I went to the vet clinic a few Saturdays ago to pick up a stack of receipts that needed to be entered to calculate the GST tax return for the clinic. They were supposed to be in a pizza box by the passthrough window between the reception desk and the office. (Don’t laugh; my clients … Continue reading Just Bob
Whimsy
Where are we headed?
Humans are called homo sapiens because of our capability for reasoning and abstract thinking. What happens when we outsource our thinking to AI? Do we then become homo inconscient?
Henny Penny as allegory
The following is a version of an ancient folk tale that I read in French on the internet several years ago. The main character is called Chicken Little in the USA and Petit Poulet in France. I have used the name that is more familiar in Canada and the UK. Henny Penny made her breakfast … Continue reading Henny Penny as allegory
Tattered Levis
I am wearing a pair of blue jeans today that are very faded and one knee is becoming quite frayed. In other words, they are on the verge of becoming fashionable, all I would have to do is rip that knee open. If I donate them to a thrift store, perhaps someone will do something … Continue reading Tattered Levis
Birds, tractors and writing
We hang birdfeeders from a post that is visible from our dining room window. There was not much traffic at our goldfinch feeder last year and I wondered why. This spring, when I got that feeder out of the garage I decided to give it a thorough cleaning. I soaked it, scrubbed it, and then … Continue reading Birds, tractors and writing
Let’s take time to talk
Early in the 20th century, settlers poured into Saskatchewan from around the world, lured by the promise of free land that would enable even the poorest to own their own farm. Life wasn't as easy as portrayed by the government advertising, but most people stuck it out through hardships, harsh weather and unexpected setbacks. Despite … Continue reading Let’s take time to talk
The secret life of words
Yesterday we attended church. That sentence makes perfect sense in English, yet attend comes from a French verb meaning wait. We did not go to church to wait. In French we would use the verb assister to tell you that we were present at church during the worship service. Assister also went through a change … Continue reading The secret life of words
Canadian Writers Should Write About Canadian Places and People
I listened to Jake and the Kid every Sunday afternoon on CBC Radio when I was a young lad (I was 14 when the series ended). These were people that I knew. Jake, the Kid, and all the other characters could have been people in my home town. The grass, the fields, the sky, the … Continue reading Canadian Writers Should Write About Canadian Places and People
Fun facts about Canada – 1
These guys prefer Canada to the USA. Image by Dave Eslinger from Pixabay 55% of the bald eagles of North America are in Canada. The largest concentration is along the Pacific coast of British Columbia, but they can be found all across southern Canada. There was one in the sky above our yard earlier this week.
The times they are a changing
It was in 1963 that Bob Dylan recorded the song by this name. It was the era when many white people in the USA could not grasp the concept that black people were people of equal value. It was the era when the USA was fighting a war against a small country in Southeast Asia, … Continue reading The times they are a changing
Flatlander Faith 