… a safe and Happy New Year celebration and better, happier times for 2021. I hope we can work together, around the world, rich and poor, regardless of race or creed, to beat this virus. I hope we, in the US-led West, can come together under new, less contentious leadership, to address the threats to …
Category Archives: Uncategorized
It’s Boxing Day
Some readers (those not from Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand) may wonder why we celebrate fisticuffs on the day after Christmas … do we take a swing at those who gave us gifts we didn’t fancy? No, it’s not that, it’s an old British custom, dating from at least the early 19th century … …
Merry Christmas
Wishing you all …
… a very Merry Christmas. I will be taking a few days off to be with my family and and a couple of close friends. We’ll have a fairly traditional Christmas dinner ~ we’ll bend the public health rules guidelines a bit. My wife and I live alone, our son, who also lives alone, will …
The night before Christmas
It’s already Christmas Eve in Australia and Hong Hong where so many of my friends and family members live … I always like to post this picture … … by noted Canadian artist Sylvia Pecota who spent quite some time (2206 and 2008) embedded with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, as a reminder that while …
Winter Solstice ~ 冬至
So, today is the winter solstice ~ the longest night of the year. In Sinic-Asian culture this is an important festival and we (and this is where I shamelessly plug my wife’s social media pages: Karen in the Kitchen on both Facebook and on Instagram so that you can see how lucky I am), just …
To The Regiment! (2)
A year ago, I said, “Toasting ~ to the sovereign, to fallen comrades (absent friends), to victory, even to a gallant enemy ~ is common in the military … [and] … Canada has its own tradition in this regard.” “December 21st,” I told readers, “is the anniversary of the founding of The Royal Canadian Regiment, (The …
Happy 250th Birthday …
… to Ludwig van Beethoven who was, probably born on this day in 1770 in Bonn, Germany. I say “probably” because we know he was baptized on 17 Dec 1770 and it was normal in those days for baptisms to take place within 24 hours of the child’s birth because so many babies died within …
Chag Hannukkah Sameach…
… to all my readers and friends who are celebrating Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.
Dear Prime Minister
According to social media this is your plan for “jabbing” us with the COVID-19 vaccine: I have just one wee, tiny quibble, Sir. There are over 37 Million Canadians, 125,000 is NOT more than 1%, it’s more like ⅓ of 1% … … but that’s picking the fly sh!t out of the pepper, as we …
