Monthly Archives: November 2020
One Every Minute
Nineteenth century American showman P.T. Barnum is usually credited as saying “there’s a sucker born every minute.” Certainly there’s a new one in India. Barnum didn’t actually say the words attributed to him, but he was not averse to a bit of fakery in his exhibits. He knew people were happy to buy illusion, even […]
No Game Today
For the first time in my life, there is no Grey Cup game. Canada’s national football championship, scheduled for today, has been canceled. The Canadian Football League is a gate-driven enterprise. Unlike the league to the south, television revenues are not enough to allow the teams to break even, or even operate at a small […]
What Customer Service?
It seemed like such a simple thing. How could it have gone so wrong? And why isn’t the system better? We needed to make changes to our bank account, which necessitated a trip the the branch around the corner. I normally do my banking online. The teller asked for our ATM cards. They do that […]
Cultural Assimilation
Back in 2016 I wrote about the way the American shopping frenzy know as Black Friday had crossed the border into Canada. I didn’t see it as a good thing. For Black Friday to become part of the Canadian shopping experience I can understand – the two countries are so close. But why has it […]
Time To Smile
Time to smile a little today. I don’t need any reason other than that it is Thursday, do you? A few years back I suggested that anyone who wanted to get in on the ground floor of an expanding business should consider a career in tattoo removal. I stand by that assessment. This one should […]
Happy Birthday Pete!
Due to some computer issues Monday I find myself being a day behind this week, which is why you are getting Tuesday’s post on a Wednesday. Tuesday was Pete Best’s 79th birthday. You may never have heard of him, but you might have heard music from his band. They were called The Beatles. I wrote […]
More Than A Pile Of Sticks
I must have walked by this pile of old wood in the vineyard on the edge of Sulzburg a dozen times in the past two weeks, never giving it a second thought. Until the last time. I should have wondered why the pile was there when I first saw it, but my mind tends to […]
Ever Heard of Him?
One of the delights about visiting someplace new is learning bits of local history, things you don’t read in history books. I, for example, had never heard of Saint Arbogast. Had you? Walking through Dottingen one afternoon, I visited St. Arbogast’s Chapel on the spur of the moment. I’d seen the tower from a distance […]
Saturday Smiles
Let’s keep it light today. A selection of jokes for your Saturday. One Saturday morning in Whyte’s Auction House the bidding was proceeding furiously and strongly when the Chief Auctioneer suddenly announced, ‘A gentleman in this room has lost a wallet containing ten thousand dollars. If returned, he will pay a reward of two thousand […]
Difference in Perspective
Another day, another extreme weather warning for Sulzburg. Why do I read these things? The weather app on my phone occasionally gives me alerts about unusual weather expected in my area. They are generated by the German meteorological service, so they have a feel of authority to them. What they don’t have is me taking […]
random thoughts from lorne 
Recent Comments