While browsing the internet this morning I discovered an updated version of Petit Poulet (that's the French name for Chicken Little). In this version, Petit Poulet is having his breakfast of toast and coffee when he reads an online news item saying "Le ciel est en train de tomber!" (Th sky is falling!) He quickly … Continue reading Chicken Little meets Petit Poulet
How I spent Christmas day
The night before Christmas we were visited by an Alberta Clipper, a fast moving snowstorm. When I got up in the morning I could see that more snow had fallen in the night, but it didn't look like a lot, I didn't see any major snowdrifts in the white landscape. I didn't think I had … Continue reading How I spent Christmas day
The return of the light
Hibernation aspiration
It's -40° this morning, no need to qualify it with a C or an F, this is the point where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales meet. It is on mornings like this that I begin to understand why bears hibernate. It seems so inviting to go back to bed and sleep until spring. But I … Continue reading Hibernation aspiration
Quaking Dover – book review
Quaking Dover: How a Counterculture Took Root and Fluorished in Colonial New Hampshire, by Jnana Hodson. The first thing I learned from this book was that New Hampshire has frontage on the Atlantic Ocean. I have often studied the neighbouring states in the road atlas. During the 20 years that we lived in Ontario and … Continue reading Quaking Dover – book review
The diminished reputation of Christianity
Here is a link to an excellent article from the UK about the declining number of people identifying as Christian and what can be done about it. https://www.premierchristianity.com/opinion/the-census-proves-the-uk-church-must-change-here-are-7-suggestions/14410.article?
W. Edwards Deming
I worked in the quality assurance department of an auto parts manufacture from 1978 - 1993. This is how I came to hear of W. Edwards Deming, one of the leading figures in the implementation of statistical process control. He went to Japan after WW II and played a major part in the transformation of … Continue reading W. Edwards Deming
The solution for the Indian problem
I first wrote this article some years ago. Indian is no longer a politically correct term for Canada's indigenous population but due to the historical context I thought it best to leave it as I wrote it. Starting in 1701, the British government made treaties with the Indians living in Canada. They were open-ended arrangements, … Continue reading The solution for the Indian problem
A tree falls on the prairie
One hundred years ago, settlers came to the flatlands of Saskatchewan. No need for axes and saws to fell trees, just a team of oxen and a plough to turn the virgin sod and prepare it for a first crop. Of course, the lack of trees also meant a lack of building materials, so the … Continue reading A tree falls on the prairie
God has been good to me
The image below, known as an Amsler grid, is a test for macular degeneration. Look at the dot in the centre of the grid with one eye and then the other. The lines should all be straight. If they are not, you should make an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as possible. For … Continue reading God has been good to me
