How does an atheist write about the death of a great spiritual leader. It would be hypocritical to use the conventional references to his passing on to a greater place or going to meet his creator. But there is nothing hypocritical in speaking of his s…
Continue readingAuthor: rww
THE FIFTH COLUMN: Dumping Shit in The Ottawa River
This blog post contains graphic language because there is no way to pretty up dumping shit in the city’s drinking water source.If I were to walk into the Ottawa River and take a crap I would probably be arrested, and not just for indecent exposure but …
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ottawa: Proud of It’s Municipal Water Supply and It’s Pathways – The Disconnect
Ottawa is very proud of the quality of it’s municipal drinking water supply and goes to great lengths to assure people they do not need to buy bottled water.Ottawa is also very proud of it’s shared recreational pathway system which, along with the NCCs…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Scary Bear Soundtrack Performs "Beaver Pond Forest"
I recently had the opportunity to hear Scary Bear Soundtrack perform both their acoustic and rock versions of “Beaver Pond Forest” live and I have to say that I prefer the rock version of it, and of all their music. Those women can really rock and thei…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Riding on the Hottest Day of the Year
Knowing it was supposed to be the hottest day of the year I decided it would be a good day for a hybrid ride, but not being a fool I set out at 9:00 in the morning when it was only about 25 degrees with a humidex around 30, and headed towards Westboro …
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Back From The Great Green North
The Fifth Column has been idle for a few weeks because the Fifth Columnist has been on vacation in Northern Ontario.We spent about a week at our favourite bed and breakfast, Whispering Pines on the Bay between Killarney Provincial Park and Sudbury. Af…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Announcing Kanata’s Paradise Lost – World’s First World Heritage Subdivision
The following is a fable, but like all fables it contains hidden (and not so hidden) truths.Yes, for the first, and undoubtedly last time in the world, you can own a house on a World Heritage Site. Only in Ottawa, the world’s “Developers Rule Capital” …
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: 108 Kilometres and 5 Pounds Later (Ottawa River Pathways Hybrid Epic Ride)
Well it has actually been a few years since I have done an Epic (Over 100 kilometre) Hybrid Ride and I have been wanting to find out just how long a ride encompassing both the western and eastern Ottawa River pathways would be, having rode both separat…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: The NDP, The Quebec Question and 50% + 1
Much has been made of Jack Layton’s “controversial” comments on a possible Quebec sovereignty referendum.The fact is that it is a very rational and defensible position. Based on the closest precedent, the entry of Newfoundland into Confederation, Quebe…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Reflections on Mapping the South March Highlands Kanata Lakes Trails
For purposes of simplicity, although both trail systems are within the South March Highlands, I will refer to these trails, across from the Goulbourn Forced Road (GFR) parking lot, as the KL trails and the ones in the Conservation Forest as the SMH tra…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Obama Gets it Right on Palestine
President Obama understands what I wrote three and a half years ago, that ending the Israeli Palestinian conflict depends on recognizing that “the solution essentially comes down to understanding the most and least that each side can accept”.We could a…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: And The Contempt Continues
Before Parliament even resumes Cabinet Ministers are issuing decrees to Parliamentary committees:”Industry Minister Tony Clement said Thursday he will ask oil industry refiners, distributors and retailers to appear before a parliamentary committee to e…
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: <font color=#FF8040>REMEMBER</font>
It’s Time To Vote
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Best CN Cycle for CHEO/Tour Nortel Yet
Well surprisingly this was the best year ever that I have had riding in the Tour Nortel or CN Cycle for CHEO. I’ve been fighting something off all week and was not even sure when I got up this morning if I could do it but decided once I was on my bike …
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: A Message to Canadian Voters from Tommy Douglas
Historical BackgroundMouseland – Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaTommy Douglas and the NDP | CBC Archives
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: It’s Time
You don’t have to choose between tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Gordon O’Connor on the South March Highlands
“it isn’t special … there’s nothing special about it”
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Minority Governments for Dummies (and Tory PMs)
the voters elect the House of Commons to governthe leader of the current government (the government before the election) has the right to meet the House and attempt to gain its confidence, however usually the party with the most seats gets the first op…
Continue reading