Lloyd the Comma Shifter

@lloyddavis

Freelance copyeditor/proofreader of many Canadian best-sellers & award winners, and 5 (count ’em!) NYT best-sellers. Member of SABR & SIHR. WWOZ Guardian of the Groove. I’ve got a lot of patience, baby, and that’s a lot of patience to lose.

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Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· 13d

The Queen’s Park bureau chief at the largest newspaper in the province thinks that when you get on an airplane at Billy Bishop, you climb a set of outdoor stairs. Has he been there at any time this century?

A clip from a Toronto Star story by Queen’s Park bureau chief Robert Benzie. It says: “Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has long evoked that movie aerodrome [the one in the 1941 film Casablanca] with windswept passengers boarding twin-engine propeller planes from outdoor stairs. Passengers boarding and disembarking from the Q-400 twin-turboprop planes at the airport use Jetway-style air bridges.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· 19d

The look on the face of Canada Inc.’s CEO when he was asked if he lied about the Gordie Howe bridge capitulation. He wasn’t getting that rough a ride, really, but a long way from the softballs he’s usually pitched by the gang at the Financial Times and Bloomberg.

Mark Carney was asked point blank by a CTV News reporter if he lied when he told Canadians the Americans would only start getting a share of tolls from the Gordie Howe International Bridge after Canada’s bridge debt was paid. It has since emerged that the US would receive funds immediately, and for a period of 15 years. His face registers disbelief at being challenged, in a public forum, about his honesty.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Jul 12

I’m no soothsayer, but let’s just say I don’t like his chances.

A headline from the New York Times app, reading, “Graham was facing re-election in November. What happens now?”

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Jul 7

Former PM Justin Trudeau made some regrettable wardrobe choices (as on his state visit to India), but here he rocks the Canadian tuxedo. Also, for some reason prime ministers are expected to flip pancakes at the Srampede.

Former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, at a Calgary Stampede, flipping a pancake. He is wearing a denim jacket and jeans (the “Canadian tuxedo”), a red-and-blue plaid shirt with the top button unbuttoned), and a white cowboy hat.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Jul 7

In subsequent years he dialed it back and wore plaid flannel shirts. But the cowboy hat is de rigueur. Here is current PM Mark Carney trying his darnedest to look the part.

Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, visiting the Calgary Stampede. He is standing at a food service counter where pancake breakfasts are being served, and is giving a thumbs-up gesture. He is wearing a cowboy hat along with a blue button-down shirt and a blue suit jacket. His eyes are squinting, his lips are pursed and his jaw is tightly clenched in a humorous way.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Jul 7

For the benefit of Americans, the Calgary Stampede is like a state fair built around a giant rodeo. Politicians feel obligated not only to show up, but to don cowboy gear—at the very least, a hat. The last Conservative to be prime minister, Stephen Harper, went overboard one year…

Former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, pictured at the Calgary Stampede in the 2000s or 2010s. He is wearing a very tall putty-colored cowboy hat, a white shirt with a bolo tie, and a leather vest. He bears a passing resemblance to the character of Hoss from the old TV western series “Bonanza.” His hands are on his hips, and his head is turned 90 degrees to the right, so that he is looking out of the frame. The expression on his face is difficult to read; a generous interpretation is that he is bemused. It is also possible to view his expression as one of discomfort.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Jun 5

The PCHA tried a few approaches no designer would consider today.

Tommy Dunderdale of the Victoria team in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. He is in his full hockey uniform. His right hand grips a hockey stick. He wears a dark-coloured sweater with an element in a contrasting colour that resembles a sash bearing the word “VICTORIA” in capital letters. Unlike a New York Rangers-style sweater, where the team name begins near the right shoulder and is spelled out diagonally across the sweater, here the “V” in Victoria starts at the middle to lower part of Dunderdale’s rib cage.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Mar 31

"We are laughing and we are very good friends. Good buddies sharing a special moment. Laughing and enjoying our friendship, and someday we'll look back on this with much fondness."—Ron Burgundy

Prime Minister Mark Carney (wanker) has just responded to a heckler, a woman from Grassy Narrows who is suffering from mercury poisoning, by saying, "I can outlast her." Premier Doug Ford, seen here carrying imaginary luggage, is laughing heartily. So is Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, because her boss (Ford) is laughing.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Mar 26

This guy looks about as sharp as a bowling ball.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Mar 4

I stayed at the Warwick Hotel in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, in 2013, and its carpets weren’t bad. The in-room art was very Philadelphia-specific, too—above my bed was a photo of Bobby Clarke scoring a goal in his 70s heyday. dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-...

