Hamilton Spectator

It’s the phone and it’s your friend, Hamiltonian Rick Bradford, from the other side of the world. You talk about it all, what’s happening in Nigeria. The kidnappings. The fear. The corruption. Rick, a former Stelco worker of 30 years and lay leader at Philpott Memorial

Thinking today about kings and politics, let’s turn to John F. Kennedy along with Mr. Ashley, who taught me high school history. It’s JFK today because November 22 is the day he was assassinated. That was 1963, but the American was one of those people who spoke deeper into time

If you ever find yourself on the other side of the American border without knowing exactly what to do about this, my advice is to get to Cooperstown, in Upstate New York, the birthplace of baseball and where you can hang around with baseball ghosts. Hockey, of course, has its ghosts skating around, like in Nova

I recently sat in a coffee shop across from a man I’ll call Adam. Adam, as in the beginning when that voice, that song, said let there be something beautiful and grand like light and earth and then Adam, that name meaning “Of the earth.” Then let there be Smith and al-Masri and

Thanksgiving is a good time to be reminded that some of our coolest connections can be with random people. I had one recently during an unplanned walk at Princess Point. That’s where I met Michael. I’d stopped to sit in one of those red Muskoka chairs placed by

Today’s offering is about jumping boy. He’s the skinny, red-blooded, fun-loving young man I saw while recently taking an otherwise aimless summer stroll along the pier in Port Dover. I happened to pass this boy, a stranger, at just the right moment to discreetly snap an unlikely

As far as the police go, I want it known this Labour Day that I’m all for them. And not just because I’m afraid that they’ll put me in cuffs someday for taking the wrong photo at the wrong time. Me: “I’m just doing my job.” Officer: “Me too.”

I’m out for some fresh air, in Niagara, eating breakfast in a historic house with creaky floors and vintage cameras older than I am. Beside me are Raymond and Dorothy. I learn that they’ve travelled from Maine to explore Quebec and Ottawa before arriving in Niagara Region. Raymond’s hat has a maple leaf.

Today, for Father’s Day, here’s something about a once-upon-a-time photo. Of course, it’ s easy to be leery of “once-upon-a-time” stories. We weren’t born yesterday, you know. Even so, once upon a time there was a photo with no dad, but a girl named Hannah, a darling Ugandan girl, two years old, sitting tall and happy

Before I tell you about the car crash, today’s fun fact is that 166 years ago, on May 31, 1859, Big Ben in London, the world’s largest four-faced chiming clock, started its first tick-tock. So let’s talk about time. An older friend recently told me how time speeds up as you age. You know the other expressions. Time waits

It’s easy to get so distracted and even discouraged in life that we miss the point of it all, so busy or otherwise preoccupied with the clattering noise that we miss how ordinary events – a casual walk or a train ride home – can show the world’s beauty and order.

I think my wife is in love with the entire Montreal Canadiens hockey team. Naturally, these guys are young. And rich. And cool. Nick Suzuki has to be the most hip and humble NHL captain out there. So my wife, a lifelong Leafs fan, recently put on my Habs jersey along with our

Today, between Easter’s chocolate rabbits and coloured eggs, here’s something on a parable by Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. Called “The King and the Maiden,” it’s as close as inside your phone. A certain king takes a journey, a road trip of sorts, because he’s hopelessly in love. He leaves his kingdom and becomes a

Today’s fun fact is that 39-year-old Alexander Ovechkin can still fire a puck about 100 mph.No wonder he’s about to amass more goals than anyone in NHL history, even Wayne Gretzky, the Brantford son who played hockey with uncommon skill and grace. Today’s other fun fact is that exactly 26 years ago

Apologies, but today’s offering is on Adolf Hitler. Eighty-six years ago, on March 15, 1939, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia. The Second World War started soon after when he couldn’t resist bombing Poland. Nobody knew what to do with the forest fire that was the German Führer.