Cowboys for Social Responsibility: A gun registry case for mandatory minimum penalties
The Toronto Star is reporting that the Harper government has reinforced its efforts to strip Canada’s national police service of its independence. Removing the RCMP’s communications independence is the just another indication yet that Conservatives want a police force that serves the party and not the people. We were immediately
Continue readingTrashy's World: XLIX. How bout dat?
I grow old, I grow old, I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers and walk upon the beach, and hear the mermaids singing each to each … T S
Continue readingFar and Wide: Cut The Crap
If you happen to read one document on the current state of politics, Allan Gregg’s expansive essay is a MUST read. Gregg articulates what we crave, what is missing and why those who exhibit the slightest AUTHENTICITY now thrive, no matter their political persuasion. I’ve stressed the word authenticity on
Continue readingknitnut.net: The Tenant
We accidentally watched the worst movie EVER on Friday night. We meant to watch a highly rated psychological thriller called The Tenant. But we somehow downloaded a phenomenally bad horror film called The Tenant. The movie hadn’t even been on for a minute when we looked at each other and
Continue readingMusic for a Sunday: You will pay tomorrow
My Facebook amigo Billie posted this to my page last night, and it’s too good not to share. Christ, how DID I miss this gem when it first came out?
Continue readingkirbycairo: A Brief Lesson in Western Semantics. . . .
A brief lesson in semantics according to Western discourse. . . . Here we have an Egyptian protestor in Tahrir Square, or a “noble, freedom-fighter committed to the cause of democracy, freedom and the people.” Here we have a Wall Street Protestor or “a lazy, misguided, troublemaker, who has no
Continue readingVideo: UC Davis Chancellor Katehi walks to her car | #ows #occupy
The Pepper Spray Princess … Sent from my BlackBerry Permalink | Leave a comment »
Continue readingOn media ambushes and faking the news
The Great Empty Tent Scandal was a hoax—or, if one is inclined to be charitable, an incompetent use of inadequate equipment. But I don’t feel very charitable this morning. Ezra Levant crowed when he and a Sun “news” crew invaded the #OccupyToronto camp at 4:00 in the morning * a
Continue readingQuelle surprise! Harper muzzles top dog Mountie.
It’s not enough to exhibit iron-fisted control over his own party members and the media but Mr. Harper is making sure that the Conservative message is also dictated to the RCMP. Self-censorship is almost tolerable in the ranks of one’s own party but muzzling the RCMP is a crime against
Continue readingMorton's Musings: Liberals must be seen!
I had a good talk a few days ago with a leading Quebec Liberal. This Liberal said to me that in recent years the CPC had done well because at every special ethnic event there was a Conservative. And there were not Liberals (at least attending as Liberals). Now I
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Blogger’s Blogger
Although I have made reference to him before, Dr. Dawg continues to inspire my admiration. Although most of you probably read him already, I especially recommend his recent posts on the outrage a UCDavis, where campus police callously pepper-sprayed students who had linked arms on and sat on the pavement.
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The DWR Sunday Disservice – God of the Paradox
Finding out that many religions are paradoxical is like making the discovery that there happens to be chlorine in salt. Looking at the basis of the christian god it is obvious that not one, but several paradoxes are required to make sense of who or what he/she happens to be.
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: A Voice From the Past Responds to the Monarchist League of Canada
On a tip from one of my readers, who drew attention to the enormous clout being given to the Monarchist League of Canada, a right-wing fringe group associated with the Orange Lodge; I did a bit of research, and what I found should be shocking to most Canadians. This is not
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Limited Intelligence
When Megan Leslie and Claude Grevelle went to Washington this past week, Environment Minister Peter Kent was furious. The two NDP members of the House, he said, were taking “the treacherous course of leaving the domestic debate and heading abroad to attack a legitimate Canadian resource which is being responsibly
Continue readingHalf an Hour: MOOCs and the OPAL Quality Clearinghouse
I have submitted the following responses about #change11 and MOOCs in general to the Open Education Quality Initiative (OPAL) survey of OER practices (I love how the email said it would take five minutes to complete the survey). I would also encourage others involved in MOOCs to participate in the
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Not Important?
“There are two rules at thecentre of Parliamentary democracy. First, any politician given actualresponsibility must have an elected mandate. Second, government isaccountable to all politicians with an elected mandate. “ Sosays The Fifth Estate in a rebuttal to a recent article by JohnIvisin. In doing so he makea number of
Continue readingPample the Moose: History and the Santa Claus Parade Weekend
There’s a history connection here, just wait for it! This weekend is Santa Claus Parade weekend in Toronto, where I grew up, and coincidentally in Guelph, where I live. It’s an important weekend in my family’s history, because this was traditionally the weekend when the no-talking-about-Christmas embargo was temporarily lifted
Continue readingAttawapiskat in the news again
The tiny Northern Ontario Aboriginal community of Attawapiskat, the site of a long struggle to obtain an elementary school for local children, is facing a crisis. How many other Aboriginal communities across Canada have been left to wither and die like this? In other news, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs
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