Category Archives: Culture

An Island Overrun with Prisoners and Soldiers

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Barry Pomeroy

When William Golding imagines his feral schoolboys in Lord of the Flies, he thinks that they will inevitably shed the shallow indoctrination of the arbitrary and recently acquired rules of polite society and fall back upon their baser instincts which … Continue reading →

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Bugs on the Bus

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

I was on the bus one time when a bunch of teenagers got on and, because of crowding, they had to stand in the aisle. As soon as seats came open, they claimed them, and then called to their friend … Continue reading →

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You Know the Rules

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Years ago my sister had both a cat and a dog. Although she was always kind with the animals, when the dog farted she would put the cat outside as well. As she did, she would say, “You know the … Continue reading →

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Canada’s Difficulty with Reconciliation

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

The rediscovery of unmarked gravesites at the Kamloops residential school in the summer of 2021 brought a grisly history into the public eye. Although people had found bones on the site before, the use of ground penetrating radar went a … Continue reading →

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Cascino Family Christmas

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

I’d been visiting Silvio’s family in Argentina for a month by the time we drove to the mountains to visit his cousin. His cousin was renowned for her avarice and unmannered lack of civility, and so when Christmas Eve approached, … Continue reading →

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Talking at Angles

Posted on March 4, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Many television shows were renowned for their dialogue, and in that way Barney Miller is no different. The show’s portrayal of New York policing, with its kinder and gentler approach to dealing with perpetrators and victims, as well as its … Continue reading →

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The Purpose of a Lie

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

When Joyce chose to lie to her daughter it was as if she’d forgotten the purpose of a lie. She was trying to cover up her crime with perfidy, but she didn’t realize that making the person you are lying … Continue reading →

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The Myth of Narcissus

Posted on February 8, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Many know the rough outlines of the original myth of Narcissus, the man who was so enamoured with his own image that he drowned while reaching for his reflection in a pool. The original outlines of the myth are more … Continue reading →

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Such Friendly People

Posted on January 30, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

When I first moved to Manitoba, I couldn’t avoid noticing the license plate. Each car proudly proclaimed—even while they were swerving in front of me for the advantage of a few metres—that I had arrived in friendly Manitoba. I made … Continue reading →

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Cultural Covid

Posted on January 11, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Now that Covid-19 has been with us for two years, its profound effects on the different societies of the planet are becoming more obvious. Relatively democratic societies, for all their flirtation with fascism, are descending into mob rule as unscrupulous … Continue reading →

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