Expurgations (5) Invalid

   The expungement continues. I thought I should let you know that over in England the Labour Government has undertaken the important task of changing the transport legislation so that "invalid carriages" will be referred to as "mobility scooters."
   Some attention is paid to new words and words of the year, but less to old words which are being erased. You likely have read about "rage bait", Oxford University Press's 2025 "Word of the Year" (actually two of them) and know about, "selfie", "rizz", "vax" and "aura farming." Only by reading MM, however, are you likely to know that the words "accident", "illegal alien", "mistress" and "society" will soon be as rare as a wisent in Europe, or  extinct, like the Gulf of Mexico. 
  Etymology is of some interest to Dot Wordsworth and she noticed the proposed passing of the word "invalid" and also its usage in French and military contexts. Her remarks are provided below to make this post worth reading:

" 'Ivalid' Has Become Invalid," The Spectator, Jan. 17, 2026.
   ‘They should ask me. I'm a complete cripple,' said my husband, heaving himself from his chair with great determination to reach the whisky. The Department for Transport is asking disabled people whether the term invalid carriage in legislation should be changed and what term they might prefer. ‘Language has moved on and changed,' the government says, since 1970, when legislation was drafted.
    One problem is having to keep changing terminology. No one, even my husband, should be called a cripple. No one should be called handicapped. Now no one should be called disabled, but rather a person with a disability. These changes are paralleled in the languages of our neighbours. The Paris Métro had seats reserved for mutilés de guerre. The term was replaced by personnes handicapées. Now these are said to be en situation de handicap. But in Paris it is impossible to overlook the 350ft-high dome of Les Invalides, where Napoleon and other heroes are buried. It was founded by Louis XIV in 1670 for old soldiers - invalides. 
   Invalid had then been in use in England for about 40 years. Both meanings, ‘not valid' and ‘disabled', derived from the Latin invalidus ‘not strong', and both senses were at first pronounced in the same way, with the stress on the second syllable. It was the practice in the British Army to employ invalids in garrison duties. In 1808 intrepid travellers to Lerwick in Shetland would have been able to read in Robert Forsyth's new Beauties of Scotland that ‘Fort Charlotte is garrisoned by a small detachment of invalids'.
   So invalid was a respectful word in the military context. Just as Hackney carriages found their way into Acts of Parliament and stayed, so invalid carriages featured in the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1970, superseded in 1988, even when people used for them the unlovely name of mobility scooters."

Sources:
  "Labour Could Rewrite the Law to Change 'Offensive' Term for Mobility Scooters as Part of Shake-up," Shannon McGuigan, Daily Mail, Jan. 7, 2026.
  The end of "Society" was noticed a year ago in Expurgations (4) Society, where you can also find out why the word "Mistress" is now missing. 
   If you want to make sure you are speaking properly, be sure to read, Out In Left Field. "FIELD", by the way, is a word you should avoid since it could be upsetting to some. Seriously. See the memo from USC in the post linked above. 

The Other Olympics (?)

     Whenever I have attempted to watch the Winter Olympics I have seen only commercials or curling. The commercials are boringly repetitive and the latter activity is not that exciting to me, although I did just learn that some excitement was introduced when my countrymen were caught cheating and cursing.

   When I look at Olympic-related headlines, however, I see that apparently not all events in Cortina are being televised -- the ones involving condoms, for example. Here are just a few samples, offered in alphabetical order:

"Adam Rippon Explained What’s Really Happening To All Those Condoms At The Olympic Village"
"Condom Crisis Hits Milano Games on Valentine’s Day"
‘Higher-than-anticipated Demand’ Led to Condom Supply Shortage in Athletes’ Villages, Organizers Say"
"Love in a Cold Climate: Winter Olympic Village Runs Out of Condoms After Three Days"
"Olympic Athletes Promised Fresh Stocks of Condoms on Valentine’s Day After Villages Run Short'
"Olympic Villages Run Out of Condoms at 2026 Games Due to 'Higher-Than-Anticipated Demand'"
"Winter Olympics in Crisis as Athletes Deplete Entire Stock of 10,000 Free Condoms"

   Glory Be! (or perhaps Gloria Patri, since we are talking about the Olympics)

