Author Archives: Lorne Anderson
Considering Mortality
Today’s post was supposed to be a travel piece about the Italian city of Pompeii. Then circumstances changed. I was writing the post in the spot where most of these posts are written, on the bus traveling to my job on Parliament Hill. As we got near to my stop I was reflecting on the […]
Colosseum II
It’s an iconic sight and no visitor to Rome should skip it. We call it the Colosseum, but its formal title is the Flavian Amphitheatre, taking its name from the three emperors during whose reign it was constructed. Completed in 80 A.D., a good chunk of the building still stands despite the ravages of time […]
Colosseum I – The Cross
This cross may have been the thing that moved me most when visiting Rome. I still get a little choked up thinking about what it signifies. The Roman Empire is long gone. Latin as a language is dead. Ironically, it was kept alive by the church for centuries, then abandoned with the move to the […]
Papal Audience
I’m sure they must have updated the system by now. It seemed so antiquated in 2009, it would seem even more so today. I figured since we were going to be in Rome we should take in a papal audience. Not a private one you understand, but the Wednesday public gathering in St. Peter’s Square. […]
Bric A Brac VI – Rome
They call Rome “The Eternal City.” While that may be overstating things a bit it is perhaps worth noting that I have more souvenir pieces of bric-a-brac from Rome that I rotate on my desk than from any other city. There is the snow globe of Pope John Paul II, who later this year will […]
Chocolate Overdose
When I was a child I had the impression that the best chocolate came from Switzerland. I’m not sure where this came from, marketing perhaps, it is true though that the Swiss make excellent chocolate. They are not alone of course. Canada has a few renowned chocolatiers, or at least they have a national reputation, […]
There’s A Riot Going On
Conn Smythe used to say “If you can’t beat ’em in the alley, you can’t beat ’em on the ice.” That’s not as pugnacious as it sounds really, he was talking about hockey after all. Smythe was talking about the need for players to have a certain attitude, to bring a combative approach to how […]
Irish Musings
Today is St. Patrick’s Day. He is the patron saint of Ireland, and in his honour people will drink themselves into a stupor, consuming vast amounts of beer that has been dyed green. A friend suggested we go out this evening, then we remembered what day it is. Social event postponed. I have no desire […]
Who Is The Traffic Department?
“Mr. Anderson, this is the Traffic Department calling. We are calling about a claim regarding an accident involving a vehicle registered to your address.” The caller had a thick accent. Indian or Pakistani I would say. A little difficult to understand, but I know a scam when I see one. But I had a few […]
The Primaries
They are calling today “Mega Tuesday,” to distinguish it from “Super Tuesday,” and once again some pundits are suggesting Donald Trump, despite a couple of primary losses this past Saturday, could sew up the Republican Presidential nomination with a strong showing. Somehow it seems we have heard this story before. My daughter asked me if […]
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