It’s troubling, but not unreasonable to fear that 2025 may turn out to be as vexingly grim as the year we’ve just slogged through. My plan for offsetting the depression that forbodes, is to harken the beauty I saw and photographed in 2024, and find rays of humour in things that normally drive me to outbursts of profane protest.… Read the rest
In the spirit of good neighbourliness, I would like to take this opportunity to caution U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that his “great idea!!!” of making Canada the “51st state” isn’t even a good idea, because, frankly sir, we’d be more trouble than we’re worth.… Read the rest
Western governments, analysts and “experts” hastening for influence and rushing to judgement in the wake of the rebel takeover of Syria would do well to pause, take a good look at recent history, and consider the pigs’ commandment in “Animal Farm”: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”… Read the rest
History, egos, ambition and hubris have entangled the Middle East into a political and security Gordian knot. Mythology has it that the ends of impossibly complex tangle were hidden, and it could only be undone by the future conqueror of all Asia.… Read the rest
In the unlikely event the optimistically-designated “Cessation of Hostilities and Related Commitments on Enhanced Security Arrangements…” between Israel and Lebanon ever becomes an actual peace treaty, the preamble should include19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s admonition: “Beware of all those in whom the urge to punish is strong.”… Read the rest
Whenever the world took a turn of which he did not approve, my late father used to mutter that it was “spawning a generation of vipers and nitwits.” It’s taken more than a generation, but we’ve reached the point where the perilously poisonous and the deadly dumb prevail.… Read the rest
After months of paying undue attention to political pomposity calculated to intimidate the indecisive, flatter the fools and fool the feckless, a break is in order. Ergo, I resolved to record one thing that made me smile each day between my last perch post and this one.… Read the rest
Despite the inevitable knock on repercussions, as a non-American it’s not really my place to pass judgement on the presidential election. But in the spirit of “share your pain”, herewith some wisdom (none original), as comfort for my American friends who may be distraught, grieving, perplexed, disbelieving, incensed, depressed…etc.… Read the rest
Like everyone else I know in the tribe of working journalists, I think being sceptical is a useful, if not indispensable tool of the trade, and tend to dispute being a cynic. But I’m beginning to think both journalists and news consumers have reason and need to embrace the two philosophies.… Read the rest
Approaching the end of my annual sojourn of immersing myself more in Nature than the “real world”, I thought I’d learned quite a lot about both. An encounter with a loon, an advert, a gadget and bedroom slippers put a kink in my confidence-cum-conceit.… Read the rest