Category Society
Unexpected Consequences
It seemed simple enough, especially in the US, where the populace is politically divided and everyone has an opinion. Build workplace harmony by banning political discussion. That’s what they did at software company Basecamp. Employees at the water cooler could still argue religion or the merits of their favorite sports team – only politics was verboten. […]
Beautiful Weeds
Saw these dandelions growing at the edge of a vineyard yesterday. Given their location, I guess they are just as much weeds here are they are in Canada. Which is strange when you think about it. People eat the greens and drink a wine made out of dandelion – why does this flower fall into […]
How Many More?
I had decided to skip the anniversary this year, to not re-post anything about the 1970 Kent State killings. Then last night I changed my mind. The deaths of four student protestors at Kent State University in Ohio, USA, at the hands of the American National Guard on May 4, 1970, changed me. More than […]
Against The Law?
Who knew it was against the law? Good thing I’m not French. These days I work from home, so I don’t eat my lunch at my desk. When I’m hungry I walk down the hall to the kitchen, make my self something to eat and sit at the dining room table. But when I worked […]
Around The Maypole
There was a break in the clouds before church this morning, so I dashed out and grabbed a quick photo of the maypole in the market square. Seems a little hazy to me – and the rain started up again right afterward. It’s a sign of spring that I remember from children’s stories of my […]
Great View At The Top
Time to end the work week with a flashback, some thoughts forma 2015 trip to a most unlikely tourist destination: Iraq. This post was first published in December 2015. The Peshmerga guards ask if we would like some tea. I don’t drink hot drinks, but I know it would be culturally insensitive to refuse such […]
Dreaming Of Athens
One day we will be able to travel again. Where do you want to go then? Athens is high on my list. I was there for half a day in 2019, which is definitely not long enough. I visited the Acropolis, Mars Hill and a museum. I figure I need another week, just to scratch […]
Starting With A Smile
I had a post ready to go for today, but it was about government ineptitude. I thought it was perhaps a little depressing, so we’ll save it for another day. The next option was a post about government censorship. I probably should get to that one soon – before they manage to censor it. But […]
Drawings On The Wall
The urge to draw pictures predates written language, as can be seen in cave drawings in Europe that the experts say date back thousands of years. So it is no surprise to discover that people used to draw on church walls too. Other than the odd mural, which usually isn’t in the sanctuary itself, I […]
Uncomfortable Memories
I live in a town haunted by memories. That no-one talks about. At least to me. Sulzburg was once the center of Jewish culture in southern Germany. In the middle of the 19th century, a third of the town of 1,200 was Jewish. There was a synagogue, a rabbinical school, a choral society, a cemetery. […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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