Words (Page 21)

Some of the articles, stories and columns I have written.

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In: Other writing, Words

It was demolition by neglect. Torstar slowly pulled resources away from the Mercury over the years until it resembled your aging granny on life support. When the plug was pulled and granny died, it was very sad, but not unexpected. Sometimes you can see the blow coming from miles away but it still hurts when it hits. With the passing of the Guelph Daily Mercury we did not witness the death of independent journalism in Guelph. The Mercury hasn’t been an “independent” newspaper since it was sold to Thompson Newspapers 70 years ago. It was always independent of city hall, but Lord Thompson kept aRead More →

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In: Chats with Charlie, Words

This morning was a bit milder than it’s been lately, which makes for a slightly more pleasant wander around the block. Bouncing from one edge of the sidewalk to another doesn’t fit the description of a proper walk. Charlie sticking his nose into the snow banks every couple of feet makes a walk a lot longer. A proper walk is supposed to be purposeful. A walk is all about the destination and getting there as quickly and directly as you can. A wander, on the other hand, is all about the journey and the smells that can be found along the way. It doesn’t evenRead More →

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In: Chats with Charlie, Words

When Charlie wants to go for a walk he sits close by and does a whiny sort of a noise. It’s not a bark, but he knows what he wants and he wants it twice a day. Just after breakfast, and just before supper. It also happens to be when all his friends are out for a walk as well. It happened again this afternoon. I was sitting at the computer, tapping away when he sat down beside me. “Okay,” I said. “In a minute. I just have to finish this thought.” About three thoughts later, he became more persistent. He started scratching my leg,Read More →

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In: Chats with Charlie, Words

The mind of a dog is a mystery, and that’s not a bad thing. Mysteries contain nuggets of knowledge, and all you need is a key to unlock them. Puzzle over one for a while, and you’ll find the truth that lies below. That’s what makes a walk with Charlie such an adventure. You never know where you’ll go while you go around the block. We hadn’t gone very far last Sunday when I mentioned that it was the 26th anniversary of the day on which a man went into an engineering school in Montreal and killed 14 women. “Why did he do that?” CharlieRead More →