I’ve made a few changes around my blog, trying to get a bit more organized. One of the changes I’ve decided to make is to share one of my favourite things, and make Tuesday into TED Talk Tuesday. Many of you will be familiar with TED Talks, which are found
Continue readingEnemies of the state
In which Harper formally denounces critics as “enemies of the government” and “enemies of the people of Canada.” I think I’ve seen this movie before. Except that this time the community stands with the doctor. We’re all enemies of Harper’s increasingly totalitarian rule—or we should be. [H/t Antonia]
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Still Waiting
Accountable to no one, part 1, from February 20, 2011 Before today, I sent out a few messages asking questions related to alleged journalists being paid to attend events sponsored by those associated with groups the journalist, or their colleagues, may cover. For example, on February 17, I sent this
Continue readingTerahertz: Nathan Cullen in Vancouver #ndpldr
While I haven’t made it to a Nathan Cullen event yet, and still have my reservations about his joint-nomination proposal, I did get the audio from a recent speech he made in Vancouver when local MP Fin Donnelly endorsed him for leader of the NDP. You can hear the audio
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The IMF and Austerity
Today’s IMF economic update further downgrades growth projections, including here in Canada where growth in 2012 is forecast to be just 1.7%, down from the IMF’s September forecast of 1.9%. That is well below the just released Bank of Canada forecast of 2.0%, and clearly implies rising unemployment. On fiscal
Continue readingwmtc: is m.p. lizon a bigot or just plain ignorant? you make the call
A few weeks ago, I learned that my new Conservative MP, Wladyslaw Lizon, brought to the attention of Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney the shock and horror of a woman wearing a veil during a citizenship ceremony. Mr. Kenney, equally horrified (and similarly Islamophobic), issued a directive that
Continue readingcentre of the universe: I’ll Dream of You Tonight
In this place of dreams dreamt, I danced on a verdant green lawn with a hound and a herder. They were Sam and Buster, and Sam was the colour of dirty snow sprinkled liberally with cinnamon, his long ears folded … Continue reading →
Continue readingThe Moncton Times@Transcript - Good and Bad: Jan. 24: to know everything….
Commonly, journalists think they know everything. It’s not (entirely) their fault. Journalism is all about seeing through lies and false alarms,understanding the big picture, getting to the truth. Nobody can do that, not really.But journalists devote their lives to pretending they can. It’s the same with university teachers – and
Continue readingBene Diction Blogs On: Australia’s customs balks at Mr. Bentley
By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. A big thanks to reader Riles who brings it to our attention that Todd Bentley is not being allowed into Australia for a series of evangelistic meetings he had planned fot later this week in small chuirches in or near Melbourne,
Continue readingBaird’s curious omissions
John Baird gave a foreign policy speech in London, England, on Monday, and people from across the political spectrum are swooning over how vigorously he’s defending things like gay rights abroad. And that’s great; we should be encouraging this kind of talk. That said, Baird’s speech is full of all kinds of
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Salmon Politics and the Egg Trade
The source of the infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAv) now being found in BC’s wild salmon is almost certainly from imported Atlantic salmon eggs, the international trade that has provided coastal salmon farms with most of their stock. The salmon farming industry, of course, is still denying that ISAv is
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: On Rights, the Charter notwithstanding #nlpoli #cdnpoli
The Department of Political Science Distinguished Lecture series presents Dr. Janet Hiebert on the topic: Constitutional Experimentation and Canada’s Notwithstanding Clause: Crude Political Compromise or Constitutional Innovation? February 2, 2012, 7: 00 PM in SN 2109 (Science Building, Memorial University, St. John’s campus) Comparative political and legal scholars have observed
Continue readingBlunt Objects: Changes to the Blog
If you’ve noticed I’ve been making some changes to the blog’s appearance, mostly with the generally-non-customizable “Dynamic” templates from Blogger. Does anyone not like this style? Give me some feedback.
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Right-Wing Cat Killers
Jacob Burris, campaign manager for Arkansas Democratic congressional candidate Ken Aden, came home Sunday night to find his family cat dead on the front porch with the word “LIBERAL” written on the carcass. For some bizarre reason, CNN won’t allow your presumably delicate sensibilities to be offended by the pic
Continue readingBlunt Objects: Climenhaga’s Wrong on Forum Polls
This. This article by David Climenhaga on the recent Forum poll, who is an otherwise excellent writer out of Alberta, is another reason why I can’t read Rabble.ca for any length of time without having a meltdown. The entire premise by Climenhaga is that Forum’s two recent polls – one
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On distorted outcomes
Having apparently decided that two levels of government and the health systems under their control (along with multiple propaganda tanks funded by who-knows-how-much-money contributed by we’re-probably-not-even-allowed-to-ask) make for an insufficient number of mouthpieces for health-care privatization, Murray Mandryk continues to take on the role for himself. But let’s see what’s
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Disneyfication of America
It’s much easier to understand the bizarre antics of our cousins to the south when you realize they’re not on the same page as the rest of the world. In fact, they’re not even on the same book. The thing is, it’s not funny. It’s potentially quite dangerous – to
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: What Did Steve Harper Just Say?
The Grand Dissembler, Steve Harper, picks his words carefully. That’s why it’s often worthwhile to pay close attention to what comes out of his mouth. Take his remarks to a conference of First Nations chiefs in which he promised not to scrap the Indian Act: “After 136 years, that tree
Continue readingChild abuse on the West Bank
A sickening tale of institutionalized child abuse in occupied Palestine. How many violent settlers are jailed and tortured by the Israel Defence Forces? [H/t msanthropics]
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