  The athleticism and bravery of the Olympians, which is daily displayed, is diminished a bit when one considers the nighttime endeavours only hinted at. That such a small number of elite athletes, with so much to do over a short period of time, could plow through so many condoms is, well "Olympian."
  Unfortunately, however, it is the case that the explanation for the seemingly rather excessive use of condoms can be explained, in part, simply because of the desire for souvenirs. This is found in the first source noted above:
  "The Olympic Village ran out of condoms earlier this week, which has inspired another round of public fascination about how busy the athletes are getting when they’re not competing for medals. The 2,800 Olympians have apparently already gone through 10,000 this year. That would mean they’re each, on average, having a good time at least three times, which is quite impressive given they’ve barely been there a week. At least that’s what it would mean if all of the condoms were being used for their intended purposes, but not so fast. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, who won a bronze medal in 2018 and broke out as a fun pop culture figure and later won Dancing With The Stars, said he found a bowl of condoms in the medical tent and dumped them into his bag. 
   He’s not the only one with the same story too. Mailitiana Clerc, a skier who has represented Madagascar at three Olympics, spoke about the disappearing condoms at a recent press conference. She said some are being used for their intended purpose, but a lot of them are being taken by athletes to give as gifts."
  The Cortino condom story turns out to be about as titillating as the curling.

The Bonus: 
  This one is unusual in that it is a question, which is: "Were There Any Trojans At The First Olympics?"  
   It is the case (an unusual one, I admit) that I have a friend who is a "Classics Scholar" and another who is an "Olympics Scholar." If one or the other reads this post, I will let you know the answer. 

Sources: 
   Although I did not provide the full citation for the headlines, I will assure you that they are real and can be confirmed by a minimal amount of searching by you.
  That I was judicious in my own searching I will prove by offering this dubious headline, which allows me to introduce some CANCON: 
"Doubles Luge Canceled as Olympics Runs Out of Condoms". 
That rather clever condom headline is offered by Leo Morgenstern and is found in a publication which perhaps we should all have a look at: The Beaverton. 

Post Script: 
  Although I do not provide much material related to sports, I did recall that I posted about the Summer Olympics ten years ago. Oddly enough, that post also had more to do with sex than sports. See: Rainbow Flags and Olympic Ones.    

The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada - 2025

 London Is Still Not Among Them
   If you are looking for London, Ontario, it is located "Halfway Between Toronto & Detroit", but again it is not found on the third list of, "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada." I was surprised the first two times, but less so this year and am not shocked that London seems to be going down in the rankings, rather then up. In 2023, London was 139; in 2024,168; and in 2025 it is the 208th "Most Livable City in Canada". This fact is not being promoted by the London Chamber of Commerce.
   The marketing folks in the Canadian cities of Mississippi Mills and Quispamsis are likely not only in their offices, but also working overtime.

  If you would prefer to peruse the data presented see:
3. "Canada's Most Livable Cities", in the Globe and Mail, on Jan. 29, 2026;
2. "Canada's Most Livable Cities", Dec. 12, 2024, and 
1. "Canada's Most Livable Cities: Explore Our Data-Driven Ranking of the Most Desirable Places to Live in the Country," Mahima Singh and Chen Wang, Globe and Mail, Nov. 25, 2023.
  If you are curious about what I wrote when I was surprised by London's poor ranking, see: "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada (London Isn't One of Them)", Dec. 8, 2023 and "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada (London Isn't Of Them (Again)", Dec. 16, 2024. Each piece has data from those years, along with the kind of commentary from me that you have come to expect. 
 

   Those are the top ten most livable cities in 2025. London is not among them. London was finally found among some of the sub-rankings, but they are all worse than they were in the other years. London's Rank:

FOR RETIREMENT - 389

FOR MIDLIFE TRANSITIONS - 301

FOR NEWCOMERS - 237

FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS - 229

FOR RAISING KIDS - 163

FOR NEWCOMERS - 237

FOR ENTREPRENEURS - 144

   On a brighter note, lets look at some places that have leapt in the right direction over the past year:

Rapid Ranking Climbers

British Columbia: Summerland

   "A new system of parks help boost ranking on community and amenities

Miles of vineyards and panoramic views of Okanagan Lake have long made the District of Summerland a hit with tourists. But the town is becoming more livable for residents too, jumping 171 spots in this year’s ranking with gains in community, safety and amenity scores.

A 40-minute drive south of Kelowna, the agricultural municipality has been investing in ways to connect its 12,500 residents across a wide stretch of rural farms, parks and trails bordering the western edge of Okanagan Lake."

