Simon Fraser University, henceforth SFU, in Burnaby, BC seems like a mighty fine place to get an education. I’ve been there for exactly a month and a day today and I must say I quite like it. Maybe it lacks the grand architecture of some older universities, maybe the colour of the walls is too [...]

Continue reading...

After reading up on Philby, Maclean and Burgess, I looked up some more information on British spies and espionage in general. The image of the British secret service as genteel men in tweed persists, despite the obvious change in times. At present, most espionage probably conjurs up images of crackers hacking into vast computer networks [...]

Continue reading...

I’m sure this has happened in varying degree to a lot of people, but that doesn’t mitigate its unpleasantness when you’re the victim. Since I’m a big Ed McBain fan, it might make more sense to list it in a quasi-police procedural format. Possible time of break and entry: 0900-1615 october 5, 2005 Possible location [...]

Continue reading...

I think the above needs no translation, to anyone in any sort of professional/academic program of learning.

Continue reading...

Well, any obsession by definition is unhealthy, so excuse the tautology. I must admit I used to be obsessed with World War II, and more specifically the losing side, and even more specifically, the Germans. I suppose one could be obsessed with the Italians and the Japanese, but it is the Germans that really hold [...]

Continue reading...

Here’s a tiny excerpt from one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time, ‘The Assignment’ by Martin Myers. Page 34 gives us this gem. “You mean”, said the millionaire with a shudder of revulsion, “that your attire is that of a dead man?” “Was.” “Is. Was. That’s not the point, Spiegel. You [...]

Continue reading...

From time to time, I might post certain passages from books I’ve read, because they stuck in my mind or seemed noteworthy at the time. Here is the first one from a short story called ‘Keller’s Last Refuge’ by Lawrence Block. He didn’t much feel like a scoundrel. He felt like your basic New York [...]

Continue reading...