Pleasure or Poison • Is it my imagination or are there a lot of squirrels around lately? They add to a wilderness feel of the neighbourhood, but there are so many of them, it seems like their numbers might be yet another signal of an environmental imbalance – another dead canary in the coal mine.   Read the rest of the entry...

Blood from a Stone • Toiling over my taxes in February? Yes, but please understand that my early start is motivated only by the prospect of a quick refund. File early, receive remittance early. At least that is my theory. Of course this may well translate into: file early, bring attention to yourself and get audited right away.   Read the rest of the entry...

By now most of my readers (along with half the people on the planet) will have seen James Cameron’s latest extravaganza, Avatar. Cameron – of which I take pride in the fact that he is Canadian – has again raised the bar for film making, which is both good and bad.   Read the rest of the entry...

A Happy New Year to all my readers. Well, we got through another one. Recession, regression, depression and aggression were experienced this year, but overall it turned out to be a good one.   Read the rest of the entry...

Seasonal Sightings • Yes, it was an awesome summer all the way around. Looking back, one of the greatest things about where I live is the proximity to the ocean.   Read the rest of the entry...

During a lifetime of playing the guitar, I’ve had possibly a dozen guitars. I’m not a collector – my relationships with my guitars have essentially been monogamous.   Read the rest of the entry...

Inner Piece • I’ve been to the top of the mountain in search of the wise man. I’ve looked into the abyss through the lens of peyote and malt whisky and I read Nietzsche and Sartre (ok, not all of it). After years of thought and analysis, I have finally come up with a way to save the world – or at least a small part of it.   Read the rest of the entry...

After playing electric guitar in band settings for a long time, I made an interesting and rewarding transition over to the acoustic format. For some situations I’ll play in a band but in many others I am doing a solo/acoustic set.   Read the rest of the entry...

Here's an audio story about my camping trip.   Read the rest of the entry...

My recent move to the suburbs has required a number of adjustments. The guys I left behind in the city are still dreaming of being with two girls at the same time. But when you’re settled in the suburbs the days of dalliances and desires for double martinis at trendy spots are soon replaced with thrills from the 2 for 1 pizza night at the local strip mall.   Read the rest of the entry...