The monolith in the distance on the right is the Rock of Gibraltar. On the left –across the Strait of Gibraltar- is Jebel Musa, in Morocco. Plato called them the "Pillars of Hercules", and a common (but not universal) belief 2000 years ago was that there was "nothing further beyond". Both “pillars” appear to be islands, but because they are 60 kms away, the lands connecting Gibraltar to Europe and Jebel Musa to Africa are below the horizon, because, like, the earth isn’t flat.
Does this deserve a caption?
It was a spectacular celestial display.
Margin Call: Lying to Prove a Point
‘Margin calls’ use an outlier to represent a whole group, and in plain English, it’s lying. (more…)
They’re old and damaged (the records, not me – okay, maybe a bit), but it hurts, man, it hurts. While the music remains – in my head, but also digitized, streamed and even on new vinyl – I’m purging most of the physical manifestations of my addiction. Ah, the memories. And the people. And all those hits, so to speak.
Regrets of The Dying
A few years ago, palliative care worker Bronnie Ware spoke to many people are their literal deathbeds, and from those conversations compiled a list of the top five regrets of the dying. The life perspective they shared is remarkably clear, and remarkably consistent.
Take Action The Old Fashion Way
Feeling sluggish? Here’s a real-world look at getting your ass in gear, courtesy of Mark Manson, the guy who wrote the Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (his asterisk, not mine). Basically: instead of waiting for a lightbulb moment of inspiration to prod you into action, skip ahead to an action, any action. To start something, do something.
Armageddon Out of Here
“It started as a low moan, but it kept getting louder and louder, and I suddenly realized what it was, and I was petrified” . Sixty years ago, Canadian adults looked with alarm as the Cuban Missile Crisis started to escalate. For their kids, the experience was more visceral.
A Strange Fall
I posted this in 2020, during what we thought (hoped?) might be both the literal and figurative autumn of Covid. How innocent we were. What really stands out are the similarities to fifty years earlier, in 1970, and fifty years before that, in 1920. The original article still carries interesting historical perspectives, but knowing what we now know about the social, cultural and political effects of the pandemic, it’s almost poignant.
April is the cruelest month? Say no, all you April babies.
The Devil Weed and Older Canadians
Ever whacked the weed when you were younger? After 50 years, common sense about marijuana finally takes root.
Hey man- marijuana and older Canadians.
Are We Too Partisan For Our Own Good?
It’s easy to shake our heads at crude discourse everywhere, but if anyone over 50 wants a real wake-up, talk to people a generation younger. They are increasingly angry at the wilful ignorance displayed by those who chat the loudest, especially when it comes to facts versus fiction, and the blurring of the two. Here are a couple of good items from The Economist, not exactly a bastion of leftish ideology. In a piece called The Partisan Brain, the subtitle is ‘Why people deny facts’ (sound familiar?). Read it and weep. Then watch this Ted Talk, Fake News versus Fact, for some other perspective on what is, and what is not, real.
Finding Benjamin was a case of following a different pathway.
Truth in advertising doesn’t really exist in Canada and the U.S., where the price isn't right.. or at least, it's not honest.
We're either alone in the universe - scary - or there are alien critters out there - also scary. So which is it? Here's the article.
Being a “cyborg senior” seems like a pretty good idea compared to having “my memory go to hell in a hand basket.”
A failure of imagination costs lives
How did people with their hands on the levers of power in Canada - and around the world - not know that a global pandemic was bearing down on us, especially when we had so much warning? A ‘failure of imagination’ puts in kindly. Less kindly, it was a massive dereliction of duty.
Frost Bites: what happens when you don't follow the rules at 20 below zero? It ain't pretty
On becoming Clint Eastwood, a Deep Stories saga. A holster-full of ‘spaghetti westerns’ was just the thing to entertain a bunch of young miners on their day off. And then we became Clint Eastwood.
Grade 4 is a minefield for anyone shading the truth. The story as published here.
Shame on you for all that snickering…
First Person: The Club No One Wants To Join
There’s a red-laser crosshair projected onto the slab, right where your head will be. Then you lay down with your head resting in a cradle under the crosshair. If the cancer is in your throat, as mine was, the slab slowly rises to waist height so that the LINAC can shoot upward when necessary. (more…)
A long time ago -say Dec. 31, 1971 - on a random astral plane, some guy might have tried pharmaceuticals one New Years Eve (if he existed, of course).
A job worth doing…
…is worth doing well. Hmm- maybe not.
Acedia
The ‘noonday devil’ we all feel.
Oh, You Puny Humans…
Artificial Intelligence and ‘killer robots’: sure, it’s the stuff of science fiction, but it’s also a very real concern to some very bright people.
Freddie Mercury, Evangelicals, A Big Cheeto Glossolalia is used in religion, in music, and lately, it has cropped up in politics, especially with politicians who rely on ‘utterances approximating words and speech’ (read: gibberish). It can also be quite beautiful. (more…)
See, Calvin had it right: this is a much more interesting picture for the facial expressions. That’s a 10 year-old Tommy New in the upper left hand corner (with the ears), pulling a Calvin. Especially dangerous considering that he’s standing beside the teacher, who had a personality to match his expression. Or course, maybe it was because he had 35 kids to watch over, including more than one Calvin wannabe.
Our Flag, Our Celebration
Canada has flag recognized around the world as a symbol of a free, democratic society. That’s why it was so disheartening to see it used to promote ideas that so many Canadians found confusing at best, and abhorrent at worst. (more…)
The Horizon: Here Comes The Grey Tsunami
what’s going to happen when the grey tsunami hits big time, which is a given in the years ahead? What’s the plan, Stan? Short answer: there really isn’t one. And the demographic time-bomb is slowly tick-tick-ticking away. (more)
Social Media is Oxy
Social media is the new oxycodone. Consider this: both were developed for ostensibly positive reasons, both are used (and misused) by legions, and both are highly addictive. And far too often, social media is making the world a bitter place. (more)
Question: does the dent in the dashboard maybe explain few things? An expert responds.
Conspiracy Theories: How can anyone believe these things?
Lizard people, alien babies, Jewish space lasers: how can thoughtful people believe any of it? Here’s a great article about how to talk to people who tend to believe in conspiracy theories. Good info, good tips (Tip #1: always speak respectfully, even though that may be hard to do), and facts over fiction.
True story: The Prince wasn't amused. The Queen, on the other hand, probably thought it was funny.
Weaponizing Words, Pro and Con
An ex-CBC reporter takes the Corp to task for a ‘woke agenda’. She raises legit questions- but not surprisingly, attracts the haters, too.
Jonathan Craven has had a few careers, so when he ‘retired’, it was just another change of career. The result: steampunk/steamjunk.
Anti-Vax Biz
Hey, businesses: show the vast majority of us that you actually care; follow health guidelines. A story from the darker days of the plague.
There is a right way and a wrong way to merge, and you may have been doing it wrong. It's probably not what you think, either.
Top Ten Cover Songs
Quick- what’s the name of the song that has been covered -re-recorded by another artist - more than any other? And what group has eight of the top ten most-covered songs? Duh.
It was July 20, 1969, and into the wee hours of July 21 – history would be made nowhere on Earth.
A Life Well Lived
On January 20, 1954, the day of his scheduled retirement, Percy New went to work as a Customs Officer at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario. He did not come home.
Did Led Zep plagiarize Spirit, or was a simple chord progression too much of an ear worm? The article, June 19, 2016.
How to write real good: forget the latest cool usage, and write with clarity. A few resolutions.
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