It seems to be my destiny to be obsessed with borderlines, both geographical as well as psychological. I was raised in Argenteuil County, Quebec, on the border of Ontario´s Prescott-Russell County. Most Canadians live within 100 km of the US border, because the land north of this tends to be unarable (i.e. can´t be farmed… Continue reading Borderline Obsessive
Author: canadaslim
The enemy electronic
Yesterday I wrote a post in this blog asking for feedback, asking for requests as to what should appear in these posts… Hank Broomfield, an old friend from my youth, (Yes, I had one!), wrote he was satisfied but being the visual guy he is he wanted pictures. (When I figure out how…) Sumit Panigrahi,… Continue reading The enemy electronic
Lessons from old Europe (and India) to America
Consider the teenager… Prone to emotion, quick to enrage, quick to find fault, filled with self-doubt, impatient, quick to hate, acting prouder and wiser than actual experience justifies, a dreamer but not much of a thinker, a braggart in victory, overly-sensitive in defeat, a bully who feels might makes right unless it is he being… Continue reading Lessons from old Europe (and India) to America
The curious incident of the blog in the night-time
A deliberately quiet lazy day recharging my batteries both mental as well as physical, distracting myself with Alpha Centuri, a video game with no redeeming virtue whatsoever, and watching DVDs (In the Name of the King/Dungeon Siege, Dune and Exodus: Gods and Kings). The overcast morning began a lethargy that lasted well into a beautiful… Continue reading The curious incident of the blog in the night-time
USA: Unlimited sadness allowed
I am just one voice. A Canadian resident in Switzerland with unimpressive credentials and thus uninspiring credibility. I am far removed from the problems in America and thus unlikely to restrain America from its determination to self-destruct, a determination that is as old as the history of the United States itself. The news out of… Continue reading USA: Unlimited sadness allowed
No fool like an old fool
Outside our apartment door, hanging on the mantle beside at eye level, is a magnet that reads: “A lovely lady and a grumpy old man live here”. As I type these words, I am reminded of an old TV series I watched as a youth growing up in the isolated village of St. Philippe d’Argenteuil.… Continue reading No fool like an old fool
Underdog University
“There is only one road to human greatness: through the school of hard knocks.” Albert Einstein There are moments that show me how very different at times my way of thinking seems to be from the general Swiss philosophy of looking at life. Here in Switzerland documents rule. One cannot do anything without the accompanying… Continue reading Underdog University
Death and despair defeated
The past month has been good for me in that it has awakened long dormant feelings and ambitions that I am only now starting to act upon. Part of this has, of course, been connected with my domestic situation at home, which, after the mother of all discussions and arguments, seems, for the first time… Continue reading Death and despair defeated
The four freedoms
On 6 January 1941, in his State of the Union address, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed four fundamental freedoms that people everywhere in the world ought to enjoy: 1. Freedom of speech and expression 2. Freedom of worship 3. Freedom from want 4. Freedom from fear Is Switzerland enjoying these freedoms? The Swiss media… Continue reading The four freedoms
The desire for an Amish paradise
I like the Amish. The Amish are the Christian sect that separated from the Mennonites in 17th century Europe and began emigrating to North America in search of religious freedom in the 18th century. Now living exclusively in Canada and the United States, the Amish are known for their plain attire and simple living, the… Continue reading The desire for an Amish paradise