Category Society

Wait A Minute…

It looked convincing enough that I considered clicking on the link. Instead I decided to change my password, just in case. Phishing schemes are looking more and more authentic these days. When Apple sent me a notice that someone had logged into my iCloud account from an unrecognized device it looked very real. The email […]

The Church of St. John

A few years ago Sundays here featured a different church each week, one that I had visited on overseas travels. I’m not sure why I stopped, and today sems like a good day to share some photos that I had forgotten about. The Church of St. John, Johanneskirche, is a Roman Catholic church just outside […]

When Is It Enough?

I’ve been contemplating age. Not just my own. I’ve retired from the workforce twice so far. Once only lasted a few weeks, and indeed I hadn’t made a decision, I was just thinking about retirement. The second time I retired to move overseas and do volunteer work. In that case retirement was from the paid […]

Hot Enough For You?

August was the first time in more than ten years that the temperature in Ottawa didn’t once hit 30 degrees Celsius. Now, a week into September, we have already set heat records for the month. As I am typing this the humidex, the measurement of what it feels like as opposed to the actual temperature, […]

The Trial

After 18 months, the trial has finally begun for two of the organizers of 2022’s Freedom Convoy that shut down downtown Ottawa for three weeks. It is going to be interesting to watch. Probably everyone has an opinion on the Convoy, but that’s not what the trial is about. Those on trial have been charged […]

Working Class Heroes

Today is a holiday in Canada and the United States: Labor Day. The day is set as ide as a tribute to organized labor. Call it the North American equivalent of May 1. That May 1 holiday, known as International Workers Day is a much bigger thing in Europe. North Americans give very little though […]

The Dystopian Venn

I had something else planned for today, but the message of this t-shirt has been haunting me. Like an earworm, maybe if I share it I can get it out of my head. Those of you who took any English literature classes in high school immediately understood the references. 1984 is a novel written by […]

Supermoon Rising

There are four of them in 2023, with the next one Wednesday night, the second supermoon this month. The last time there were two supermoons in a month was in 2018. The next time will be in 2037. A supermoon is perhaps a misnomer. The moon is the same one we always have, it is […]

The Housing Crisis

Housing might be the top political issue in Canada these days. More than wildfires, climate change or even food prices. Politicians are unanimous on the need for action and divided as to what the action should look like. Housing prices have almost doubled in eight years of Liberal rule, from $454,976 to $729,000. Average mortgage […]

Mixed Messages

It was pretty much the only food I missed when we lived in Germany: fresh corn on the cob. The season is upon us, and I have been enjoying myself. My local grocery store has me confused though. When I went to pick up some corn the other day I noticed a rather prominent notice: […]