A fortnight ago, before the breeze off Lake Constance turned brisk, Ute and I were visited by a denizen of the dark, a creature of the night. A bat had somehow found its way into our apartment. It was an hours-long struggle to get the helplessly lost and confused little fellow out. His visit (I… Continue reading Confessions of the Batman
Category: History
Hurrah for Folly-would
Gosh darn it… Why are those “liberals” so hard on “average” citizens? Why do liberals condemn ordinary folks so much for simply wanting to protect their families and homes? I mean, let’s just look at things from our point of view. We all know the surety of things we believe in… – When a white… Continue reading Hurrah for Folly-would
The end of the world as we know it?
According to NASA scientists, an asteroid will do a fly-by in the skies above ol’ Earth next week. These good folks, who have spent decades studying the skies and the stars and everything in between, assure us that there is nothing to worry about and that we are completely safe. Of course, why should we… Continue reading The end of the world as we know it?
Taming the black dog
Today is the Ides of September and clearly it is an excuse of a day to make some changes. Of late, I have been plunged into a state of gloom. A heavy black cloud has descended without warning, for no particular reason, and illogically and irrationally I have been unable to see my way out.… Continue reading Taming the black dog
Love thine enemy?
On 6 February 1998, Season 4, Episode 3, (Hearts and Minds), of the TV show The Outer Limits, was broadcast. “In order to survive, a soldier must fight many battles, physical as well as mental. But in the heat of the struggle, reality can sometimes fade, like memory, until only one thing remains certain…the first… Continue reading Love thine enemy?
An artistic temperament?
It seems at times that all kinds of odd characteristics and behaviour go with the job of being an artist… French Impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) was working on a group of winter landscapes. The pictures were set in very beautiful and spectacular mountainous countryside and featured an oak tree and a river.… Continue reading An artistic temperament?
Under the skin
Oh, narrow, dark and humid streets rising like crevices to an unforgiving sky. I long for a Cathedral, a fine old pagan stone fortress, just for its refreshing cold atmosphere. I would even settle for a baroque, homely, altar in a corner hole in the wall, just to squat in the corner and enjoy the… Continue reading Under the skin
The Devil’s Saddle and the Alligator
Often when one considers Sardinia one thinks of it as a playboy’s playground. Former PM Silvio Berlusconi is famous for the lavish entertainments (notorious “bunga bunga” parties) he hosted (guests included Tony and Cherie Blair) in his sumptuous Villa Certosa on the Costa Smerlada far north of the island near Arzachena. This coast’s cachet among… Continue reading The Devil’s Saddle and the Alligator
Great expectations?
Well. in an hour and an half’s time, a mini-adventure begins… Off to Sardinia with She Who Must Be Obeyed… What to expect? What to expect? Mediterranean. Hot hot hot weather. A Canadian in Sardinia = a penguin in Hell? A land of sardines? A land of sardonic laughter? A land of danger? In the… Continue reading Great expectations?
The cards we’re dealt
The Swiss, especially the German-speaking Swiss, always have to be different. Consider playing cards. The Swiss German speaking part of Switzerland has its own deck of playing cards. They are mostly used for Jass, the “national card game” of Switzerland. The deck is related to the various German playing cards. Within Switzerland, these decks are… Continue reading The cards we’re dealt