In the Hebrew scriptures we are told that the prophet Elijah went to the mountains to seek God’s direction. He waited in a cave, and in time there came a mighty wind, powerful enough to sunder the rocks. But the prophet knew that was not the voice of God. Then came an earthquake, shaking the…
In the early days after the American Revolution, the boundaries between the new republic and the Loyalist British Colonies (which were to become Canada) were imprecise, at best. In particular, the boundaries between New Brunswick and Maine, and the border between Lower Canada (Quebec) and Maine were uncertain and disputed. The land in dispute was…
Joe Biden is no kid. Born November 20, 1942, he will be 78 as he assumes the presidency of the United States and becomes the unofficial leader of the Free World. Joseph Robinette Biden entered politics early– in fact, when he was first elected as a senator at 30, he was the sixth youngest in…
Just a few days ago I changed a couple of hydraulic lines on my old beast of a tractor. Working on old tractors is patience-testing and filthy on the best of days, and hydraulic leaks just make it more interesting. And dirty. Mid-way through the operation I suffered a tool failure. With a mighty crack,…
Here we are on the cusp of a new year, more ready than usual to assign the old one to the dustbin of history. At the risk of tempting fate, it’s hard to imagine how 2021 could be much worse than 2020. Whether we like it or not, we’ll soon be drinking full from the…
Something very sad happened to Rudy Giuliani just a few days ago and I shed a tear for a man who once had been a great lawyer and a fine mayor. Everyone knows that I have a deep, visceral, contempt for Donald Trump and every evil, conniving, self-centred, infantile, ungodly, sleazy thing about him. (Forgive…
With our “normal” agendas in disarray and social distancing the norm, there could not be an easier time for a Toad Day. Not only will a Toad Day make you feel so much better, it will work wonders for your personal and professional productivity. “Toad Day? What the heck is a Toad Day?” you may…
There are two kinds of rebels, couldn’t be more different. The first kind takes on the world for reasons of principle, and is willing to pay any price. My mother was such a rebel. Notwithstanding her unfailing gentleness and sweetness, if she saw an injustice, especially towards an underdog, you had better stand aside because…
Don’t get me wrong– I’m a huge fan of Grammarly and Spellcheck, and without predictive typing I would not even attempt texting on the small screen. These are amazing and highly useful technologies. To be sure, these technologies are used in producing the Friday Briefing and Norm’s Notes, but from time to time I worry…
You need a cwtch. In fact, the whole world needs a cwtch. Let me explain. There are words in other languages that are able to say something we can’t quite express in a single word in English, and where a long explanation just spoils the mood. Cwtch is such a word. When the Welsh say…