Tending the home fires
Like all other sentient beings, I have been aghast at the inconceivable political tragedy playing out to the south. It has also been heart wrenching observing the stress the election…
2016
Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Stephen Dubner discusses the importance of social trust in supporting a functional economy and society: (S)ocial trust is … HALPERN: Social trust…
Tending the home fires
Like all other sentient beings, I have been aghast at the inconceivable political tragedy playing out to the south. It has also been heart wrenching observing the stress the election…
Stuff Still Happens, week 46: Bird debate splits Canada! Or maybe not.
The fallout from the Nov. 8 U.S. election continued this week. And just like nuclear fallout, the devastation will be long term. President-elect Donald Trump (my fingers had a hard…
Is This the Sixth Estate?
The “Fourth Estate” is an antiquated term for unofficial social and political forces, primarily the media. Use of the term recognized, over two centuries ago, that the media affect social…
Life…A Small Spark Between Two Eternities 2016-11-20 10:15:00
Kellie Leitch gets slammed in this CBC interview by Laura Lynch. Kellie Leitch wants to take Donald Trumps playbook and uses it to espouse a defense of WASP values and…
Donald Trump’s Scary Military Junta
In one of my last posts I suggested that Donald Trump's decision to appoint the retired general Michael Flynn to be his national security adviser was a really bad idea.For…
Taking Responsibility
The other day I came across the following stinging but very accurate indictment of those who voted for Donald Trump: Not all Trump supporters are racist, misogynist, xenophobes. All Trump…
The Good, the Bad and the Narcissist
Regular readers will be aware of a lack of posts of late and no commentary on the situation south of us and perhaps are asking how a blog about democracy…
Ten reasons to support first-past-the-post voting.
This is an updated version of the paper of the same name from the Democracy Papers of 2007. With the special committee of the house of commons due to report…
The Good, the Bad and the Narcissist
Regular readers will be aware of a lack of posts of late and no commentary on the situation south of us and perhaps are asking how a blog about democracy…
A Lie People Choose To Believe
Mark Zukerberg is embarrassed. Facebook is getting to be known as the Home of the Whopper. John Naughton writes that critics of the last election are focusing on social media:…
My Canada Does NOT Include Kellie Leitch’s Racism
I am ashamed for Kellie Leitch. Partly because she knows/shows no shame for her racism and xenophobia. Partly because also as a professor at a university I throw up a…
The puzzling legacy of Calgary mayor Rod Sykes: not even one pathetic cul-de-sac has been named after him!
PHOTOS: Former Calgary mayor Rod Sykes sometime during his heyday between 1969 and 1977 (Glenbow Museum photo). Below: The cover of Thin Power, How Former Calgary Mayor Rod Sykes Stamped…
Vote now, vote often
If @realDonaldTrump asks @JustinTrudeau to welcome him in Canada, Trudeau should: — Warren Kinsella (@kinsellawarren) November 20, 2016
Photo: Yellow Leaves of All Sorts
The leaves of all sorts are off the trees. This Tuesday will be the last pick-up of garden trimmings too. After this, the snow is supposed to come. So be…
Photo: Yellow Leaves of All Sorts
The leaves of all sorts are off the trees. This Tuesday will be the last pick-up of garden trimmings too. After this, the snow is supposed to come. So be…
Young workers: An “entitled” generation without entitlements
Photo by Fred Chartrand/CP Every generation seems to think that those who come after are broken in some way: that they are disrespectful, lazy or aimless. But such comments on…
Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Thomas Piketty discusses our choice between developing models of global trade which actually produce positive results for people, or fueling the fire of…
Nov.19: Trump is inescapable – and seemingly inconsistent.
I’m not a Catholic. But, sometimes, especially when I read the Faith Page of the irving press, I’d swap most of the the Protestant clergy I’ve ever met for one…