Photographs and text by Jan Smith On the road from Santo Domingo to Samaná there is stretch with many miles of oil palm plantations on each side of the highway. Within this corridor there is a smaller section, itself quite large, of nothing but dead oil palms. When they grow beyond a certain
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PostArctica: Samana — Palm Plantations of Death
Photographs and text by Jan Smith On the road from Santo Domingo to Samaná there is stretch with many miles of oil palm plantations on each side of the highway. Within this corridor there is a smaller section, itself quite large, of nothing but dead oil palms. When they grow beyond a certain
Continue readingMelissa Fong: ICYMI: Funny images- Gregor Robertson, #BestWank, Hobbit House
In case you missed it- some fun images from others that made me chuckle: ^Homage to WestBank, of course. And then this.. : (Filed under: Happy rant, Marxist rant Tagged: […]
Continue readingPostArctica: Construction On Gordon Avenue, Verdun
After being a vacant lot for 6 or 7 years condos are finally being built at the old CKVL location and also at the former parking lot across the street. Inevitable, perhaps, but two of the biggest obstacles in preserving worthy heritage properties, and CKVL was an Art Deco building
Continue readingPostArctica: Construction On Gordon Avenue, Verdun
After being a vacant lot for 6 or 7 years condos are finally being built at the old CKVL location and also at the former parking lot across the street. Inevitable, perhaps, but two of the biggest obstacles in preserving worthy heritage properties, and CKVL was an Art Deco building
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The Staple Theory @ 50: Gerry Helleiner
One remarkable and gratifying aspect of our special series of commentaries marking the 50th Anniversary of Mel Watkins’ classic 1963 article on staple theory, is the interest and input it has generated from researchers and scholars who have applied Mel’s work in various capacities, in Canada and internationally. One such
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The Blackberry mess and what Canada needs
Another year, another dead Canadian tech giant. Blackberry was sold yesterday for scrap to the Toronto private equity firm Fairfax. The purchase price of $4.7 billion is essentially valued at its cash of $2.6 billion and the value of its patents. Blackberry’s active businesses are being valued at essentially nothing.
Continue readingThe Political Road Map: Development and Recession: Looking Back To See The Future
Tonight is Friday and while I sit here occupying my time with readings, movies and Youtube, many of you are probably outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather with the company of friends. While outside, I hope you get a chance to look up at the amazing moon, while it isn’t a
Continue readingPostArctica: Strandbeests by Theo Jansen
Theo Jansen (born 1948) is a Dutch artist. In 1990, he began what he is known for today: building large mechanisms out of PVC that are able to move on their own, known as Strandbeest. His animated works are a fusion of art and engineering; in a car company (BMW)
Continue readingIlluminated By Street Lamps: In Brampton, Few Recorded Development Votes After Developers Contribute To Political War Chests
By Joe Fantauzzi@jjfantauzzi Key Findings: – The development industry is clearly engaged in the political process at Brampton City Hall. – 233 development companies and development-affiliated individuals were publicly disclosed to have contributed money to Brampton candidates in the 2010 municipal election. – Of those 233 developer donors, 48 were
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Is new coal export infrastrucutre in the best interest of BC and Canada
Today’s CBC Edition Business Panel focused on the proposal by Fraser Surrey Docks to build a new coal terminal on the Fraser river to export US thermal coal (if you missed it, here’s the recording starting at 1:50). This may seem like a local issue for the West Coast, but
Continue readingArt Threat: Hungry Planet pictures what we eat around the world
Whenever I shop for groceries, I’m reminded of our collective obsession with processed and packaged foods. As someone who makes an reasonable effort to make decisions that are good for both my health and that of the planet, my shopping cart is largely filled with whole foods. I’m certainly no
Continue readingWalking Turcot Yards: Hidden City Festival 2013
The Dufala Brothers have been selected to be part of the Hidden City Festival in 2013. Their installation will be at Globe Dye Works, and will feature materials sourced through RAIR. Check out their video! We have the dormant, yet exciting Canada Malt Plant along the Lachine Canal in Montreal
Continue readingWalking Turcot Yards: Capitalism efficient? We can do so much better
By Richard Wolff A Madrid woman holds a banner reading ‘Your benefits, Our crisis. Another world is possible’ at the Spanish headquarters of the European Commission. Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters What’s efficiency got to do with capitalism? The short answer is little or nothing. Economic and social collapses in Detroit, Cleveland
Continue readingWalking Turcot Yards: Only art can save us now
The world needs creative interpretations of global issues, not better descriptions of things people are accustomed to. by Santiago Zabala Perhaps rather than God, as Martin Heidegger once said, it is art that can save us. After all, artistic creations have always had political, religious and social meanings that
Continue readingWalking Turcot Yards: Goverment Talking Corruption Free Turcot
To say I am behind the times on Turcot would be an understatement. Seems I have drifted into focusing a lot of my online attention into relaying the ongoing tragedy that is our federal government under Stephen Harper via Facebook and occasionally Twitter in recent years. Of course it is
Continue readingWalking Turcot Yards: Nun’s Island Is Awesome!
For years I have been an outspoken critic about the rampant development on Nun’s Island. Every time a new highrise goes up there is at least a couple hundred more cars stepping in line to get on that bridge to somewhere. Too much of a money maker for some in
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Canada’s Supreme Court Wants To Restrict Abortions
One sign that a country is in trouble is when the top court’s opinion is deemed controversial. Canada doesn’t have to worry about that, not because its Supreme Court is so respected, but because of how little Canadians know about its rulings, in particular that our highest court believes abortion
Continue readingYappa Ding Ding: Loliondo and the Shiek
The A marks Loliondo, a Maasai village in northern Tanzania. I have written about the Maasai before, on this blog in The Wheat Field, and in African publications in the 90s. In the fight between pastoralists and farmers, I support the farmers, if only because poor countries need food sources.
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