Opinion

During the last week or so, I have wasted considerable hours of company time scouring the Internet looking at possible deals for winter vacation getaways. Not that I'm about to actually take one of these deals.

In this world there are people who go through their lives in quiet, unassuming ways. These are people who do their jobs well, but without fanfare. Who hold out a helping hand without expecting special recognition.

In the world right now, there is one cell phone for every two people. In June 2000, 12 million text messages were sent worldwide. By June 2006, 12 billion text messages were sent worldwide.

This week my Cairns on Cinema column is devoted to awards season and the Oscar race. Trying to figure out who is actually winning the Oscar race, though, is a mug's game. One moment, one movie is ahead; the next moment it's something else.

Dear Editor We believe being at the helm of any organization can be complicated, since we are privileged to live in Canada with such a diverse population with opposing opinions.

Ed, my neighbour next door, says he has no patience for listening to what he has heard before. Ed is a talker and it has to be some earth-shaking news to get him to listen to someone else.

Whatever happened to Freedom 55? As the Baby Boomer generation careens towards retirement, those in charge of making Canada's pension safety nets stretch to cover the bulge are scrambling for ways to achieve that.

With the look of health-care systems and services around the globe, I'm glad I live here.

By the time this goes to print, I'm hopeful that no more snow has fallen and that the big melt has at least begun.

The wind blew wild yesterday. Normally unrestricted views of Vancouver Island were blocked by a curtain of rain, fog and water as wind speeds, edging closer than I'd like to hurricane force, shook the house.