For breakfast, how about some outrageous libel from physician-blogger Terry Simpson (Twitter: @DocSimpson). File this under how not to blog about a serious issue in health care: The Arizona State Nursing board has asked that this nurse [Amanda Trujillo] undergo a psychiatric evaluation. The board is charged with protecting the
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Canadian MPs Allegedly Snicker and Mock Trans Screening Concerns in Parliament
Continuing the reportage of the new regulations that could potentially bar some trans Canadians from being able to board a plane. Here’s part one for the background, and a statement from the Trans Equality Society of Alberta. There are a few online petitions to address the issue, including this one
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the Wall government’s insistence that public-sector cuts are the answer no matter what the question – and the cautionary tale we should draw from their Irish model. For further reading…– The CP documents Wall’s latest demand for austerity at any price.– Paul Krugman has done plenty of work
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Wagner – Parsifal – Furtwängler (1938)
A pretty clean recording with some fine illustrations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlIbqzSeIeE
Continue readingeaves.ca: Use The Economist’s Data to Find the Best City in the World
Yesterday The Economist Intelligence Unit and Buzzdata launched a $10,000 contest to help enhance The Economist’s “Best city in the world” index. Yes. It’s a data and visualization competition to identify the best city in the world to live. As part of the contest, The Economist Intelligence Unit has shared
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Wiarton Willie sees early spring ahead
Early Spring? We never had a Winter!!! From the Star: Wiarton Willie sees early spring ahead. Canada’s best-known furry forecaster is calling for an early spring. Ontario’s Wiarton Willie failed to see his shadow in the annual Groundhog Day ritual this morning. Willie’s prediction agrees with Nova Scotia’s prognosticating rodent
Continue readingCouncillor Doug Ford to probe anus of TTC
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Toronto City Councillor Doug Ford wants to give the TTC “a complete enema” . Whether the TTC would be a willing partner to such a procedure is unknown. Enemas are a popular sexual activity between partners in some cultures. Enemas can be pleasurable to either
Continue reading350 or bust: TED Talk Thursday: Muhammad Yunus on Social Businesses
I love Professor Yunus’s advice – “Whatever the banks did, I did the opposite. And it worked!” Prof. Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist and founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit to help its clients establish creditworthiness and financial self-sufficiency. In 2006 Yunus and Grameen received
Continue readingHacked neo-Nazi websites reveal Canadian connections – British Columbia – CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/02/01/bc-canadian-nazis-exposed.html
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Carol Goar notes that the Cons’ decision to mess with retirement security may be just the type of issue to rouse voters who had been lulled to sleep by promises of stability – which seems more plausible than Chantal Hebert’s theory that
Continue readingFar and Wide: Liberals Close Fundraising Gap
With the year end fundraising figures out for all the parties, encouraging signs for the Liberal Party in particular. The Conservatives still FAR outpace everyone, but the gap is narrowing and the Liberals are showing peculiar resilience, given recent electoral manifestations. As an aside, those scoffing at any fundraising “uptick”
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: A Short History of Groundhog Day
On February 2, it is customary in Canada and the United States to celebrate an annual tradition wherein we allow a chubby burrowing rodent to forecast the weather. This is an important ritual, but not for the reason that many … Continue reading →
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: The Unit Upgrade
“Mr. President, we have to talk about the unit.” “What unit, Minister?” “Remember the regiment that was forgotten in the Peltarsh Mountains?” “Right. The unit of horse archers. Did we ever figure out what to do with all those old … Continue reading →
Continue readingAdrian Dix overtakes Christy Clark as BC’s most popular choice for premier
This is good news for BC and for progressives. With Christy Clark shifting ever rightwards, the rise of Adrian Dix in the minds of BC residents is heartening. VICTORIA — Premier Christy Clark suffered a significant blow in public opinion Wednesday, falling for the first time behind NDP leader Adrian
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: The Stupid Senate
“I felt like it is kind of an insult to be a denier for a long time,” said Sen. Bert Brown, last month at a parliamentary committee studying energy policies. “It feels pretty good this morning.” What I find particularly disturbing about so many climate change deniers ending up being
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On close competition
Alice has taken a thorough look at the 2011 Q4 fund-raising totals in the NDP’s leadership race and mused that fund-raising may serve as a proxy for first-ballot support. But I’ll follow up on a couple of points. Let’s start with a couple of reasons to take yesterday’s numbers with
Continue readingImpolitical: About that death penalty issue that wasn’t reopened yesterday…
…by the Conservative Senator who mused about giving prisoners a rope in their cells to hang themselves. He later apologized. The death penalty issue actually was reopened by the Conservatives, years ago. They have reversed a decades long Canadian policy of our government seeking clemency for Canadians abroad who face
Continue readingVic Danger – Toews doesn’t know ‘statistics’. But he sure knows fear.
Vic Toews doesn’t let reality get in the way of a good ideology (emphasis mine). “I don’t know if the statistics demonstrate that crime is down,” he said. “I’m focused on danger.” Toews said his concern is that the public is in danger as long as criminals walk the streets. The government’s
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Public backlash forces Harper to back down a bit on OAS cuts
Conservative MP’s are often described as parrots for doing nothing but repeating scripted phrases over and over again in defense of their government, or being not the brightest bunch in the world. However, they are smart enough to recognize when the voters get mad, and concerned enough about their own
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Pipelines To Drive Up Gas Prices
Reading about Northern Gateway this morning: Enbridge forecast a $2 to $3 annual increase in the price per barrel of crude in its pipeline application to the joint National Energy Board-Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency panel. I was reminded of this piece from a few weeks ago: The analyst said that
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