Gord Downie has sung his last concert. If everything progresses as expected, this will be the end of The Tragically Hip as a band. You don’t recover from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Where to start? For Americans, The Tragically Hip are my Anglo-Canadian cohort’s Grateful Dead, our Santana, our Leonard Skynard, our Bruce Springsteen. A band with roots entwined in the experiences… Read more →
Author: canuckAdmin
Fair weather drivers
Southerners are fair weather drivers. They get timid when it rains, and snow? Forget it. As a northerner, it took me a while to understand why everyone gets very excited leading up to winter storms. Grocery stores are cleared out of bread, eggs and milk. Batteries? Good luck. And getting your hands on salt, sand, snow melters or traction aids?… Read more →
Foreign exchange
Unlike most banks abroad, most American banks in smaller centers don’t keep foreign currency on hand. You can’t just waltz up and buy a couple hundred euros, pounds, Canadian dollars or Mexican pesos. (Personally, I think this is just wrong, but I am one mere mortal among minions.) If you need foreign currency prior to departure for adventures abroad, you need… Read more →
Welcome to the ‘ham
Birmingham, that is. So, you’ve come here from outside the U.S. You want to get a grip on why things work the way they do here. Stick with me, baby, we’ll walk your newcomer butt through the essential intricacies of this town. There’s lots you don’t know, and no one is going tell you, because, to them, it’s so obvious. Read more →
Is Alabama Ready for Its Next Century?
This entry is based on a paper I wrote in the spring of 2011 for my political science class on state and civic government. Any errors or omissions are my own. As of early 2011, Birmingham has been through some tough years. As part of banking reforms put in place after the 2008 stock market crash, available credit across the… Read more →