I picked up a copy of this week’s (17 July 2015) Newsweek at the local Kiosk in the St. Gallen Hauptbahnhof. Two articles caught my attention: “A 58-year-old Austrian man has been given a 10-month suspended sentence after appearing in a documentary that revealed his basement to be full of Nazi memorablia. He was found… Continue reading History: Wash, rinse, repeat?
Tag: history
The dark side of the red light
It is called the world’s oldest profession and it can be found everywhere in the world. It tends to be an industry of women serving male clients, but of course variations on this theme also exist – males servicing males, males servicing females, females catering to females. When one looks at sex in history, we… Continue reading The dark side of the red light
Probus Scafusia: Timeless river, timely man
There is an old saying (so old that no one knows for sure who coined it) that “in business the three most important factors are: location, location, location”. Making the best of where one is remains a constant challenge, but as any resident of a metropolis like London, New York or Tokyo would attest where… Continue reading Probus Scafusia: Timeless river, timely man
Oops! Did we do that?
At least seven people were killed on Monday when a warplane mistakenly dropped a bomb on a residential area in Baghdad. The Iraqi plane dropped the bomb on Ne’iriyah district in southeastern Baghdad, destroying six houses and damaging several nearby buildings and civilian cars. (Deccan Herald, 6 July 2015) The more things change, the more… Continue reading Oops! Did we do that?
Why I write
Who am I? Why am I writing this blog? Legitimate questions. I am Adam Oliver Kerr, aka Canada Slim. In my travels across Switzerland, and eventually the world (I hope), I explore the places I encounter with a curious and open mind, wanting to know “What makes a place special and unique?” Sometimes it is… Continue reading Why I write
Do we need another hero?
A hero or heroine (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs) is a person or character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage or self-sacrifice — that is, heroism — for some greater good; a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.… Continue reading Do we need another hero?
Memento mori
Maybe because today is Sunday, a religious day of rest in this wee Christian hamlet of Landschlacht, that my thoughts turn to the question of Death and some discoveries I made on this subject during my explorations of Schaffhausen of late. Death is viewed different ways by different people. Some view it with great fear… Continue reading Memento mori
Sweet Caroline and the Candy Man
“Sweet Caroline Good times never seemed so good I’ve been inclined To believe they never would…” (Neil Diamond, “Sweet Caroline”) “Who can take a sunrise Sprinkle it with dew Cover it with chocolate And a miracle or two? The Candy Man Oh, the Candy Man can. The Candy Man can Cause he mixes it with… Continue reading Sweet Caroline and the Candy Man
Tough to be the Chosen
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzche, 1844 – 1900) We live in strange times, built upon the past which itself was strange at times. Today, the world’s fast growing religion is Islam, yet simultaneously also one of the most hated since 9/11 is Islam. The main enemy of Islam?… Continue reading Tough to be the Chosen
The Little Shop of Ethics
As previously written in this blog, I have begun exploring the canton capital of Schaffhausen and started this discovery by wandering about willy-nilly seeing where my impulse and feet would take me. Webergasse (Weber Lane) is a short street from Vorstadt (the main pedestrian street) and Bachstrasse (Stream Road), a main road leading north out… Continue reading The Little Shop of Ethics