Sayed Shah Sharifi Arrives In Canada
Thanks to the doggedness of The Toronto Star, for whom social justice and journalistic integrity are more than mere words, the long tale of Sayed Shah Sharifi, the Afghan interpreter,…
2012
we like lists: list # 16: five things going on with me
I did this once before – turns out it was about a year ago – and although not many people participated, it made for good conversation and helped me get…
All you Need is Love! – Politics and Love – Movie Monday
So, for the past few days, or really the past few weeks, I’ve been celebrating the birthday of my girlfriend. As expected, part of this celebrating has included lots of…
Olympics stuff
So as of the blogpost, Canada has got 1 medal so far in the London 2012 Games. We’re ahead of the pace in Beijing, where it took until Day 8…
Where all the aliens at?
Maybe Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is onto something here. Perhaps the reason that nobody has visited us yet is because they can’t agree on what they’re going to do with…
Workers’ Compensation Benefits Curtailed for Injured Antiques Aficionado
An October, 2011, decision by the Nova Scotia Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal should signal to those of us who not only collect, but also repair, show or deal in antiques,…
Ukraine Proposes Jail For Positive Gay Depictions
Lawmakers in the Ukraine have introduced an anti-gay bill that would punish “propaganda of homosexuality” with fines and up to five years in prison. Russia recently enacted a similar law…
Those friggers from [insert name of province] #nlpoli
Anyone steeped in the whole Quebec-Newfoundland fight over hydro-electricity exports will look at the whole Alberta-British Columbia fight over oil exports and see the connections. Sure, they are there. The…
Ranked ballot system a possibility in Toronto’s future
A significant democratic reform initiative could be on its way in Canada’s biggest city: “Ranked ballots for 2018? Toronto city council may vote on changing its election system.” This would…
Darth Harper and the End of the Con Empire
It must have seemed like such a good idea to a man like Stephen Harper. He would teach Obama to humiliate him by delaying approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.…
Liars believe their own lies
Corporation That Paid Nothing In Taxes For Four Years Tells Congress It Pays Too Much In Taxes, Think Progress, July 20, 2012 “Over a four years period from 2008 to…
What do I think of the Canadian Senate?
Read Jennifer Ditchburn in the Globe and Mail – Senate stubborn on making information about chamber more accessible. It is laughable about how hard the Canadian Senate makes it to…
Calgary Centre Conservative nomination fight takes a turn, but Joan Crockatt’s still the frontrunner
Your blogger with Joan Crockatt: Remember, when the author of this blog appears in a picture with a politician, it does not imply endorsement – he just can’t help himself!…
London Olympics: 12 Athletes With Very Interesting Names
Names have always facinated me. What do they really mean? Or subtly suggest? If anything. Consider these 12 names carrying the hopes of hundreds of thousands of people around the…
And I’m making stuffed sole for dinner
Regular readers will know that I’m involved in a home renovation project, one that is just beginning. Presently, the 20 foot shipping container in the driveway is being filled with…
President Hollande of France leads the way with a Tobin tax
At last we see a serious move in Europe to start the much needed process of reining in the many useless financial transactions that are part of the unregulated morass…
Sunday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your weekend. – Lana Payne criticizes two forms of cash hoarding: both the assets sitting idle in corporate coffers, and the money that’s been funneled offshore…
Muller’s BEST
After a couple of days filled with rumours and wild speculation we finally know what all the commotion was about. Richard Muller, the head of the BEST project, has written…
Canada wins diving bronze at London Olympics
LONDON – Her career was forged over more than two decades of training, of six-hour sessions, of 80 dives a day, five days a week. If Emilie Heymans decides to…