Remembrance day is supposed to remind us of the horrors of war and the terrible sacrifices that were made by people and nations. The hope for the future is not to tread on these futility grim paths of barbarity. Yet we do. Repeatedly. Syria Yemen (drone massacre of a
Continue readingTag: history
wmtc: what i’m reading: thoughts on "go set a watchman"
I wasn’t planning on writing about Go Set a Watchman, the surprise second – or possibly first – novel by Harper Lee. I am among the legions of readers who were shocked, thrilled, and confused at the sudden appearance of this book, and I didn’t think I’d have anything noteworthy
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: dead wake: the last crossing of the lusitania by erik larson
On May 7, 1915, the gigantic luxury ocean liner Lusitania – an engineering marvel, the fastest ship of its era – was hit by a torpedo shot from a German “U-boat” submarine. The ship had nearly completed its crossing from New York and was in sight of the Irish coast.
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Lament For A Nation – A Review
(Originally written as a review for Good Reads) Here is a must-read for all Canadians – George Grant’s classic masterpiece, documenting the poor decisions which led to the loss of sovereignty of Canada to the US empire, just at a time when the British empire had been weakened enough that
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Lament For A Nation – A Review
(Originally written as a review for Good Reads) Here is a must-read for all Canadians – George Grant’s classic masterpiece, documenting the poor decisions which led to the loss of sovereignty of Canada to the US empire, just at a time when the British empire had been weakened enough that
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Holidays and holy days – and the dross and drivel which confuses and clouds over them
Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter…Yom Kippur, Hunakkah, Passover… Ramadan: these symbolic expressions of union, communion, gratitude, faith and love – what do they matter? Except that they do. As a naturally reclusive and largely solitary being, I often avoid such communal social gatherings, even though I honour and respect them, and value
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Comfort Wives and Rape Rooms in West Virginian Coal Industry (1890’s)
In the category of appalling but unsurprising when it comes to the exploitation of labour by capital, we have this “charming” vignette: “Joy Lynn, who now co-owns the Whipple Company Store and has turned it into a museum, told Kline she has had as many 10 women visit the museum
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: On Neo-Liberalism/Globalization – Chalmers Johnson
I’m almost done with Sorrows of Empire so I will stop deluging the blog with quotes, but I cannot forgo Johnson’s explanation of the mutating monster that Neo-liberalism is. I’d like to reproduce the entire chapter because it is that good, but instead we’ll look at how insidious neo-liberalism
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: soul made flesh: the discovery of the brain and how it changed the world
The ancient Egyptians, when preparing a body for mummification, carefully preserved the heart, liver, lungs, and other vital organs in special canisters, now known as canopic jars. The brain was yanked out and throw away as trash. A millennium or two later, human knowledge of the workings of the brain
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The Spoils of War – Anti-American Sentiment in Greece
It seems like so few people understand the context of empire and how it affects American foreign policy. Let’s take a quick peek at Greece and how we treat fellow democracies when it comes to maintaining ‘interests of state’. “In the case of Spain there is some plausibility to
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Masters, Poor Whites, Poor Blacks – The Class Based Racial Divide
History – A tonic to aid in understanding the higgly-piggly we have today. Filed under: History Tagged: Histroy, Race, Racism, Slavery
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Finding the voice of the next generation #nlpoli
“My Government will harness the desire among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to cultivate greater cultural, financial and moral autonomy vis-à-vis Ottawa.” That’s from the 2007 throne speech. At the time, the language started a few people. That’s odd because Danny Williams was basically building up to that point for six years.
Continue readingPostArctica: Great Paintings – Las Meninas
Las Meninas[1] (Spanish for The Maids of Honour) is a 1656 painting by Diego Velázquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age, in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work’s complex and enigmatic composition raises questions about reality and illusion, and creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer
Continue readingPostArctica: Great Paintings – Las Meninas
Las Meninas[1] (Spanish for The Maids of Honour) is a 1656 painting by Diego Velázquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age, in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work’s complex and enigmatic composition raises questions about reality and illusion, and creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Iraq in State of Higgledy-Piggledy – United States Perplexed as to Why.
Great mysteries of empire are always shrouded in mystery. One idea that I have lifted from terrible military fiction is the concept of the 6P’s. They are: Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Can you guess which imperialistic nation didn’t do their homework? “Sky said the United States led the
Continue readingcentre of the universe: How to get engaged in Canadian politics: an educational resource
Here is a handy guide that will help you, disenfranchised Canadian, get engaged with and get involved in the upcoming (eventually, at the end of several more weeks of pre-election hell) federal election! The first step, as the number to the left would indicate, is to click every single link
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Money for Nothing
Copyright is, at its simplest form, the method by which creators are paid for their work. It is a registration of an intellectual property (IP). It says “the creator has the right to charge, or not to charge, money for you to use this”. It’s not a form of censorship
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: To Be Left On The Moon
Some of these items found in Armstrong’s closet, were to be abandoned on the surface of the Moon. More than four decades after the Apollo 11 moon landing, a cloth bag full of souvenirs brought back by astronaut Neil Armstrong has come to light. Among the trove: a 16 mm
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Watson Quits The Star
This story is worth mentioning, because it’s about a Canadian journalist who stood up to censorship by their paper’s editors. It’s the sort of courage also described by Wab Kinew at his Minifie Lecture a couple years ago. Why did you resign from the Toronto Star? Part of what got
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