Hallway at the Warwick Hotel on South 17th Street, Philadelphia. The carpeting is dark, with bold, colourful horizontal stripes of varying widths. The photographer was positioned by the elevators. The wall on the elevator side is white; the opposite wall is medium grey. There is a white bench opposite the elevator doors, with a large, circular mirror mounted on the wall above it.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Mar 4

Okay, but what was the score of the Roughriders-Rough Riders game?

A photo of a portion of a Toronto Star sports page. In large figures, the score of the Knicks-Raptors basketball game is given as Knicks 111, Knicks 95.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Feb 28

A door in the Colisée de Laval, north of Montreal. It’s a nondescript dark brown doorway in the midst of a red-and-white-painted cinder block wall. On the door is a sign: Salon VIP. Above the door and to the left, a neon sign similarly proclaims “VIP Lounge.” However, immediately above the door is a red SORTIE sign, indicating that this is an exit door. The door is also secured with a padlock.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Feb 26

A fake headline to a column by Allister Heath of the UK paper The Telegraph. It reads, “Starmer’s pathetic capitulation to stuffed orangutan surrogate mothers has humiliated our great nation.”

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Feb 26

"Friends" is a beloved American sitcom that aired from 1994 to 2004, following six young adults—Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—living in New York City. The show explores their friendships, romances, careers, and personal growth over ten seasons.T

The Beach Boys, circa 1970. From left to right: Carl Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Mike Love (boo), Brian Wilson, Alan Jardine, Dennis Wilson.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Feb 12

I mean, these were the top dogs at the TTC in 1969, according to the annual report.

A photo layout showing the five commissioners of the Toronto Transit Commission, found in the TTC annual report for 1969. Black and white portraits of middle-aged white men in suits, two wearing eyeglasses. The chairman, Ralph Day, was mayor from 1938-1940 and a member of the Orange Order. As mayor he withheld social assistance from the wives and children of Italian Canadian men who had been sent to internment camps by the federal government. Collectively, they look like they spent their Friday evenings driving down Yorkville and Hazelton Avenues to shout abuse at the hippies waiting to hear Gordon Lightfoot or Bruce Cockburn perform their music at the Riverboat.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Jan 31

We’ve got one that, considering apartments in this building have 9-foot ceilings, is at least 15.

A very long icicle, hanging from the eaves trough of a small apartment building in east Toronto. Viewed from the second storey from the top. It extends to a point just beyond the railing of a fire escape. Adding in the height of the apartment above, the icicle appears to be about 15 feet (4.6 metres) long. Landlords, clear your gutters in the fall!

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Nov 29

From New Orleans. I have a few of these tucked away in a shoebox.

A 3-day transit pass from New Orleans. It’s called the Jazzy Pass, reflecting the city being the birthplace of jazz music.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Nov 25

They reminded me of Blake and Beau Beverly in those days.

Former tag team professional wrestlers Blake and Beau Beverly (characters portrayed by Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom). They are dressed in purple robes. Both men have blond mullets. Blake, on the left, has a mustache. Beau, on the right, has the dead-eyed stare of Ontario premier Doug Ford. When they wrestled in the WWE, the Beverlys' backstory was that they were a pair of rich, spoiled brats. Earlier in their careers, they teamed up as "The Destruction Crew" and "The Minnesota Wrecking Crew," and they would enter the ring carrying sledgehammers.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Nov 23

Well, they blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night And they blew up his house, too Down on the boardwalk, they're getting ready for a fight Gonna see what them racket boys can do

Pope Leo XIV, dressed in white vestments and skullcap, looks like he's singing into a microphone

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Nov 13

Nothing to see here. Just a Garda World armoured car parking (and idling) in the bike lane at Dundas and River and blocking the doors of the oncoming 505 streetcar.

