A Healthy Society – Chapter 2 Discussion
Chapter 2 of Ryan Meili’s A Healthy Society discusses the place of politics as “medicine on a larger scale”. Meili looks for lessons in our political discussion based on how…
2012
Poison Discourse part II. . . . .
My last blogpost concerning the poisoning of our political discourse, and the abusive and vulgar response that I received from its chief antagonist, has reminded me of the (usually unmentioned)…
Getting Water from Air
With water wars becoming a concern for nations around the world a small French company has come up with a way to get water out of thin air. Well, humid…
4562…Happy Birthday Stephen Harper
He is the Prime Minister you know. What dya get a guy who has his own country? A ten dollar Tim Hortons gift card! WFDS
4561..Delmon Young Is Not Kosher
I never really heard of Delmon Young until recently; not a big beisbol fan. Nonetheless Mr. Young is a bit of a star in the MLB and, allegedly, a lot…
Navigating the Stormy Seas of Political Cynicism and Liberal Despair
Perseverance is a trick of the mind. It’s intangible. It’s your best tool for survival but you can’t hold it in your hands. For me, perseverance is conjured from equals…
Heartland Institute Attacks Forecast the Facts, Denies Its Climate Change Denial
heartland logo.jpg This is a guest post by Daniel Souweine, Campaign Director, Forecast The Facts On April 24, Heartland Institute President Joe Bast issued an angry missive attacking Forecast the…
Canadian Mining and Manufacturing Stumble
Statistics Canada reported today that the economy shrank in February, driven by declines in resource extraction and manufacturing. Oil and gas extraction as well as hard-rock mining decreased due to…
Disclosure for thee but not for me?
This op-ed in the Globe and Mail depends in large part on the uncritical acceptance of the conclusions of a Fraser Institute report. So it might have been nice if…
140Law – Legal Headlines for Monday, April 30, 2012
Here are the leading legal headlines from Wise Law on Twitter for Monday, April 30, 2012: Data Harvesting at Google Not a Rogue Act, F.C.C. Report Reveals American Unexceptionalism –…
Education, Unemployment, and Minds: Views by Krugman and from Quebec
This morning Paul Krugman writes about what terrible things economic bad times are doing to young people around the world, and the high cost of education. His major concern in…
linkathon part 5: the state of connecticut abolishes the death penalty. 17 down, 33 to go.
The US state of Connecticut has abolished the death penalty! This amazing and wonderful news is brought to you by Amnesty International, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty,…
People’s Pick for CBC Chair
Letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper with the results of the People’s Pick for CBC Chair, an online vote sponsored by FRIENDS to underscore the need to end the practice…
A Lost Generation
Mitt Romney and George Bush the Elder share at least one characteristic. As former governor Anne Richards used to say, each “was born with a silver foot in his mouth.”…
linkathon part 4: the talking pineapple is a window into for-profit education
You’ve probably heard about the pineapple. Eighth-graders in New York State recently took a standardized test (Canadian translation: students in grade eight wrote an exam) where they were asked about…
Morning house extraction panic conversation
So I’m rushing to get out the door this morning. Mallory is already ready and is sitting in the chair in our bedroom, waiting for me.
Green Party of Sask AGM ; Hot Wind
I helped out at the Green Party of Saskatchewan’s AGM this year. It’s the first Green anything AGM I’ve been to. I’ve previously been to a Sask Liberal leadership convention…
linkathon part 3: the human cost of zero tolerance
This story on the impossibly high cost of so-called zero tolerance laws reminds me of the breed-specific legislation (anti-pitbull laws) plaguing Ontario. Reacting to media-created public hysteria, legislators create laws…
"Like" Might Just Be Peer Pressure
According to published studies by Dr. Tina McCorkindale, an assistant professor at Appalachian State University’s Department of Communication, “18- to 29-year-olds are the Facebook generation,” and it’s not the Millennial…