Category: General

All of my birthdays have always been about stuff. But this year, I’m giving my birthday up. I’m turning 37 years old this September, and instead of asking for gifts, I’m asking for $37 or more from everyone I know. It’s not going to me, though. All of it is going to build freshwater wells […]

Five years ago, the Vancouver Organizing Committee announced the “Own the Podium” programme, designed to create world-class olympians ready to compete in Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics, a process that normally takes a decade. The idea was that if we create many such athletes, we could dominate the olympics in total medal count, which would of […]

This summer, we travelled to Ponteix, Saskatchewan, for a family reunion on my mother’s side of the family. It was 100 years the Cloutiers had been on the family farm. I brought my camera along becase I felt going to my mum’s hometown would present some nice photo opportunities. One of the photos I took […]

A lot of people have the idea I am some sort of environmentalist or hippie. After all, I compost, take the bus to work, live in a 798 sq ft house with my family of six, use a reel mower, have a tankless water heater, use grocery bins instead of plastic bags, and recycle. The […]

This afternoon, I sat in a teleconferenced workshop about how to communicate with finesse and tact. I don’t know if I learned anything or if I will be a better communicator; I guess time will tell. I did notice something though that made me wonder what kind of person I am. Among the pages of […]

Received this today via email. Please find below my suggestion for fixing Canada’s economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to banks and car companies, that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan: There are about 20 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 […]