off all major undertakings until portents improved.

I confess I’m fascinated by the drama surrounding the Sochi Olympics. But not the sporting side of things. What interests me is the thought of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s place in history hanging in the balance. These are his Games.

Zen is the religion that promises nothing, and delivers. Such a wry observation points, with appropriate obliqueness, to the potency of nothing.

It’s an obscure reference, but Victoria Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch had a Meatloaf tune ingrained in his brain Thursday night.

In the land of government plenty — that vast landscape populated with 91Ô­´´ tax dollars — there is no shortage of politicians willing to hand out and defend subsidies to business, and no dearth of corporations willing to take the cash.

This month, a historic house on Rudlin Street will be commemorated with a plaque in honour of B.C.’s Black History Month.

We have a ton of Sochi. Breaking news. Local stories. Medal standings. Daily schedules. Sport-by-sport updates. And video players. Two of them. Bookmark this right now: http://www.timescolonist.

Earlier post: How our household is saving $2,400 a year on heating costs (with asterisk) The answer was: a heat pump. We mostly like our heat pump. But there are some idiosyncrasies.

Two leadership attributes are evident in Justin Trudeau’s gambit on reforming the Senate. First, he’s not afraid of thinking big. And second, his inner circle is a close-knit group that can keep a secret.

Key Themes From Written Submissions is the header on one page of the latest tome from the government’s community-engagement process about the ferry system. The top-ranked theme is this: “Opposed to service reductions on all routes.