Poetry and Innocence: Life in Sepia Tones:: The last few days I have found myself mesmerized by the life and times -- and mainly by the extant photographic artifacts -- of the astonishing Wilhelm von Gloeden. Thriving in the late Victorian and early Edwardian era, he was a pioneer photographer of nude adolescents, whose influence on the visual artistic community at the turn-of-the-20th-century,
Marking Anniversaries: It Was Seven Years Ago Today :: My adopted dad, Percy (Ping) Alexander Inglis passed away suddenly on October 24, 1996. Today marks the seventh anniversary of his death. I am suddenly so terribly aware I have so few pictures ....Below is the eulogy I delivered on at a local chapel in a gathering of about 100 friends and family, Sunday October 27th, 1996.Tribute by son
Tuesdays with Tao: Six - Unending Fertility :: Every Tuesday, I've been publishing one more chapter of my personal re-interpretation of Lao-tzu's awesomely inspiring and quietly wise Tao Te Ching. Despite being written down some 25 centuries ago, it is a marvel of contemporary insight. The opening chapter, The Essence of Tao, is here.Occasionally the feminine is specifically invoked, in
Magic Sparks: The Birth Moment of Creativity :: The act of creation -- writing a poem for example -- is very much like giving birth: once issued, it grows, taking its own life beyond the control of the parent. Like a bird released into the sky, its owner can only watch, admire, worry ... and hope that the world treats it kindly. I've been thinking about what it's like for the creator at that
Tuesdays with Tao: Five - Impartial Nature :: Every Tuesday, I've been publishing one more chapter of my personal re-interpretation of Lao-tzu's awesomely inspiring and quietly wise Tao Te Ching. Despite being written down some 25 centuries ago, it is a marvel of contemporary insight. The opening chapter, The Essence of Tao, is here.Lao-tzu sometimes uses the word "nature" as a synonym for Tao.
On The Road Again: A Weekend In Chicago:: What's a boy to do? DJ, my roommate, loves to travel; and I hate to disappoint him. So when he says, "Let's drive to Chicago for Thanksgiving Weekend [Columbus Day for my US friends] to visit my grandson Joshua", how can I have the heart to disappoint him? Hence I am now blogging in the burbs (North Shore Holiday Inn, Room 205, in Skokie, Illinois, to be
Tuesdays with Tao: Four - Limitless Tao :: Every Tuesday, I've been publishing one more chapter of my personal re-interpretation of Lao-tzu's awesomely inspiring and quietly wise Tao Te Ching. Despite being written down some 25 centuries ago, it is a marvel of contemporary insight. The opening chapter, The Essence of Tao, is here.This week, the limitless nature of Tao is invoked, as it will be a
Timothy's on Church: On Being Scene :: Dear Bloggary:It's only been a couple of weeks now -- blogging for the very first time -- but I have to know: does that still make me a virgin? (Or is that ... a virgin again?) I feel as if we are just getting to know one another. Perhaps I am feeling a tad impatient for fame -- I'm ready for my close-up, Mr De Mille!. Call me impetuous but I want more!
Ontario Election Night: We've Seen Worse :: In Ontario, every four years or so, this Canadian province has an election. An election has to be called within five years of the previous election; the current Premier usually has the privilege of deciding when an election is called. During approximately a forty day window, candidates for all parties are signed up and the election is held. Ballots are
Tuesdays with Tao: Three - The Way to Wu-Wei :: Every Tuesday, I'll be publishing one more chapter of my personal re-interpretation of Lao-tzu's awesomely inspiring and quietly wise Tao Te Ching. Despite being written down some 25 centuries ago, it is a marvel of contemporary insight. The opening chapter, The Essence of Tao, is here; Two To Tango is here.The first chapter introduced us to "Tao"
Sperm: Mining the Net for Humour :: I was minding my own business -- I just can't believe it! -- when one of my best friends remarked when I had introduced him to my blog, that I "had too much time on my hands". Doesn't he know that I am an artiste?!?To prove him wrong, wrong, wrong! I decided to spend the day surfing the net looking for facts about sperm and to discover, perhaps, a culture of
Adventures in the City: A Weekend with Gabe:: I realise everyone believes I lead the life of a monk and, for the most part, that's true. But once in a while I actually do manage to meet someone -- like Gabe, who I met online. While this adventure occurred six months ago, it brings a special smile to my lips tonight.As Sophia Petrillo might say ... picture this! ... A sultry spring (albeit snowy)
Birthdays: Join me in Best WishesToday the oldest of my younger sisters turns 47. Another sweet offspring of Saskatchewan, not unlike her brother. You might say: a most beautiful flower from the good soil of the prairies. Happy birthday, sis. And many, many more.Kisses from your only bro.