New Brunswick: Quispamsis

   "New transit projects allow residents to lead healthier lives, hiking perceptions of their own wellbeing

Tucked along densely wooded river shorelines and lakeside trails on the outskirts of Saint John, this suburb climbed 84 spots in our ranking, making leaps in demographics, health and transportation."

Ontario: Mississippi Mills

   "Small grants for community projects led to strong feeling of togetherness, alongside a jump in employment

Bordering Ottawa and the banks of the Mississippi River, this rural municipality in Eastern Ontario climbed 224 spots in our ranking, reaching second place in economy and posting gains in safety and community. Centred around the historic Ward of Almonte, the region is an amalgamation of smaller communities with a nearly 150-year history rooted in agriculture, textiles and wool milling, which harness the energy of nearby waters."

Saskatchewan: Warman

   "Tax breaks for rental projects helped this fast-growing community climb in housing rankings

Less than a 20-minute drive north of Saskatoon, this bedroom community jumped more than 100 spots in our ranking, with gains in safety, demographics and transportation.

Quebec: Varennes

   "A drop in commuting times boosted the community in its ranking for transportation.

Jutting along the shore of the St Lawrence River, just across from the eastern edge of Montreal, this suburban city pulled up 103 spots in our ranking this year with gains in transportation, housing and safety."

(The source for the above: "Meet the Communities That Climbed the Farthest in our Latest Ranking of Canada’s Most Livable Cities," Mariya Postelnyak, G&M, Jan. 29, 2026.)

The Most Livable Cities By Size
  This third edition of the rankings, considers the size of the city and 454 are included. 

The categories are:

Major - 500,000 +

Large - 100,000 - 499,999 (London with 498,400 is classified as "Large.")

Mid-sized - 30,000 - 99,999

Small - 10,000 - 29,999
  The Most Livable in each category:

Major: Ottawa

Large: North Vancouver

Mid-sized: West Vancouver

Small: Pitt Meadows, B.C.

Some London Data:

  Almost 60 variables are considered "across 10 key categories relevant to people considering relocation: economy, housing, demographics, health care, safety, education, community, amenities, transportation and climate."
  When you locate London at No. 208, you can see those data for London. Some samples:

Top 5 languages spoken most often at home:

1.English

2.Arabic

3.Spanish

4.Mandarin

5.Punjabi

Top 5 visible minorities:

1.South Asian

2.Arab

3,Black

4.Latin American

5.Chinese

Average monthly food cost:

$928

Average minutes driving to work:

23

And, since we are all interested in the WEATHER, here are all the variables for:

Climate (London)

Days with Humidex over 35°C:                                                     16

Projected days with Humidex over 35°C:                                      34

Days with precipitation >= 10 mm:                                                30

Projected days with precipitation >= 10 mm:                                 32

Days with a min. temperature less than -15°C.:                            13

Projected days with a min. temperature less than -15°C.:             5

Days with a max. temperature greater than 30°C:                        13

Projected days with a max. temperature greater than 30°C:         29

Rankled By Rankings?
   My own opinion of London, as I have suggested in my earlier posts about these rankings, is not as low as London's rank. Those who commented on the G&M's "Livable City Rankings" often complained that their city should should be higher than say, Winnipeg. I don't think London is as "nice" a place as it was when I arrived over fifty years ago, but what place is? Still, I don't think London should be 200 rungs lower than Winnipeg (9)! My complaint is more about "Ranking" generally, which is mostly a mug's game. The good news is, that if something close or important to you gets a bad ranking, it is unlikely it will be called to your attention. (See, for example, The Fickleness of Rankings").

  

 Bonus:
   Given that London is not highly ranked and one cannot honestly say, "I am from London and it is  one of the top-ranked ????" , you can simply say, what this T-shirt indicates. It is available at Museum London.

AN AUDIO GUTENBERG

At the end of the year, I wrote about the passing of Greg Newby, who was born in Montreal and died in Whitehorse. He played an important role on Project Gutenberg and was remembered as a " "Fourth Industrial Revolution visionary,” who helped marshal the chaotic, creative forces of the early internet to help serve the public interest....”  Thousands of books are now available and can be read for free via Project Gutenberg. 

Hugh McGuire & LibriVox

   Since then, I have learned that a Canadian in Montreal is also a  participant in another positive project involving the Internet, at a time when there is much about the Internet that is perceived  as having negative consequences.  His name is Hugh McGuire, and because of him people can listen, for free, to over 20,000 books that are in the public domain. He founded LibriVox over twenty years ago. 

