Hi Folks – firstly, I’d like to wish everyone a funky solstice. Seems like a perfect time for a solstice book sale (special pricing for the chill months of Winter). If you’re curious about the books, and what sort of themes I
I caught a fantastic show at the Art Gallery of Ontario on Friday evening – and until January 05 2020, you can see it also (and if you can make it, you really should). Art students especially will bring much useful treasure
Here’s another bit of political stand-up, this time with the gloves off, because big lies really are not ever helpful, and memory almost always is. And also because it’s important to recognize the seriousness of the challenges before us – life or
Here’s a stand-up both gentle and fierce, in which I try to make a few big challenging points that some of my friends will no doubt find irritating. Hopefully stimulating and funny also, and above all, may they ultimately prove productive and
“Paint the town green” (from a story by the author, age 8) Hello friends, grab a coffee – it’s story time! Today I have a full early chapter from my newest book – “The Kind of Friend You Need” – which is
Hello folks, time for me to do another stand-up. I was planning to do some funny (and perhaps in places even inspiring) readings about teaching, but those plans were pre-empted by events. So instead, I have a heavy one for you today
My third book is just about here, and that means it’s time for me to build up some of the complimentary skills that pair well with being creatively relentless. You know how much fun I have playing with the written word for
Laboratory for Rebellion – Gibson House I wrote recently about the founding of York, Upper Canada – present day Toronto, Ontario – and especially the principles of John Graves Simcoe, who insisted slavery be excluded – right from the foundation of Canada.
And years to get this far – junior officers quarters – Fort York (Top photo) This long weekend in early August is one of the sweetest miniature vacations of the summer – and we have had absolutely lovely weather for it. To
Remembering where we came from (click top-photo for high-res pictures) I had an unexpected encounter the other day which boosted my spirits and optimism greatly, and reminded me of an important truth we too often forget – even my curious chums active
DC-3 First practical (reliable, passenger-profitable) airliner – 1936 – 333 KPH cruise – 2575 KM range NACA cowlings/airfoils, retractable gear, feathering props, blind-flying panel (all new, soon standard) At a certain point, one must admit to being a geek. I follow a
Mason’s craft (top photo) (As always – click the top photo, to see the whole series at more eye-friendly scale) ;o) Not long ago I walked Yonge St – from Davisville down to the lake, so I could take the pulse of
I’ve long been an admirer of the brilliant couple Bernd and Hilla Becher – who did pioneering photographic work, starting from when they met, as young photography students in the late fifties. Their initial studies of purpose built structures were sentimentally motivated
Soviet Space Composite (all illustrations by the author) History is strange stuff – and it gets stranger if you pay attention for a few decades, because you begin to realize – “Hey, they’re writing it all down wrong – and then newer
Woodhead – truly playing (top photo) I first met David Woodhead almost a quarter of a century ago, under the most banal and yet revealing of circumstances. Writers of crime dramas like to say that danger reveals our true character – but
Dark knight of vengeance and children’s parties (top photo) Frank Miller is one of the most influential artists of our time – and the most curious thing about this, is that he retains great underground ‘cred’ – even while his refined aesthetic
Here’s another reading from my poetry collection “Night Song for Cigar-Box Banjo” a piece with more conventional (that is, rhyming) form than usual for me – and a modern romantic take on some very old human themes. With so many things at