Category Society
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Eggsactly
We were early at the playground to meet friends, so there was time for a short walk around the area. You’ll never guess what we found. It was the free-range chickens that first grabbed our attention, then we saw the vending machine with the eggs. Up close we realized there were more than eggs. In […]
What Is This?
Are you sure? I know it looks like a lemon, but maybe it is an artist’s conception of a canary. I love public art. I get frustrated though when there is no accompanying plaque to tell me what the significance of the piece is. This one can be found just outside the pedestrian core of […]
Setting The Age Limit
In Canada you must be 18 in order to vote. It is like that in most countries. You can join the military before you turn 18, but you have to have parental permission. In some places, such as British Columbia, a parent’s consent is required to obtain a driver’s licence if you haven’t reached your […]
At Essex Farm
I listened to the national Remembrance Day ceremonies from Ottawa on the radio this year. Felt strange to be observing a time of silence at 5 p.m. my time instead of the traditional 11 a.m. As always on November 11, I was thinking of my maternal grandfather, who came home from that First World War, […]
Remembrance Day 2020
I’m not sure what the ceremonies in Ottawa will look like today. Normally I would tune in for the 11 a.m. service, and will probably still do so. Here in Germany they don’t remember their war dead on November 11, so I won’t be attending anything locally. Over the years I have taken many pictures […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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