A Canadian Nightmare? Maybe We Should Find Another Way.
Because We Can. Those three words may be apt to describe the Western mentality from the second half of the 20th century onward. In the past tense they may make…
September 2012
The New Liberal Leader Must Oppose Northern Gateway
At least if they want me to vote for them. But also because its a solid political decision in advance of 2015. The number of pro-pipeline votes to be had…
Political Contempt For The Electorate Continues
Reiterating one of his favorite themes of late, Tim Hudak, the never-ready-for-prime-time-politcal leader of the Ontario Tories, blamed the ‘union-bosses’ for denying him victory in last night’s Kitchener-Waterloo by-election. Blaming…
Friday miscellany…
So the Grits will name their new leader next April. Let the games begin! The smart money is on JT, but I hear there is an experienced fellow from Sherbrooke…
On alternate options
Following up on this week’s column, here’s a quick update on the planned voting processes in the Saskatchewan NDP leadership race. Contrary to what I’d theorized, there apparently won’t be…
Climate Change News: Arctic summer sea ice decline seems irreversible
“Scientists say this year’s record declines in Arctic sea ice extent and volume are powerful evidence that the giant cap of ice at the top of the planet is on…
End of Summer Polls: Trends
Polling is a long haul game. Jitters of points inside margins of errors don’t showcase who has different levels of support or who is the newest front runner in the…
Terebus and Error
I was sailing blind, sailing starless, drifting sail-less through black water. I had cast my lot in with the sea spirits. I was navigating by soul. I trusted my instinct,…
The End of the Blue Grit?
Yes, last night’s Kitchener-Waterloo by-election resulted in a resounding victory for the Ontario NDP and new MPP Catherine Fife. But perhaps more noteworthy is the signal the result sends to…
Lawyer Files a Cartoon Brief in Antitrust Case
Bob Kohn, a lawyer and businessperson from New York, filed an amicus brief in the antitrust case against Apple by the American government. When the judge limited his submissions to…
Guns & Politics in Canada
The gun is now a part of Canadian politics. Richard Henry Bain killed one person and injured another at the PQ rally last Wed night. He was ill, it seems,…
Sept. 7: ..without actually lying… I mean…
….not really lying… like—not really…. The story should be a pretty clear one. It’s about a poll that shows support for the NB Conservatives has dropped. They still lead. But…
Critical Thinking and Knowledge Domains
by Stephen Downes Responding to Alex Reid http://www.alex-reid.net/2012/08/critical-thinking-is-bogus.html (posting here in case he doesn’t approve the post in moderation): It would be helpful if we understood what you mean by…
President Obama Says The “C” Word
* Every climate activist I know is disappointed in Barrack Obama’s lack of action on climate change during his nearly 4 years in office, but – after being mocked by…
Tax Cuts, Dead Money, and Lackluster Jobs Growth
Over the past year, the Canadian labour force has grown by 185,000 people, but we have only added 176,600 jobs. The population grew by 1.2%, but employment only grew by…
A Reminder of the Unpredictable Nature of By-Elections
Just 17% of Kitchener-Waterlooians voted NDP provincially last fall – nearly the same number who voted NDP federally last spring, in the midst of the orange wave. They hadn’t won…
Five More Unelected Conservatives Appointed To Canada’s Undemocratic Senate
OTTAWA – “Prime Minister Stephen Harper has appointed five new senators, bolstering his majority in the upper chamber. The appointments give Harper’s Tories 62 of the Senate’s 105 seats. The…
Campaign Capers: Elections Canada’s budget isn’t the problem
If you can get behind the paywall at the Ottawa Citizen you’ll find confirmation that Elections Canada’s budget really hasn’t posed a problem in their investigation into Robocon. Over and…