Monthly Archives: September 2011

Paul buys a book

Certain recurring questions crop up in my mind and my life. When a question arises, I tend to spend some effort trying to investigate it, and do this until the next question arises, at which time my attention turns to … Continue reading

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the artist and his doubts

In my life I have struggled to come to terms with the role and value of the writer—the creative artist generally—in the world. I’ve always had a strong creative urge that demanded expression, but when I got to be a … Continue reading

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The Ages of Gold by Timothy Green

The Ages of Gold by Timothy Green My rating: 4 of 5 stars As I type these words on the morning of Saturday 24 September 2011, the price of gold rests at $1,657.20 an ounce after having tumbled about $150 … Continue reading

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truth and fiction

The man crossed the street. Question: is the above sentence fiction or nonfiction? There’s no way of knowing, is there. Which man? Which street? When? We’d need to know these things before hazarding an answer. Bob Carlson crossed 5th Avenue … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Tuesday 20 September 2011

TUE 20 SEP 2011 2:25 pm LIBRARY PLAZA NORTH VANCOUVER Sunshine on the concrete plaza. Water splashes in the fountain behind me and burbles up from the crater cut in the gray stone block beside me, rough as a meteorite. … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Saturday 17 September 2011

SAT 17 SEP 2011 ca. 1:15 pm NORTH VANCOUVER CITY LIBRARY I’m on the main floor on a ketchup-colored upholstered bench, a curve that arcs through 120°. The corresponding bench opposite me, which also has an upholstered back, supports an … Continue reading

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what scares me

In my post on what I unlearned from 9/ll there was a further point I wanted to address, but I didn’t get to it. It concerned the issue of terrorism. Since 9/11 the words terrorism and terrorist have shown up … Continue reading

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When Money Dies by Adam Fergusson

When Money Dies by Adam Fergusson My rating: 3 of 5 stars I got this book in October 2010 based on a recommendation from either BullionVault.com or another website devoted to providing a dissenting view to mainstream economics. It was … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Sunday 11 September 2011

SUN 11 SEP 2011 ca. 1:45 p.m. THE BAY WOMEN’S WEAR Department store quiet and cavernous as the sun shines outside—thermal-inversion light filtering through far-off glass doors. Subdued, librarylike, mainly the heavy industrial thrum and squeak of the escalators. Then … Continue reading

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sketchbook: Saturday 10 September 2011

SAT 10 SEP 2011 ca. 1:45 p.m. LONSDALE QUAY Sun bearing down; high summer arriving late. These are steps of speckled concrete set in red steel frames . Before me a long alley of a farmer’s market: the ground tiled … Continue reading

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