Tuesdays with Tao: Two - Two to Tango :: Every Tuesday, I'll be publishing one more chapter of my personal re-interpretation of Lao-tzu's awesomely inspiring and quietly wise Tao Te Ching. Despite being written down some 25 centuries ago, it is a marvel of contemporary insight. The opening chapter, The Essence of Tao, is here. John Chalmers created the first known complete english translation in
Getting to Know You: A True Southern Gentleman :: If you'd told me a few months ago that I would be spending part of my autumn in North Carolina, soaking up the pleasures of small town life, nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains bordering on Tennessee and South Carolina, at the very least I would have glared at you. I'm pretty much an urban bunny and while Toronto may not be Manhattan, it passes
Meet Me At Penn Station: My Unexpected Afternoon in New York :: Wednesday night I was supposed to be doing laundry and getting ready to visit my friend Jack, in Asheville, NC, but as usual I was having many qualms about going on a trip. I first met Jack at the Kirkridge gay christian men's spiritual retreat in Pennsylvania in January, 2003. He came up to Toronto for a visit in February, and again
What's in a Name?: Don't ask! Please tell! :: I was minding my own business, as I occasionally do on the web, when I decided, in a moment of utmost humility, to see what might pop up if I googled "alexander.inglis". Quite a lot, as it turns out, not least of which is, well, me. (Interestingly enough, if that's all you enter and click "I'm feeling lucky" ... you still end up at my home page.)
Same-Sex Marriage in Canada: Parliament Votes :: It's not everyday that a politican actually admits he's going to tie up the House of Commons for a stunt; but that's what Stephen Harper, plucky leader of the Official Opposition in Ottawa is doing today. Allison Dunfield, reporting for the Globe and Mail, notes Harper "said Tuesday's motion, which has no real weight but is meant to embarrass the
About the Tao Te Ching: Completing the Beginning :: For a few weeks I have been working, on and off -- some days it feels mostly off -- at a project which has sometimes had my toes curling on their own: a personal re-interpretation of Lao-tzu's awesomely inspiring and quietly wise Tao Te Ching. Although written down some 25 centuries ago, it is a marvel of contemporary insight. One of the first
Words I Love: A TS Eliot Moment :: TS Eliot's The Waste Land was regarded as one of the best poems in English almost as soon as the ink was dry. The University of Toronto has an outstanding collection of online poetry and commentary; The Waste Land link is above.While I was showering this morning, getting ready to meet a friend for a cup of coffee at Starbuck's on Church today, suddenly these
Afternoon Update: People in My World:: The biggest news of the day is that my ex-ex, Julian, is in hospital. Saturday evening he was rushed to Barrie's Royal Victoria Hospital in excrutiating pain. It turns out he had a perforated appendix; they operated immediately. Graham, his other half, sent me an e-mail this afternoon. When I finally manged to get through, he was in good spirits but very
Welcome to Alexander's Blog :: Ok, so I have been plotting and scheming to create a blog for quite a while but I found the whole thing quite intimidating. And me, an ex-webmaster!Like a lot of folks, the thrill of blogging became a reality with Salam Pax's Dear Raed posts from Baghdad. Now a celebrity, many of us waited with held breath and fear in our hearts when his posts stopped appearing