Only human
Last week, letter writer and colleague Ramesh Pooran called me out on my column, which highlighted a young female politician who was forced to step down after a heated online exchange she had been involved in as a teen was revealed. Pooran wrote that indiscretions made by young people should be given some leeway, and […]
A bit of a smell
We normally honour a person’s last wishes without much thought. We will happily play a Frere Brothers’ song at Muriel’s funeral, or scatter Donny’s ashes on the Loyalist Parkway. If the wishes seem a touch irrational, no big deal, as long as they are basically harmless. However, the innocuous sounding last wishes of a recently […]
Walk this way
Labour Day is behind us and Saturday, September 12 brings the Parkinson’s SuperWalk in Belleville. This will be the first time I will participate in the fundraising event, and I’m doing it for a number of reasons. Oh, you want to know why I’d walk for a cause? My late mother-in-law had Parkinson’s disease. While […]
Greetings from a spider
There is wonder in a spider’s web, drenched in the fog of early morn; an untouched quiet of heavy dew drifting off the lake and now resting on our island. Then, in a breakthrough, the sun throws light over tall grass, onto high branches, over windrows close and far away. Nearby, a leopard frog stirs […]
Storytellers
I have a nice job. I write about things that are happening in this lovely and lively little place I’ve taken to calling home, and I get to learn things and meet people I otherwise never would. It really is a pleasant task. But journalism isn’t all nice. There are members of the profession much […]
A perfect complement
Not only collectors and connoisseurs plan a dinner around their wines. Family gatherings at Thanksgiving, birthdays, weddings and Christmas all present an opportunity to pair a treasured bottle of wine with an exceptional meal. Wine collectors will routinely use such gatherings to drink some of the older wines in their cellar before the wines begin […]
The rational and irrational shopper
You may have noticed that Sears and Wayne Gretzky are teaming up to introduce a new line of clothing this fall. “Wayne Gretzky!”, I exclaimed to my wife. “He must be at least 50” (he’s 54, in fact). “Who the heck is going to buy a line of clothes endorsed by someone over 50? How […]
Goodbye summer
I am sure I’ve asked this question before, “Where the heck did the summer go?” September is here, already! Geez, Louise. I promised I would not complain about the heat and the humidity of July and August, and I did not. I promised I would get out, enjoy my yard, my family, my community and […]
Brad Clapp wins at Loyalist
After finishing his third round, Brad Clapp was escorted to a small media scrum behind the scorer’s tent. He had maintained his lead in the tournament. “It’s a huge confidence boost,” he told the group. “I expected to start the day without the lead. I really appreciate the work my caddy has done for me […]
Public behaviour
The Internet is an unforgiving place. Fleeting, impulsive actions have serious, long-term consequences. Lulled by a false sense of anonymity—feeling safely hidden behind a glowing screen, people speak too frankly, share too much and delve into the darkest parts of humanity to satisfy some crude sense of curiosity. And those dark parts of our humanity […]