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Most of the strife and disharmony in our world flows directly from too many rules being made without regard to the Tweeches Zone. Let me explain and illustrate. “Ukrainians,” says Putin, “have no separate existence outside Mother Russia, and should just settle down and accept that fact.” “Women,” say the mullahs “need to keep covered,…

In all the literature on communication, there’s not much said about the poker face. Pity. All of us engage in negotiating and in persuasion. Lawyers in particular spend huge amounts of time discussing with counsel opposite potential resolutions to contentious issues, and those engaged in sales (or purchasers) play out their lives in face to…

In an embarrassing turn of events, legal action by an American state has cast Canada as an environmental villain, upsetting our holier-than-thou view of our southern neighbour. The State of Michigan is attempting to shut down Line 5, an oil pipeline from Alberta to Central Canada. The Americans argue that the pipeline, which is seven…

In use since at least the Dirty Thirties, the expression “a day late and a dollar short” is weightier than some of its relatives such as “that ship has sailed” or “closing the door after the horse has left the barn”. “A day late and a dollar short” tells us that not only did we…

The black walnut tree is one of the loveliest hardwoods of our part of the world. Tall, majestic, their leaves a lush emerald green, they are true landmarks. And for the craftsman, nothing compares to the richly coloured, finely grained, pleasant-smelling wood. As you might guess, the black walnut tree produces black walnuts, with meat…

When I read the kiddie press chortling and cackling about Joe Biden’s “fumbles”, my mind goes back to the 1974 Canadian election. Pierre Trudeau’s government had fallen in a confidence vote and the country went to the polls. Without doubt, Trudeau was clever and charming and energetic, and all told not a bad Prime Minister….