Chicken Little meets Petit Poulet

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

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay  The title is quoted from lines that Alexander Pope wrote 300 years ago. In popular culture only the first line is remembered, with knowledge substituted for learning, as I have done above. A little learning is a dangerous thing;drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,and drinking largely … Continue reading A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Francophone Anabaptists

We may think of the Anabaptist faith as having originated among people who spoke German and Dutch. But before them most Anabaptists spoke French. Does that have any significance for us today? Most of the original explorers and settlers of New France were Protestants. The Roman Catholic Church in France soon moved to prevent further … Continue reading Francophone Anabaptists

The fulness of the time – today

News reports are dismal: mass shootings; random killings; skyrocketing suicide rates; ethnic conflicts; antisemitism; recreational drug use on the rise, with fatal consequences for some; economic instability; political instability; refugees fleeing conflict in search of safety, many dying in the attempt; violence against women; and on and on. It would seem that the condition of … Continue reading The fulness of the time – today

Breakdown on the information highway

I had planned to write something else yesterday evening, but found myself in a position much like the young man in the photo above: the vehicle with which I cruise the information highway had broken down. We live on an acreage in a sparsely populated part of the Saskatchewan prairies where there are not enough … Continue reading Breakdown on the information highway

Is technology dehumanizing us?

The Machine Stops, by E.M. Forster depicts a future age in which technology is able to supply all our needs. People live in individual underground compartments, all their needs are supplied by the all-encompassing machine at the push of a button. Direct person to person contact is unheard of, having been replaced by electronic means … Continue reading Is technology dehumanizing us?

Words of wisdom from J. S. Park

I keep forgetting that most people on social media who act like authorities are young 20-somethings who haven’t seen much of the world and don’t know how it works. They want to change the world from their basement, or they’re just hungry to go viral. It doesn’t mean they can’t have an opinion. It means […] … Continue reading Words of wisdom from J. S. Park

Reflections on my bread machine saga

I thought I had this bread machine almost figured out, I had managed to produce two loaves that were completely edible. Friday's trial number six proved that I still have a ways to go - the loaf rose too high and then fell. I cut off the top part and the rest is quite edible, … Continue reading Reflections on my bread machine saga

Temperamental devices

My internet has been down. My wife's computer is connected to the same service, through the same modem and router and has had no problem. The cable connecting my computer to the internet had several splices and bare spots on the wire, evidently that must be the problem.I bought a new cable yesterday, hooked it … Continue reading Temperamental devices

Is it really that bad?

This world is a horrible place. There are environmental catastrophes, threats of international terrorism, dangers in the streets. The danger of religious persecution threatens us even here in North America. There is sexual exploitation of women and children. There is abuse of power by those in positions of trust: police officers, preachers, teachers and parents. … Continue reading Is it really that bad?