Like many children during the Second World War, my father was evacuated into the countryside for much of the war. But he returned to London during the last couple of years of conflict and had many stories to tell about what he saw. One of the stories he told was
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Update On Canada’s Export Of Death (Asbestos)
While I have written many posts on Canada’s indefensible export of asbestos to third-world nations, I am pleased to report that the latest news seems to suggest that this hideous and immoral practice could soon be coming to an end. Despite the ardent and ongoing efforts of the Harper regime
Continue readingOn Wrestling, Politics and Other Musings of the Mind's Eye: On Teacher Austerity
I was watching The Agenda with Steve Paikin last night on TVO and was intrigued by the debate on the ongoing bargaining between the provincial government and Ontario’s teacher’s unions. As a teacher, I am well informed on the issues am going to weigh in with my 2 cents. Here
Continue readingWon’t You Listen To What The Man(ning) Said (Part Deux)
ThisIsWhat(A)Democracy(Centre) LooksLikeVille Mr. Preston Manning, speaking about Robocalls and more at the retreat of the ‘Democracy’ centre that bears his name yesterday: …“If you try to link these things to any one party, it’s a mistake,” Mr. Manning said. “If you just target the solutions at one party … this
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Newly Obtained Documents Reveal Private River Power Projects Killing Fish
Read this exclusive story from the Vancouver Sun on documents obtained by the Wilderness Committee that demonstrate private river power projects are killing fish. (Match 10, 2012) The Mamquam River pours cold and fresh off the Coast Mountains, forming pools and canyons and chutes of white water on its way
Continue readingelementalpresent: What do Bruce Springsteen, KONY2012 and Occupy have to do with one another?
This is a guest blog, courtesy of Brian Foster. Now, no shells ripped the evening sky No cities burning down No army stormed the shores for which we’d die No dictators were crowned I awoke on a quiet night; I never heard a sound The marauders raided in the dark
Continue readingBene Diction Blogs On: “Brynne, why don’t you cast this demon out,” said the 13 year old’s dad< bob Larson
By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Bob Larson is back in the spotlight, along with three teenage girls who cast out demons. Larson is the father of Brynne, and the pair appeared with two other young ladies who want to develop an aptitude for exorcisms on a
Continue readingRusty Idols: How the mighty have fallen
Last year Gary Mar was the odds on favorite to win the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives and by extension the Premiership of the richest province in Canada. Now he’s been peremptorily and unceremoniously summoned back to Alberta from his consolation prize/exile job as Alberta’s Asian trade representative in
Continue readingSketchy Thoughts: Not Quite "Ordinary Human Beings"—Anti-imperialism and the anti-humanist rhetoric of Gilad Atzmon
[This is a statement signed by almost one hundred anti-imperialists and organizations denouncing the Israeli-born jazz musician Gilad Atzmon for his antisemitism, and asking our fellow progressives to not promote him or his works. The list of endorsements included here is accurate as of March 9, 2012; an updated list
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: RoboCon – The Scope
What’s the scope of the RoboCall Conspiracy? Another Green blogger explained how to find Poutine, and narrow down who else could be involved, at least a day before the National Post figured it out and printed it. (I listed these details on March 1). March 4: “Mechanics of Robo-Calling: Not
Continue readingConrad Black’s inspissated braggadocio
Lord Black of Crossharbour pens a florid and overwrought piece in the National Post today, settling scores and threatening lawsuits in his time-honoured modus operandi. He’s upset that some of us think he should be stripped of his Order of Canada, as lesser beings like Steve Fonyo and David Ahenakew
Continue readingRandom signs of a sleeping giant awakening
…in a bad mood. This is what bus passengers saw as they looked out the glass window of a random transit shelter in some random part of North Randomsville today: The rumbling is faint and distant and barely audible, but it’s there. (from @ryansider on Twitter)
Continue readingBuckdog: The Bombastic Nature Of Stephen Harper
“Two secret meetings in the prime minister’s office this month should become chapters in any crisis communications manual. One is the wrong way to handle major problem files. The other highlights the correct response to big bad political news. Shortly after the Robocall scandal broke, aides advised Stephen Harper to
Continue readingWhat George Bush hath wrought: 90 Iraqi youths stoned to death for ’emo’ haircuts
So this is what George Bush’s invasion of Iraq has come to. Gotta love the democracy of this bit of theological murder. Just think, prior to 2001 Iraq was a secular enemy of al Queda. Now it’s knee-deep in fundamentalist terror. Iraqi activists sounded the bell over the killing of dozens of teenagers
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Tell DFO to Save Kokish River Steelhead from Proposed Private Power Project
Rafe asks the Common Sense Canadian’s readers to support the Wilderness Committee’s call to action, telling DFO to reject the proposed Kokish River private power project on north Vancouver Island which threatens, among other things, rare steelhead runs: “Thus has begun yet another rape of a river without any public
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: gary mar ordered to take unpaid leave pending investigation. alberta pc party releases leadership campaign audited financial reports.
Gary Mar Premier Alison Redford has ordered former cabinet minister Gary Mar, now the Government of Alberta’s representative in Asia, to take an unpaid leave of absence during an ethics investigation of a recent fundraiser held in Edmonton. Mr. Mar, who placed second in the 2011 PC leadership, hosted a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On risky business
Michael Den Tandt suggests that the Cons’ budget later this month will be “revolutionary” – which fits the conventional wisdom that a majority government will try to get its most controversial moves out of the way at the earliest opportunity in order to seem less dangerous by the time the
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Robots Take Over the World
The Leader Post could not be more funny; Funny strange, and “haha”. In a week where Robocalls are on the lips of every politically aware Canadian, they run this photo gallery… Gallery: Robots take over the world Robots swim, play soccer, and fight with lightsabers in our 2011 robot round-up.
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Opinionated inanimate objects
I love these cartoons by Marc Johns — I hope he does many more. That’s not toasting, that’s typing! Fezzes have notoriously high standards. I agree, but the Google Font Api changed all that. You can get all these as … Continue reading →
Continue readingNote to media: Can we stay focussed, please?
Roboscam, not robocalls. And, although I’ve taken to using “roboscam” as shorthand, let is remember that live callers have also been implicated in this national vote suppression initiative. The issue isn’t robocalls. I don’t like ‘em, but they aren’t illegal per se. I’ve already voted online for the next NDP
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