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Archive for the ‘Lifestyle & Travel’ Category

What is More Fun than Hot & Humid Weather?

It’s early July, and the times (i.e. morning and night), they’re only limited respites from hot and humid.

What could be more fun?  According to some pundits in the media in Canada, we should be grateful for whatever we get, because it’s much better than the cold of mid-winter.  Indeed, they consider the extremely uncomfortable conditions in eastern Canada this past week, outside the protection of air-conditioning, are simply part of the price to pay. (more…)

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Art of Communication, Behaviour & Relationships, Humour, Lifestyle & Travel, Uncategorized

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Where Can I Get a GPS Tattoo?

We have become party to a panoply of leisure travel destinations, embellished by baby boomers entering the retirement lifestyle mode in ever-greater numbers.  With this comes the need to satisfy an ever-widening array of interests or concerns, while communicating with a range of cultures.

There is an abundance of information in both printed and on-line forms, not to mention anecdotal tips one may encounter.  Books in full size to pocket size offer flexibility and quick access for travelers on the move, who do not want to be dependent on connecting devices.  (Of course, many younger trip takers prefer the latter.) (more…)

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Art of Communication, Behaviour & Relationships, Humour, Lifestyle & Travel, Social & political commentary, Social & political humour, Uncategorized

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Reserved Seating Not Needed Here

Our most recent taking in a movie, at our local cinema house, exposed a new wrinkle in the ticket buying experience.  Notwithstanding that my spouse and I were attending a less than half-filled show in the afternoon, we had to select our seats in advance, like choosing concert or airline tickets on a laptop screen.

Apparently, this has become de rigueur at least at some local screens in the last month or so.  One would have thought some warning or notification, if only for public relations sake, would have been justified. (more…)

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Art of Communication, Arts commentary, Business Commentary, Humour, Lifestyle & Travel, Opinion, Social & political commentary, Social & political humour, Uncategorized

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Facing New Developments

Many of us have memories about tracts of land encountered over the years.  They looked natural, bucolic, perhaps even dreamy – largely because they were undeveloped.

Numerous city boundaries are examples of once-upon-a-time urban/rural landscape divides, where, subsequently, developments have caused diffusion of transition points; the ripple impact keeps expanding, so as to permanently blur any clear sense of dividing lines. (more…)

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Art of Communication, Business Commentary, Lifestyle & Travel, Opinion, Social & political commentary, Uncategorized

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A Case of and for Beer

Beer is not a beverage for everyone, and certainly not for all ages.

Its taste, while variable between brands, is an acquired one.  That said, it remains viewed by some as a rite of passage, and by many as simply a beverage to enjoy with lunch, after a hard day of work or strenuous activity, or simply to help while away time as an alternative to drinking wine or cocktails.

Its ultimate staying power is perhaps best summarized by a famous line from Archie Bunker in an episode of the TV classic comedy, All in the Family.  In it, he reminds wife Edith (and viewers), that you don’t really buy beer, you only rent it. (more…)

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Art of Communication, Business Commentary, Humour, Lifestyle & Travel, Uncategorized

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The Price of Being Outspoken

Many are those whose careers have been negatively impacted by being considered too outspoken. Especially when such speech rattles the cages of those in power, there may be consequences disproportionate to a particular issue raised.

Many examples through history illustrate this conundrum.  We don’t have to look past our current age to see this conflict play out. (more…)

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Art of Communication, Arts commentary, Lifestyle & Travel, Opinion, Social & political commentary, Uncategorized

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Life Lessons Learned After Class

So-called advances in education (as in, children not learning multiplication tables?!) notwithstanding, there’s plenty to be said for enhancing self-awareness the personal way, via introspection blended with own experiences, stories of the streets, etc.

The June edition of Psychology Today includes a list of skills which are likely to be only truly clarified, then absorbed, outside the classroom.  The key rewards for doing so lie in linking one’s vision with achieving life goals. (more…)

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Art of Communication, Behaviour & Relationships, Lifestyle & Travel, Personal Development, Uncategorized

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Whatever Happened to Esperanto?   

Some of us are old enough to remember that, before the end of the last century, there seemed to be momentum from supporters of Esperanto, promoting it as a universal language for our world.  Conceptually, this still sounds like a laudable goal.

Deservedly or not, nowadays one seldom (if ever) hears stories about it having impact. (more…)

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Art of Communication, Lifestyle & Travel, Opinion, Social & political commentary, Uncategorized

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Lucky Charms

Some of us will recall a TV commercial for a heavily sugared breakfast cereal named Lucky Charms, declared to be ‘indescribably delicious’.  Well, their consumption, no doubt, has been beneficial over time to the dentists whose clients have overindulged in such candied cereals when younger.

The more general concept of lucky charms, also known as talismans, has been widespread for ages.  (more…)

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Art of Communication, Behaviour & Relationships, Humour, Lifestyle & Travel, Personal Development, Uncategorized

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Weather Forecasting Axioms

Weather forecasting is relatively easy in some parts of the world because changes are so limited or slow to form: deserts for example, where wind changes are the greatest variable.  In other places, forecasting takes advantage of regularity: tropical rain forests for example, where predicting rain is like predicting daylight. (more…)

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Art of Communication, Humour, Lifestyle & Travel, Opinion, Uncategorized

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