The idea behind reinforcing concrete with steel rebar is to ensure the concrete doesn’t rip itself out during the expansion and contraction caused by temperature swings. Yet just walk or drive around Hamilton. You can easily see one or more rebar lines sticking out of light standards, overpasses, tunnels and
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Media Coverage of Occupy Wall Street and Wikileaks
There are two major ways that the Occupy movement can be covered in the media. One can either tell stories about the movement itself, or one can tell stories about the ideas and concepts raised by the movement. In the former category we have things like talking about police clashes,
Continue readingConservative MPs Call On Government To Ban The Export of Nickelback
OTTAWA – A growing number of Conservative MPs are questioning their government’s position on the export of Nickelback. Solid caucus discipline has been one of Cowboy Steve’s political achievements over six years in power. While open revolt over Nickelback hasn’t erupted, clear faultlines over government resistance to having the band
Continue readingToday’s smile… at least for me…
Yes, once again, a bad blogger… but anyhoo… As I was banging out my brief package from Monday night’s council meeting, I happened to read over the staff discussion on the ‘naming policy’, and this little tidbit jumped out at me: Nominations of past/current employees for the Town of Collingwood
Continue readingArt Threat: Oscar short list for best doc comes up short – List of fifteen films is missing some solid contenders
The 2012 Academy short lists were announced recently and the list for Best Documentary—a collection of apolitical, liberal, biographical, historical and some punchy fare—is missing its usual heavy lifters and heavy hitters. Once again the prolific Werner Herzog has been shunned by the Academy despite winning awards and accolades for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Like that’ll work
Sure, a reasonable government would have some shame over its obvious doctoring of Hansard. But isn’t the most likely outcome of the NDP’s new complaint for Clement’s departmental officials to formally certify that no such committee hearing ever took place? Update: Or that would make sense too – particularly if
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Corporations do not become affiliates within the meaning of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) merely because one has a right to acquire an interest in the other
Bond v. Brookfield Asset Management Inc., 2011 ONCA 730 has a useful aside that makes it clear corporations do not become affiliates within the meaning of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) merely because one has a right to acquire an interest in the other. The Court holds: [1]
Continue readingQueer-liberal: Useless Tory MP Rob Anders falls asleep in Parliament
Despite his previous attacks on Nelson Mandela and longtime moronic behaviour, Tory MP Rob Anders has been continually protected by the central Tory brass around Stephen Harper from ever being challenged for his free ticket to Parliament from Calgary West, despite numerous attempts over the years to elect somebody qualified
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Pizza May Contain Veggies, Boards Contain Nuts
Once upon a time, Saskboy made a pizza. It was not according to the design of the requester, instead it had nutritious onions on it. Saskboy got the cold shoulder when he delivered it. This short story was brought to you by the makers of pizza. It’s a vegetable on
Continue readingMorton's Musings: A directed verdict is not available if there is any admissible evidence which, if believed by a properly charged jury acting reasonably, would justify a conviction
R.v. Barros, 2011 SCC 51 has some useful language regarding directed verdicts: A directed verdict is not available if there is any admissible evidence, whether direct or circumstantial which, if believed by a properly charged jury acting reasonably, would justify a conviction: R. v. Charemski, [1998] 1 S.C.R. 679, at paras. 1-4; R.
Continue readingViews from the lake - eh?: “Some honourable members: No.”
On Wednesday November 2 Members of the House of Commons stood to mark the start of Veterans Week. As appropriate the Hon. Steve Blainey, Minister of Veterans Affairs, started off with a speech recognizing the contribution of so many men and women who served in the Canadian Forces over the
Continue readingExcerpt from UC Davis 2010-2012 General Catalog: pepper spray
From Jay Rosen: UC Davis course catalog, pepper spray edition Applied Biological Systems Technology (College of Agricultural and Environmental Science) 176. Introduction to Pepper Spray. (3) Lecture— 3 hours. Prerequisite: Crowd Control Through Chemicals 122B. Basic uses of pepper spray in threatening, semi-threatening and completely non-threatening and utterly peaceful situations. Common
Continue readingLinda McQuaig gets it. Occupy signals a new era.
Occupy has been starved for meaningful commentary from the press corps. Most of what has been published varies from haven’t-got-a-clue to total bullshit. Most journalists need to be told what to write. Occupy has kept its beliefs and goals close to the vest. It hasn’t been easy without a roadmap for a
Continue readingThe winter of the #Occupy movement
Camp after camp has now fallen across Canada as the police have moved in, usually at night, to chase Occupiers out of public spaces. The ritual of order restoration has taken place in coordinated fashion across the country. Someone from another planet might wonder about these massive expenditures of state
Continue reading350 or bust: Anti-Science Hackers Recycle Stolen Emails Prior to Durban Climate Talks
It turns out the fossil fuel industry is into recycling (who knew?). The hacked emails from the University of East Anglia’s climate centre have been re-released just prior to COP17, the UN Climate Conference in Durban, South Africa next week. While ultimately all the climate scientists who were widely vilified
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Invisible Hand Has Failed Canadian Innovation
The Globe and Mail is running an interesting series this week on Canada’s miserable performance in business innovation and productivity. Here is the main page. Barrie McKenna’s long piece on Saturday set the stage. The “infographic” that went with the article included some interesting tidbits: Canada provides by far the
Continue readingThe Sixth Estate: Terence Corcoran: Disappointed that Climate Change Might Not be Happening Fast Enough?
No sooner was the metaphorical ink drying on my attack on National Post faux-environmentalist Lawrence Solomon’s paranoid conspiracy theory that climate change is being perpetrated by insurance companies as an excuse to jack up their premiums, that I realized I would have to return to the same deposit of BS
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