Wobbly pop
When I was five years old, a “kindergarten baby,” I was hit by a car driven by a drunk driver. The incident occurred just a couple of blocks from our home. In those days, we didn’t have the luxury of sidewalks and I was walking on the shoulder of the road. Even at the tender […]
Inspiring moments
As mankind has progressed from hunter-gatherer to crop-producing civilizations, little recognition was given to the farmers who provided the food necessary for this development— and the trees that helped shape agriculture. Over the millennia, farmers in Portugal have transformed—through their sweat and toil— malarial swamps into fertile, crop-producing lands. In recent times, however, reclamation of […]
Do you know who I am?
Don’t you just hate it when you’re on the VIP list for entry to one of the exclusive late night discos in Wellington and some boor barges his way up to the security guard and tries to bamboozle his way in? It very quickly degenerates from an “Oh, there must be some mistake. I’m an […]
Thankful
Sorry to have missed you last week. I wasn’t feeling great. I wasn’t even feeling a little bit good. I’m still a bit messed up but want to say a huge “thank you” to the wonderful people who, together with the bricks and mortar and the complicated accoutrements of health care, make our local hospital […]
Number 68— so great!
For a number of years, I have sent out little signals that Jaromir Jagr was not quite finished as a hockey player. He proved that, yet again, last Saturday night, when he moved into third place on the NHL all-time goal scoring list with his 741st and 742nd goals. He now trails Gordie Howe and […]
Feel free to disagree
A disgraced CBC host’s trial for sexual assault charges draws to a close, and while no verdict has been reached—it won’t be reached for a month—it’s been difficult to go anywhere this past week without hearing his name and some discussion on the proceedings. Reactions to victim testimony have ranged from skepticism to empathy to […]
The Chubb Classic
Bernhard Langer graciously accepted the award as champion of this year’s Chubb Classic at the TwinEagles Golf Club in Naples, Florida. He is no stranger to the podium, as this was his third victory in the past six years. The PGA players in the tournament are those who have reached the magic age of 50. […]
A delightful experience
There are 14 distinct wine regions in Portugal, each of which is unique in terroir, varietals and history. During my visit to Portugal, I had the good fortune to visit wineries in the Algarve, Atlántico and Lisboa regions. I had the opportunity to taste wines from “the most western winery in Europe,” which had actually […]
Heart of winter
There is a muted cover over the land. Colour, delineation and sound in the world we generally know are dampened when the snow falls heavily. Removed is a part of emotional stimulation. On snow days in February, it’s like the difference between banjo picking—the rhythm of the everyday—versus the chording of a classical guitar. Standing […]
A.I. A.I. – OH!
I had wanted to start this column with a few gravitational wave jokes. But I’m afraid the whole subject is way above my pay grade. And I don’t suppose you want to hear stories about how Al Einstein and I used to hang around the pool rooms of Zurich together as teenagers, trying to impress […]