Dreams can come true again When everything old is new again LibCon 2012 is now history. I provided a few accounts* as the spectacle unfolded, courtesy of iPolitics, who got me a press pass after the LPC decided this year to screen out bloggers with an $1100 admission fee. Here
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Fake "Supports Northern Gateway Pipeline" Facebook Pages
These can be found here. Identical news feeds, and all started in late October. H/T Joe in the comments.
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: What Nursing Leadership Doesn’t Look Like
A small, belated Christmas tale on how not to manage an emergency department. But first a few preliminary points of information. First: in Ontario, front line nurses are generally forbidden from taking vacation over the Christmas holidays, usually from some point from the first or second week of December to
Continue readingToronto police brutality updates
Sean Salvati. I posted about this outrageous case last July. Salvati is now suing the Toronto police, and obviously I hope he wins. The system consistently refuses to deal with uniformed thuggery: perhaps punishing police forces with successful lawsuits is the only civil course of action left—unless someone is actually
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Hot or Not: Liberal Biennial Convention Edition (Part 2)
Hot: Peter Milliken: Canada’s longest-serving Speaker of the House can still silence a room with a stern look or wry turn-of-phrase , which is even more impressed when that room is filled with 3200 Liberal delegates instead of 308 MPS. Cannabis: With 77% of the vote it looks like the
Continue readingRecreating Eden: Pink Ribbon Nonsense–Or Is It Even More Sinister?
As someone who has gone through a breast cancer scare (excision of suspect tissue and radiotherapy, and, thank you for your concern, five years later all seems well) I have been annoyed by the hullaballoo about “surviving breast cancer.” My concern has been that women may be scared off by
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: So This is Ethical Oil?
The American conservatives appear to be adopting, or at least sharing, tactics being used by the Canadian conservatives to get what they want. Intimidation and corruption. The Republican controlled Congress is voting on a bill that would force President Obama to make a decision on TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline by November 1. An unprecedented
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On new challenges
Every so often, it seems to be necessary to remind the pundit class that there isn’t a reset button that will magically restore Canadian politics to where they were three or four election cycles ago. So let’s take a look at the theory that the Bloc should be the favourite
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Sad news: Strachan Heighington Q C has died
I just learned today of the passing of a truly learned and honourable man — he will be missed. One can only hope to live a life as his: STRACHAN HEIGHINGTON Q. C. December 17, 1927 to January 9th, 2012 Peacefully at home on Monday, January 9th after a short
Continue readingFar and Wide: Green Shoots
It’s important to not get carried away, after all you’re in a room full of the faithful, one would hope to see some bravado, simply as a by-product of natural self interest. That said, for all the talk of a moribund party, the Liberals managed to bring in an impressive
Continue readingCalgaryGrit: The Road to Renewal
Well, that was fun. It’s hard not to come out of this weekend’s Liberal Renewalfest in Ottawa without feeling good about the future. Considering the collective punch to the gut the Liberal Party took on May 2nd, it was remarkable to see Liberals out at this convention in such high
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Star Reader’s Perspective On Caterpillar Inc.
I have been offline for the past several days, the reason for which I may write about later. For now, I am taking the liberty of reproducing the excellent lead letter appearing in the print edition of today’s Star in which the writer, Dr. Robert Bahlieda, offers some penetrating insights
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Rebuttal
Roy Romanow and his associates have penned a must read rebuttal to the Conservative government’s new vision of healthcare. In today’s Globe and Mail, they write: Successful nations are built on unifying infrastructure. Think railways and the Trans-Canada Highway, seamless telecommunications networks, the armed forces, regulatory and judicial processes. Health
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Biennial Convention Guest Post: The Liberal Identity: Hard work, Progressive policies & Unfettered inclusiveness.
Micah Goldberg (Delegate from Winnipeg, Manitoba.) The Liberal Convention held in Ottawa was supposedly a three-day convention aimed at rebuilding the party brand and picking up the mess from May 2nd 2011. There are many highlights over the past three days: the newly minted “supporters” category and their right to
Continue reading350 or bust: Martin Luther King: If You Don’t Stand Up For Justice, You Die Even If You Live To Be 90
Today in the United States it is Martin Luther King Day. Reverend King delivered this rousing sermon at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta in November, 1967, less than 5 months before he was murdered. Now, 45 years later, Reverend King continues to inspire people of conscience. In this day,
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Watch out, Big 3: Canadians are making themselves heard
I looked at the stats, took a moment to mentally process what I was seeing, then promptly choked on my tea. The Stop The Squeeze kickoff was by far our most successful campaign launch ever.1 Before I write anything else, I have to say thank you. Pro-Internet community, you really
Continue readingeaves.ca: Open Data in BC – Good & Bad Examples from Bikes to Libraries
Some small examples of open data use and public servants who do and don’t understand open data from the Province of British Columbia to the City of Vancouver. Open Libraries? For the past several years – ever since the open motion was passed in Vancouver – the city has been
Continue readingWise Law Blog: 140 Law – Legal Headlines for Monday, January 16, 2012
Here are the leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter for Monday, January 16, 2012: Do You Really Need a Password You Can Barely Remember? “Eric & Lola:” Sup Ct of Canada to decide if Quebec common-law spouses have property rights on separation Feds’ waffling on legality of foreign
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Amazingly Racist Shit you Find on the Internet: Camera Lucida
Homemade Canadian Fail Incoming. Some people who express racist sentiments just don’t know any better, their peer groups are racist and the sentiments are a shared group meme that is still wrong but at least understandable. The educated though, should just fucking know better. This half-wit bring the supernovae like
Continue reading