The Annual Arctic Sea Ice Drama Begins
N_daily_extent_hires.png In my last post, I discussed how the increasing risk of devastating heat waves—unlike the worsening of tornadoes—is definitely a phenomenon we can link to glo...
July 2011
Taliban Makes Itself Popular By Killing NATO-Backed Crooks
I'm sure there will be paeans of praise for the now late mayor of Kandahar, particularly in the North American median. The Globe & Mail, for instance, suggests that Mayor…
Rob Ford breaks the law and gets away with it
The mayor’s assistant admits that Ford was talking on his cell phone while driving, even though it’s been illegal since 2009. The assistant doesn’t, however, say Ford won’t do it…
Run, Sheila, run
The veteran politician says when the Liberals are stuck in third party status, “it’s time for people to step up to the plate and either put up or shut up.”…
What Jack Layton Sees In Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel
The intensifying scrutiny of Nycole Turmel, NDP leader Jack Layton’s choice to replace him while he’s away for cancer treatment is healthy for Canada’s democracy. But the negativity by the…
Ontario Liberals in Free Fall: Add Wild Hyperbole to their Campaign to Woo "Progressives"
As part of the Ontario Liberals’ suicide pact, I mean campaign to woo progressive voters we get this nasty example of hyperbole in the hopes of redirecting the coming election…
GPO answers AMO’s call for a comprehensive waste strategy
On June 30th, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario issued a press release that challenged all political parties in Ontario “to demonstrate how they will support waste diversion strategies that…
Alan Lake Weighs In
The Money-man behind the English Defense League denies that he is Breivik's "English Mentor":I do not know this man, I have never met him, and I am not his mentor.So…
Video: Yves Engler, cars, capitalism and catastrophe
I’m half-way through “Stop Signs: Cars and Capitalism on the road to economic, social and ecological decay” by Bianca Mugyenyi and Yves Engler and I’m already regretting my decision, a…
Are The Ford Brothers Cartoon Characters?
One day it's Rob Ford lying about labour costs on the radio, then his brother is lying about the number of libraries vs Tim Hortons in his ward. This week…
Autism & Real Inclusion: Conor Counts the Days (40) to School
My son does not receive what many would consider an inclusive education. Those who subscribe to the philosophy that all children benefit from learning in a mainstream classroom would be…
support bradley manning: actions and updates
As I hope you know, accused WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning was transferred to Fort Leavenworth and is now reportedly being treated like other prisoners, no longer singled out for various…
Media Fail
Yesterday the Calgary Herald published the kind of story that's become all too familiar in Canada in recent years. This time it involves a scientist working for the federal Department…
But we mustn’t call it "apartheid"
That would be anti-Semitic. Insert your own term here. Meanwhile, in Israel proper, Bedouin are being charged for the cost of demolishing their own homes. Attempts to dispossess the Bedouin…
Pop quiz
To my recollection, exactly one Canadian political party has featured a candidate other than its leader in a recent ad campaign. Guess which one, and in which province.Then take the…
The Barbarians’ Threat
Libraries have been a vital part of my life since I first learned to read. When I married and had children, my wife and I made sure to inculcate a…
Harper vs. science, Ch.376
The pre-Enlightenment government of Stephen Harper fires another salvo against scientists. Man walked, after all, with dinosaurs. In fact we appear to be doing so to this day. ...
140 Law – Legal Headlines for July 27, 2011
I hope all of our readers are having a fantastic week so far! Here are the leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter:Opinion: An absurd ruling on sexual assault:…
new survey suggests politics as usual in alberta.
A new Environics survey of 900 Albertans published by the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald paints a disappointing picture for anyone hoping for a political sea change in the upcoming…