At the corner of River and Dundas in Toronto at 2 pm on Thursday, November 13, 2025, the two meatheads responsible for a Garda World armoured truck decided that the bike lane in front of the Rabba store was the best place to park their jalopy while they serviced the ATM inside. The vehicle is to the far left of the lane, which I’m sure the driver would use to excuse his intransigence by saying cyclists would have plenty of room to get around. Unfortunately, there is a 505 streetcar in the background, and moments later it will be stopped to discharge and take on passengers, right where this truck is parked, therefore blocking the doors. Just part of the passing parade in Toronto.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Nov 3

“Stop resisting arrest by being pinned under the wheels of the Ford Explorer we forgot to put in park before getting out!” Toronto’s finest are a bunch of goddamned Keystone Kops. But yes, Mayor Chow, let’s raise their budget another 4% this year.

Clip from a story in the Toronto Star. “Videos posted online appear to show the woman walking through the parking lot, repeatedly stabbing tires, before an officer launched the Taser and she falls to the ground. Three officers rushed towards her on foot while a fourth got out of their vehicle, which then rolled over the woman and one officer. The officer who had exited the vehicle then got back into the driver’s seat and accelerated, running over the woman, while the officer who had been under the bumper got out of the way. The driver then reversed over the woman while the three officers stood in front of the cruiser. Once she was out from under the SUV, two officers appeared to put her in handcuffs while the one who had been stuck under the vehicle limped away. Throughout the incident, screams can be heard while the officers shot at the woman to stop resisting arrest.”

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Nov 3

Bottom of the 9th, Game 7, 1962 World Series: Willie McCovey of the Giants came to bat with runners at 2nd & 3rd and 2 out. McCovey hit a hard line drive caught by the Yankees’ Bobby Richardson. SF next appeared in the Series in 1989. The Yankees wouldn’t win again for 15 years.

A Peanuts cartoon in which Charlie Brown throws his head back, extends his arms wide, and screams, “Why couldn’t McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?” Seated on a curb is Linus, who seems to have no words to console Charlie Brown.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Nov 1

Dinner of (impending) champions.

A very colourful vintage melamine plate bearing three hot dogs dressed with mustard and relish, because if you can’t be at the ball park to see your team try to win the World Series, you can cook up some tube steaks, crack open a beer and sit really close to the TV so you don’t miss a thing.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Oct 25

The Jays owner seems to like him.

Edward S Rogers III, a failson who inherited the Toronto Blue Jays and the family telecom company, is seen at the far right of a photo taken at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bribery clearinghouse in 2021. From left to right: his wife, Suzanne, who looks like she’s amazed you just pulled a giant silver dollar from behind her ear; a short-fingered vulgarian; and two of the next generation of Rogers failsons. Please note that the photo was taken when the COVID pandemic was at its worst, and the Rogers family’s home province of Ontario was under a stay-at-home order.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Oct 22

In the late spring of 1994 I got a call from my former boss, asking me to come by the box office sometime. I was then presented with a blue Tiffany box holding this little gem. I should get the battery replaced, to give the current edition a little extra luck.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Oct 21

I have joined the Cherry Street Y because when the revolution comes, I want the youngs to see me as useful. So, minutes after I completed an hour-long workout followed by a 2.5-mile walk, their app pointed out that I have not scheduled any activity for today.

An iPhone notification from the YMCA of Greater Toronto, telling me “You have not scheduled any activity for today. Click here to take the first step towards reaching your goal!”

This arrived a few minutes after a 60-minute workout at the Cherry Street Y, followed by a 2.5-mile walk. I guess I’m doing it wrong.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Oct 7

I occasionally get these voicemails from Chinese robocallers, and the IPhone’s transcription is like poetry.

A screen shot of a voicemail message. The message was left in Chinese, but my iPhone has tried to transcribe it as if it were English. The transcription reads: “Yo honey, how you know why she tongue jumping, but you yell shouting, in you fooling and jumping on earth.”

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Sep 30

The Associated Press never fails to boil current events down to pablum.

The first sentence of a news report by the Associated Press on September 30, 2025, about the speeches President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete “Make Mine a Double” Hegseth gave to a gathering of 800 generals and admirals. The sentence reads:”U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared an end to ‘woke’ culture in the military and targeted other policies of past administrations Tuesday before hindreds of top U.S military officials who were abruptly summoned to Virginia from around the world.”

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Sep 27

A tweet by former prime minister Justin Trudeau, posted on January 28, 2017 — barely a week after the inauguration of US president Donald Trump. It reads, “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength. (Hashtag, Welcome to Canada.)”.

Lloyd the Comma Shifter@lloyddavis· Sep 27

Tempting fate, but the magic number is…