Canada Slim and the Final Problem

Landschlacht, Switzerland, 17 May 2017 They almost have lives and yet we cannot forget them, for they haunt us in the worlds of literature, film, TV, advertising and video games. Ours is a world inhabited by Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones, Wonder Woman and Darth Vader, Santa Claus and Cinderella, James Bond and Harry Potter. They… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Final Problem

Bullets and ballots

Landschlacht, Switzerland, 20 April 2017 On Easter Sunday, the Turkish people had an election and chose to support President Recep Erdogan by a slim minority of votes. (3% victory margin) Depending on who you listen to, this means that either the President has now received a mandate to exercise unbridled power or he can now make democratic… Continue reading Bullets and ballots

A Revolution of One: Under the Covers

Landschlacht, Switzerland, 29 March 2017 You say you want a revolution, but you are not really sure where to start. There are just so many things wrong with this world that demand change. In this series A Revolution of One, I have written about the importance of passion and the value of keeping a journal to discover what… Continue reading A Revolution of One: Under the Covers

Fear Itself

Landschlacht, Switzerland, 28 March 2017 And the madness continues…. London, England, 22 March 2017 (1440 hours) Just another day, business as usual. Tourists take selfies outside the Houses of Parliament while inside the politicians buzz about on the business of Brexit and schoolchildren view the spectacle of Prime Minister’s Questions. On Wednesday, exactly one year… Continue reading Fear Itself

How to Train a Dragon: Canadians in China

Landschlacht, Switzerland, 23 March 2017 The further away a country is, the harder it is to know and understand that country. China is such a country. So it is with caution that I express my opinion of the events that have so far transpired with China and its relations with the rest of the world.… Continue reading How to Train a Dragon: Canadians in China

A Revolution of One: Seize the Day

Landschlacht, Switzerland, 19 March 2017 Everyone has their own ideas about what is wrong with the world. We will argue amongst ourselves about which are the most important issues. But I think we all agree that things could be a lot better than they are. Something really needs to be done. We are all fired… Continue reading A Revolution of One: Seize the Day

The rise of Recep

Landschlacht, Switzerland, St. Patrick’s Day 2017 I am a Turkey watcher. I have twice visited this beautiful country and I have rarely met a Turk I haven`t liked. I began to talk about Turkey in this blog, because of the event that began 2017: the ISIS attack on a nightclub in Istanbul. Above: The Reina restaurant/nightclub,… Continue reading The rise of Recep

Big Yellow Taxi

Landschlacht, Switzerland, Ides of March 2017 These are interesting times we live in, where nothing seems as certain as it once was. Uncertainty as to whether foreign governments can determine other national elections… Increased irrationality and xenophobia and hate crimes against folks whose only offence is the appearance of being different… Wars that never end,… Continue reading Big Yellow Taxi

A Revolution of One: The Power of Passion

Landschlacht, Switzerland, 14 March 2017 Pick up a newspaper. Read a book. Explore the Internet. And the thinking man is left with one conclusion… There is much that is wrong in the world: disease, division, war, terror, discrimination, denied opportunities, environmental degradation and pollution, a scarcity of water, unequal distribution of resources, hunger and starvation,… Continue reading A Revolution of One: The Power of Passion