Lessons in the Meaning of Caregiving
I believe that I have a crush on a man I have never met. His name is Arthur Kleinman and he’s a Harvard psychiatrist and anthropologist. I’ve written before about…
2013
France 24: Digital pollution? Data centers, planned obsolescence, recycling materials (VIDEO)
High-tech = high consumption. France 24′s Environment explores the environmental impact of contemporary digital culture, from energy consumption at data centres to ‘planned obsolescence’ and efforts to recycle dead hardware.…
Killer Robots From Earth
I grew up thinking that Killer Robots From Venus was a pretty amusing song. Now that we’re living in 2013, the ‘future’, we have to seriously contemplate the implications of…
Shaun Fryday, whose faith community emulates his personal hospitality, to be this year’s recipient of the Craig Chaplin Memorial Award
Rev Shaun Fryday has been selected by Montreal’s United Theological College to receive the award, established by my late brother, at the UTC Convocation on May 8th, 2013. Fittingly, the…
Wild Forests
Real forests are wild. The forests of human contrivance are tree farms, plantations, monocultures, timber supply areas. Such clusters of trees may superficially appear to be real forests, but they…
#skndpldr – Moose Jaw Debate Notes
Let’s close out my review at the Saskatchewan NDP’s leadership debates with a brief look at the Moose Jaw forum – which featured a fair bit of talk about specific…
And Now…A Message from your Premier-In-Waiting: Mr Lukaszuk
We interrupt our regular programming—the PC spin on the cause of the $4 billion budget shortfall—to bring you an important public service announcement from the Premier-In-Waiting, Mr Lukaszuk. Mr Lukaszuk…
We are 7 days from choosing the next Liberal Party leader
So, will there be electoral reform? The cutoff date to register as a member or supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada in order to choose the next leader is…
Time to Say "None of the Above"
I wouldn’t ride in a car with a driver who was too stupid to know when to use the brakes. Would you? Yet that’s a pretty fair metaphor for the…
Gene-O
R.I.P. What a giant that man was. And, like every politician I’ve known from Windsor, he was a fighter and a winner.
Stephen Harper’s Plane Design for $50,000.00
Where are Stephen Harper’s priorities? He has money for fake lakes and $50,000 plane designs, but lays off staff at Environment Canada and is stubborn on Attawapiskat. Environmental protection, First…
Riding the Petro-Tiger
I don’t think even Sideshow Steve Harper believes the fable of Canada’s energy superpowerdom any more. My guess is that he knows full well that the federal government is riding…
Fergie
Jon, if you read this, email or text me. Same deets.
Another year, another cookie
Mallory was in the cookie race again. No idea how she finished overall but she headed out strongly. I saw here smoke someone else from her heat climbing the hill…
Those Damned Swedes and Their Affordable, High-Tech Airplanes
Sweden – less than 10-million people. Canada – just over 35-million. Sweden – GDP 538-billion. Canada – GDP 1.74-trillion. How is it that Sweden, with a population slightly smaller than…
Finding work a struggle for new teachers in Toronto
Flickr image by spDuchamp. *** Note: this piece was originally published with OpenFile Toronto on Feb. 10, 2012, but is no longer available online since their website shut down. ***…
Best picture nominees an unimpressive lot, but somebody’s gotta win, so …
As a longtime Oscar watcher (the awards show, not just some guy named Oscar, which would be creepy), let me just say this to start my annual (as in second)…
Equality of Opportunity Requires Greater Equality
I know this isn’t new to many, but it doesn’t get said enough. Various conservatives and neoliberals get away with saying “I’m for greater equality of opportunity, meritocracy, but not…
5670…Another Reason To Live
Maple Bacon potato chips. Bacon. WFDS