Alex Carrick’s Blog

Port Carling, Ontario is ground zero for money in Canada. It is dead centre in the heart of Muskoka, lying where the three lakes – Joseph, Muskoka and Rosseau – converge. The place reeks of privilege and entitlement.   There is a route that one can drive from Bala, through Port Carling, to the little […]

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During a recession, some companies buck the trend. For example, shoe repair stores and the makers of Spam have seen sales soar. Macdonalds and Wal-Mart are experiencing an influx of customers. All the trouble that people are having coping means the drug companies will probably do okay as well. In fact, more than just okay. They’ll […]

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I have decided to write about the year I lived in residence in Massey College at the University of Toronto because I have a bad feeling about post-war “baby boomers”. Having had some experience with human nature, and aging parents, I know the boomer generation is likely to become quite nostalgic as the years plod on. I […]

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It appears that Washington and the unions are set to take over control at GM. This opens the hatch to some weird possibilities.   For starters, you know how governments can mess things up. Don’t be surprised if General Motors is appointed to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a high-ranking officer, after all. […]

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You could tell these two had been at it, off and on, for years. The sparks were so intense and the language so extreme. Accusations were lobbed back and forth and concussive blasts figuratively shook the firmament. It was the dead of night, but the heat of anger made it seem bright as day.

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Now that I’m in my sixties, I have to work a little harder to remember that snow has provided some of the best moments of my life. When I’m out walking our dog, Daisy, after a heavy downfall, the beauty can leave me awestruck and feeling young again. The smell of the ozone goes straight to one’s […]

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Fortune telling is a profession that seems to have fallen by the wayside. When some old black and white movie finds its way onto TV, it’s great to see a wild-eyed gypsy lady pull out her crystal ball and start to prognosticate. In most of these thrillers, after telling the truth, things don’t turn out […]

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In the quest for mates, various species of Canadian males have their own unique and surprisingly successful “pick-up” or “come-on” lines they use in drinking establishments, shopping mall food courts and wherever else potential female companionship is to be found.   Here are a few of them. I know these are effective, because I’ve tried several […]

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Where did Kate Winslet come from? I mean the actress, not the person. Kate Winslet the person comes from the United Kingdom and a family with a background in the theatre. Kate Winslet the actress started life in a small film called Heavenly Creatures as an almost mindless teenager who commits a senseless and premeditated […]

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Frank Gehry’s design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, has launched a new age of stunning architecture.   Other examples include the Burj al-Arab hotel tower in Dubai (sailboat appearance), the new Milwaukee Art Museum (resembling a bird in flight) and the addition to the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto (on […]

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