To die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly. Death of one’s own free choice, death at the proper time, with a clear head and with joyfulness, consummated in the midst of children and witnesses: so that an actual leave-taking is possible while he who is leaving is still there. – Friedrich … More Another Anniversary

I have this very clear memory of being a young kid, probably in grade 2 or 3, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the gym at Centennial Public School.  For some reason, everyone was eating lunch inside, and the teachers had set up a screen and projector.  They put on a movie called Hardware Wars, … More Hardware Wars

It seems obvious now, but I hadn’t appreciated the impact the Olympics would have on our country. Sure, a bunch of finely-tuned athletes would win medals, and Vancouver would benefit from thousands of tourists dropping millions of dollars on anything with the word “Canada” on it, but I hadn’t anticipated the way it would ignite … More What They’re Saying About Us

A good friend of mine, let’s call him “Raoul”, is an administrator with a major Canadian orchestra. He works around 60+ hours a week, which is all too typical of the time commitment required in his field. For all of his hard work, this devoted employee receives two weeks of vacation a year. 10 whole … More The Arts and Time (Off)

While digging through boxes of stuff in the basement, I came across this questionnaire.  It had originally been published in the Kitchener Record on January 2, 1982 as a test to see how well parents knew their children.  My mom ended up beating my dad by a score of 20-14.  30 years later, I scored … More 30 Questions with Me, Age 9