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There we were in an incredible, pristine Costa Rican rainforest. Our biologist guide had led us to one of the most amazing trees I have ever seen – the Strangler Fig. What a diabolical epiphyte. Here’s what it does: seeds of the Strangler Fig land in the canopy of a massive, healthy rainforest tree – typically in the form of …

Have you ever been to a social event where you didn’t know anyone?  It can be a little awkward can’t it?  Or, it can be a little adventurous…Who will you meet?  What can you learn?  What interesting people are here with whom you would never otherwise have the opportunity to connect? Last year I found myself in this very scenario.  …

John Wayne.  An iconic man’s man.  I remember the first time I saw a John Wayne movie when I was a boy.  True Grit.  It was the late 60’s and my dad took us to the 17th St. Drive In, in Calgary.  We had an old wood paneled Ford station wagon – sleeping bags in the back for when we …

A very good friend of mine is an excellent artist. He paints full-time and makes his living solely through the sale of his paintings. He can paint anything, but for whatever reason he is captivated by river rocks. A number of years ago, before he became the accomplished painter that he is today, he told me a story of an …

Actually, ‘life’ is a contact sport. Decades ago I coached football.  And, years before that I played football.  Sometimes I joke that I used to be a really good athlete about 30 pounds ago. Football is a true contact sport.  Hitting – physical contact – is a major part of the game.  Hitting is not an incidental aspect of the …

Clint Eastwood. An iconic man’s man. The kind of man every man would like to be and every woman would like to be with. Well, at least that is what his movie legend would suggest… However, there is no denying the impact that Clint has had on North American culture through the plethora of movies he has made, and the …

“I don’t think you understand, nobody says “no” to Mr. Smith.” And the meeting summarily ended. The background to this encounter involved a high profile, high-powered TV personality who was invited to take his show on the road to Britain.  The two British leaders hoping to work with him had flown to his headquarters in the US.  They were ushered …

My dad used to say to me, “Son, he who hesitates is lost. You gotta be decisive!” I think he is right – most of the time. There are certainly times when we need to hesitate in order to be decisive. But what I gathered from his sage advice is that when it’s time to make a decision you need …

“That is lame.” “There is no way we are doing that song – forget it.” And so went the response to Randy Bachman’s pitching of his song “White Collar Worker” to his BTO band mates. He liked the song. He knew there was something great about it, but he also knew it was lacking something – he just couldn’t put …

“Teenage male – unconscious with no pulse.” Inspector Shields heard the call over his radio. He was the RCMP duty officer at the time. He thought he would respond to see if there was any assistance he could provide to the emergency responders, or to the family of the young man. What he discovered when he arrived was every parent’s …