Read our latest Essays
The Meaning of Life: Five notable Vancouver Islanders reflect on their life’s journey
Decafnation starts a new tradition this year by asking selected Comox Valley people to share their acquired knowledge that didn’t come from book-learning or academic studies. We begin today with the collective wisdom of five notable Vancouver Islanders rooted in the Comox Valley.
Why can’t our Elf on the Shelf be a role model instead of an accomplice?
A parent struggles over her relationship with the Elf on the Shelf
The tooth fairy is only human
My daughter lost her first tooth playing outside on a late summer evening. Minutes later, I lost my parental halo after throwing the tooth fairy under the bus.
Revisiting Harry’s love affair with the clouds and stars
At this season I seldom had a visitor. When the snow lay deepest, no wanderer ventured near my house for a week or a fortnight at a time, but there I lived as snug as a meadow mouse.
… Thoreau in Walden
Lawn mowing, part 1: don’t run over the kids hiding in your lawn
While doing some seriously complicated...
Was Mother Earth Goddess drunk?
Today we celebrate the spring equinox, the...
I’m really sick
I’m writing today’s column from The Office of...
Is the genuine apology a forgotten or endangered species?
When civility in modern public discourse...
If we Vote-By-Google this spring, the Green Party would win
When people start suggesting that highly paid...
The Christmas fudge arrived with a resounding thud
It landed on our doorstep with a resounding...
It’s Canada Day, 10 reasons to celebrate
Ah, Canada Day. God save the Queen ... and after...
Note to computer giants: Please don’t interrupt me
It was probably among the first things your...
Summer: it’s a time for purposeful idleness
One of most annoying burdens of growing up...
Must we go to Mars to appreciate Earth?
When Earthlings first saw photos of our planet...
How the notion of proximity affects how we see the world
The noon-hour talk radio show host on CFAX 1070,...