Yesterday, a black bear was in our yard, but when it noticed humans, it scurried up the Seymour River western escarpment behind our home. Today, another bear visited. This time daughter Jennifer had a camera ready.
We had a visitor
Restoring old relationships before it’s too late
Friends and family can drift apart for all sorts of reasons—pride, misunderstandings, embarrassment, or simply the passage of time. But when a relationship once mattered, it may still be worth recovering. Smile when you do it. You’ll likely smile afterwards.
And Now for Something Completely Different
Occasionally, I leave aside the misery of politics, poverty, patrimonialism, and provisos that make life difficult. Tonight was one of those times. Gwen and I spent the evening at North Vancouver’s Presentation House Theatre, enjoying a joyful production of Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon by the North Shore Light Opera Society, a group in its 78th year.
Immigration questions
Different questions asked and answered in different countries.
What others do that we don’t / can’t / won’t
Innovation? There’s a lot our media never seems to notice succeeding elsewhere. A dam blocks salmon from reaching spawning grounds. Back in 2014 inventors employed a clever workaround. . Education? Who ranks as […]
Unusual calls to 911
E-Comm releases its annual top ten list reminding the public to keep 9-1-1 lines free for emergencies only:
Smile, or frown. Your choice
Found on the internet. As a recent traveller through YVR, I would argue with Jonathan Winters. Getting to the airport is relatively easy; getting through airport to the aircraft is the hard part. Regardless, enjoy these online observations.
I paused to think about changes that have occurred in Vancouver during the past half-century. Most are positive; some are not.
A message from the Canadian Government
Old and uncollectible
Our magazine collection is rather large. Beyond hundreds of Scientific American, Archaeology, craft, cooking and gardening publications, we have about 500 National Geographic, including editions from the middle of the last century to the beginning of the current one. If you want some free reading material, contact me in the next few days. Rescue these old publications from destruction.
Bear with me
Our family has lived for decades at the edge of the forest in North Vancouver’s Seymour River valley. Bear encounters are not rare. We’ve had these animals in our yard countless times, […]
Regular activity at In-Sights will resume
Our world has had no shortage of bad news and bad actors in recent times. Two hours spent with Cirque du Soleil remind us that humans are also capable of incredible artistry that brings joy to people of all ages.
AI roasts Norm
With three school teachers in the immediate family, I usually stay away from artificial intelligence platforms. However, I learned that Chat GPT can use AI to describe individuals who have an online presence. I was described as shown here…
Should I smite them?
In 2000, James M. Kauffman forwarded a satirical letter circulating the Internet, addressed to conservative talk-show host, Dr. Laura Schlessinger. As a result, he became entangled in the raging controversies surrounding homosexuality […]
Smile
SCTV, Canada’s best ever comedy series? Of course!
Recent readings
About poetry and essays from the November 2024 issue of Scientific American, the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. The publication is useful for people at all levels of learning. Occasionally, it can make us smile.
Collectibles that may no longer be collectible
Possessions we once thought valuable and worth preserving sometimes end up in boxes that are ignored for years. I tell my wife that our kids will probably use a giant dumpster when we’re gone. Where else to put a leather-bound Encyclopedia Brittanica from the 1970s? A couple of stored boxes recently had my attention.
Quotations
A reader who communicates regularly sent several interesting quotations that are perhaps relevant in today’s world. Some are repeated here…
Frozen Logger
Wife and I stopped for food after attending a grandson’s Little League baseball game. She ordered a coffee with cream, but the only stirring utensil presented was a large soup spoon. A phrase from a 1928 song by James Stevens came to mind. I suggested Gwen could stir the coffee with her thumb. Alas, she had not been a logger. It’s not a great song, but the lyrics might bring a smile…
The man in the hot air balloon
Much is wrong with Facebook, but occasionally, it circulates nuggets of gold…
in-sights.ca 
Mr. McCutcheon’s essay? Brilliant and thorough analysis. Unlike our politicians juggling contradictory what-ifs, his example doesn’t stop with what might…