Once again, I find myself responding to Matthew Larkin, this time not regarding the use of historic church properties; this time nothing to do with the experience of Christโs Real Presence in the Mass. No, this time his challenge to me is to name my ten favourite Toronto Blue Jays players. I reiterate that I... Continue Reading →
The Don of Dung
From Victoria Buzz by Mike Kelly It turns out horse manure can be worth $1,800โyou just need a canvas, some charcoal and the right subject. A portrait of US President Donald Trump created partly with horse manure was quickly snapped up at the Sooke Fine Arts Show, selling on Saturday, July 25, the exhibitionโs first... Continue Reading →
Max Scherzer and George Springer โ Such a dynamic duo
By Ken Gray, with extracts from Max Scherzer makes successful return on 42nd birthday, Blue Jays edge Nationals by Shi Davidi. While the article below is a few days old I thought it showed a different side of baseball than typically reported โ stats and other performance indicators. What struck me was a human side... Continue Reading →
Morningside and Peter Gzowski
From Save the CBC, Monday July 13, 2026 For generations of Canadians, Peter Gzowski's voice was part of the country's daily rhythm. As host of This Country in the Morning and Morningside, he became one of Canada's most respected broadcasters, known for thoughtful conversations, genuine curiosity, and an interviewing style that made people feel heard.... Continue Reading →
Snitch Mitch
A gallery of interpretations of the near-death life of the not-yet late (?) Senator Mitch McConnell If the Trump administration has inspired anything apart from racism, dishonesty, idiocy, cruelty, criminality, and violence, it has certainly pushed AI humorists to great creative heights. Spurred on by the question of the day: Is Mitch alive? Or dead?... Continue Reading →
Hey Porter
So hereโs the good news. Kathie and I are off to Ontario for some holiday and a Blue Jays game. Go Jays, sigh . . . We are leaving Juno at home with some trusted friends who are also house and dog sitters. And burglars take note, if you decide to break in I guarantee... Continue Reading →
I’m not a country fan, but if I were, he would be my guy
From 940 CFCW, London, ONT Tommy Hunter, one of the most beloved figures in Canadian television and country music, has died. Born Thomas James Hunter on March 20, 1937, in London, Ontario, Hunter passed away on July 2, 2026, of natural causes. He was 89. Known to generations of viewers as "Canada's Country Gentleman," Hunter... Continue Reading →
My personal tips for low-vision photographers
So great to find an article recently on Photoblogger.com about low-vision photography. With other โlegally blindโ photographers, (<20/200, uncorrectable) I am not alone in facing challenges using my digital mirrorless camera (Fuji XT-5), a machine designed with fully sighted photographers in mind, though increasingly responding to the needs of us living with sight challenges. Chris... Continue Reading →
With thanks to Bill and Anne
I lost touch with Bill and Anne Osborne many years ago. An online search tells me that Bill died in 2018; Anne is likely still living in Victoria somewhere. (Please forward this blog to her if you are in contact with her.) We shared music, church, and the arts together in the mid-1970s. Bill was... Continue Reading →
Dogs live with humans — What we already know, and then some — A cross-cultural study
by Max Planck Society, edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan A new study by an international research team led by Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig) has revealed striking similarities in the way humans and dogs interact in very different societies. The research is published in... Continue Reading →