   At Librivox.org, you can listen to books, or volunteer to read and/or record them. LibriVox:

-is a non-commercial, non-profit and ad-free project

-donates its recordings to the public domain

-is powered by volunteers

-maintains a loose and open structure

-welcomes all volunteers from across the globe, in all languages.

You can learn a bit about Mr. McGuire at a site of his, which looks to be rather old and where he describes himself as “an aging idealist.” There is no Wikipedia entry for him, but there is for LibriVox , where the picture of Mr. McGuire was found.

He also started Pressbooks, a book publishing company, in 2011 and is still the Executive Chairman. If perhaps you want to publish a book of your own, Pressbooks is a "user-friendly digital" publisher.

I stumbled upon this information and thought the the accomplishments of Mr. McGuire, a Canadian, should be noted. I have to confess, however, that I have never listened to an audiobook and should do so. While looking for information about Mr. McGuire and LibriVox, I did discover an article by someone who does listen to audio books and, in it, she acknowledges the importance of LibriVox and McGuire during the pandemic. Here is a portion from: "Audio Books Aid Isolation of Pandemic; Louise Rachlis Takes Refuge From Today's Crisis in Classics From the Past, " Louise Rachlis, Ottawa Citizen, Aug. 21, 2020.

I had no Great Expectations, but discovering audio books has transported me Far from the Madding Crowd.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ... it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair ..." I marched in loops around the canal, over the Pretoria Bridge and the Flora footbridge, my iPhone in my pocket, the earbuds in my ears as the powerful words of A Tale of Two Cities distracted me from the pandemic at hand.

My isolation coping strategy hasn't been baking, but books. Audio books to be specific. I've walked, and sometimes run, with audio books for hundreds of hours. I'd never been an audio book person; I read pocket books while travelling, hardcover books in the bathtub, and e-books in bed. I always considered audio books were for long car trips, and I rarely had any of those. But suddenly in March, the only break from social isolation was to go for a walk in the neighbourhood. And during those walks, I discovered the joy and the distraction of LibriVox audio books. I loved that LibriVox was founded by Montrealer Hugh McGuire in 2005 to provide "acoustical liberation of books in the public domain." All the readers are volunteers, but you wouldn't know it from many of their professional-sounding voices."

Source:

Almost twenty years ago, this source discusses the origin of LibriVox: "Power of the Spoken Book: Hugh McGuire Went Online About a Year Ago to Look for a Free Audio Book Recording: His Surfing Took Him to Project Gutenberg, a Free Online Repository of Books and Other Works in the Public Domain - But He Came up Empty-handed," Craig Silverman, Montreal Gazette, Oct. 7, 2006.

"I went through the Gutenberg catalogue and found they had very little audio, which was a surprise," he says.

McGuire was searching for a recording of a Joseph Conrad novel whose copyright had expired, meaning anyone was free to make a recording of it. But no one had, and so McGuire, 32, a computer programmer and writer in Montreal, decided to fill the void.

He set up a blog to gather volunteers to record free audio books of works whose copyright had expired. McGuire called his project LibriVox and he then "emailed a bunch of friends and people doing literature podcasts and blogs to ask if they were interested in joining in," he recalls during the first of two meetings at a St. Laurent Blvd. cafe.

Within a few hours, McGuire had enough volunteers to produce a recording of the book.

McGuire, a soft-spoken man with glasses and a light beard, then picks up his coffee and casually delivers a massive understatement, "It was clear to me very early on that this was a very interesting project."

Though McGuire is loath to brag about it, LibriVox.org has in one year grown to become the single largest repository of free audio books on the Internet. Its roughly 2,000 volunteers have recorded over 150 books and more than 200 recordings of short stories, plays, speeches, poems and documents like the Magna Carta and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. LibriVox offers works in French, German, Japanese, Hebrew, Finnish, Latin, Italian and Russian, with recordings currently under way in Arabic, Spanish, Swedish and Chinese. (English is by far the dominant language.) Every LibriVox recording is offered free for anyone to download, listen to, copy and share as they please. About 25,000 LibriVox books have been downloaded over the past year, McGuire says. LibriVox's success is a study in how blogs and other collaborative Internet technologies are enabling large groups of people from all over the world to come together and build not just a community but also something tangible, a product or service. In the case of LibriVox, they created a library of free audio books. A similar but much larger project, Wikipedia.org, is a massive free online encyclopedia with 3.8 million articles in more than 100 languages written and maintained by 48,000 volunteers."

[That is a portion of the long article and the picture is also from it.]