Late last month I wrote a post entitled More On The Online Community Experience, a followup to an earlier one in which I discussed the importance I place on the online communities I am a part of. Within the post I included an excerpt of a piece written by Matthew
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: Buying ink by the barrel
Everyone knows Mark Twain’s famous maxim: “Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.” In Paul Godfrey’s case, it is actually true: he does buy ink by the barrel. The news that the “new Ontario government” is planning on flushing him, therefore, comes as a bit of a surprise.
Continue readingWarren Kinsella: Worthington, RIP
R.I.P. He was no fan of yours truly – case in point – but what a career he had! He’d been there to see it all, first-hand. Journalism really doesn’t produce men (or women) like him anymore. It’s a cliche, but it’s true: with Worthington’s passing, it’s the end of
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: The Master
I still think back to those days in Japan, when I studied zazen under the guidance of Rōshi Miaki. I had been looking for something in my life, and when I stumbled upon the group of monks, quietly sitting, I … Continue reading →
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Keep on churnin’ #nlpoli
You can add another five changes to the record of senior executive appointments cabinet has made since the beginning of the year, according to orders-in-council posted to the provincial government’s website. That brings the total for Calendar Year 2013 to 20. Six the 20 are acting appointments, meaning that cabinet
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Stephen Harper’s Mother Day Greeting: The Secret First Draft
You’ve probably heard about this. Yesterday Stephen Harper asked Canada to wish Laureen Harper, his wife and the mother of his two kids, a happy Mother’s Day. Many people noted oddity of the little episode. Through my secret sources, I have gotten hold of a first draft of Harper’s letter,
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Stiglitz On Higher Education
Joseph Stiglitz writes in this morning’s New York Times that, just as America is beginning to recover from the crisis which rocked the world financial system, another storm is about to hit: The crisis that is about to break out involves student debt and how we finance higher education. Like
Continue readingThings Are Good: Easy Ways to Eat Less Meat
The meat industry is very energy intensive and the raising of animals for food takes up a lot of land. It’s no surprise then that to help save the environment one ought to eat less meat, but many people find it difficult to cut back their meat intake. Over at
Continue readingThings Are Good: Easy Ways to Eat Less Meat
The meat industry is very energy intensive and the raising of animals for food takes up a lot of land. It’s no surprise then that to help save the environment one ought to eat less meat, but many people find it difficult to cut back their meat intake. Over at
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Welcome to the Friend Zone – Definitions
Just in case you were not clear on what the friend zone is. Many thanks to Angels and Angles for the definition. —— As defined by urban dictionary, the friendzone is… “When you are expected to support a girl you really like while she searches for a smarter, richer, and more
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Examining witnesses regarding testimony of others
R. v. Singh, 2013 ONCA 315 illustrates the principle that it is improper to ask one witness to comment on the evidence of another and especially as to why another witness would lie in testimony: [1] This appeal must be allowed because of Crown’s counsel’s improper cross-examination of
Continue readingknitnut.net: Two new birds!
Well, they’re not NEW, exactly. The original lovebirds – Oboe’s parents, Billie and Lester – have moved from GC’s house to mine. It’s really nice to have them here, and they’re adapting very well. At first they squawked like crazy, and their arrival happened to coincide with the arrival of
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: The Census And Your Privacy: The Courts Speak
When Sandra Finely received her long-form census papers in 2006, she refused to fill it out because she felt that the requirement violated her right to privacy, and was therefore unconstitutional She was taken to court for violating the Statistics Act, lost, and requested an appeal Her arguments were heard by the Saskatchewan
Continue readingeaves.ca: Thoughts on the White House Executive Order on Open Data
As those steeped in the policy wonk geekery of open data are likely already aware, last Thursday the President of the United States issued an Executive Order Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information. This is, quite frankly, a big deal. Further down in the post
Continue reading350 or bust: We’re All Passengers on The Titanic Now
* Dr. Richard Alley, climatologist, commenting on atmospheric CO2 levels passing an historic 400ppm last week.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Where was Fairity’s contract chopper? #nlpoli
In the wake of the tragic death last week of Joseph Riche, it shouldn’t be surprising that some people, including some politicians, are blaming the tragedy on the Department of National Defence. That’s what politicians do in this province. Blame Ottawa is a time-honoured political strategy even if it is
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Ugliness of Harperland and the Great Chris Hadfield
Sometimes, especially on a cold spring day like today, I can't help feeling depressed about living in a country like Harperland. I can't help thinking about how great we might have been, and what the Cons have made of us. How once we were admired by the rest of the world, as a cool young country
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Canada Has Never Been Cooler. Never, Ever.
It’s a fighter pilot, natch. Did I mention he’s a fighter pilot? What’s with those guys anyway? Oh wait, I remember, they’re Fighter Pilots – the coolest variant of humans ever to exist. Vocals by some guy named Chris Hadfield. Oh wait, that’s right, the Fighter Pilot guy. I’ll be
Continue readingNorthern Insight: But now the days grow short
And only one will say, “It was a very good year.”
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