Our Arrogance Knows No Limits
Not even the most powerful water canons in the world would seem able to tame the fires of our collective arrogance, self-indulgence, bloated lifestyles and sense of entitlement. Look where…
Lorne
Looking Into The Abyss: A Guest Post By Pamela MacNeil
Yesterday, my post consisted of three letters culled from a larger series by Star readers reflecting on the dire state of both the U.S. Republican Party and American society. Pamela…
The Party Of Lincoln
H/t Toronto StarA series of letters excoriating the deplorable state of American politics and society, epitomized by Donald Trump's presidential nomination, is well-worth the read. Here are but three of…
Scenes From Hell, And A Small Effort At Climate-Change Adaptation
It may seem rather pararochial that whenever I post video showing the current effects of climate change, I almost always post scenes from North America, despite the fact that floods,…
To State The Obvious
... the world is getting hotter. And now that Southern Ontario, already plagued by drought, is in the midst of yet another heatwave, it seems like the right time to…
A Teachable Moment?
If so, I am afraid Melania Trump failed:But of course, now that Meredith McIver has taken the fall for the plagiarism, I guess we can all hit the rewind button.…
Fair And Balanced Reporting, Or Craven Corporate Pandering?
I just finished reading Rather Outspoken, a memoir by Dan Rather, former anchor of CBC News who was essentially fired for reporting the truth about George Bush's time in the…
True Believers Speak
And as they do, my faith in humanity continues to erode. Watch what Mother Jones has uncovered:Recommend this Post
A Shameful Legacy
During the dark years of the Harper administrations, Canadians became almost inured to the lengths it would go while promoting its neo-liberal agenda. The extolment of free trade, the promotion…
Free Speech Is Fine
.... except when it is used to criticize Israel, as Mississauga, Ont. teacher Nadia Shoufani is learning. She addressed a downtown Toronto rally on 2 July, marking al-Quds Day, an…
Elizabeth Warren On The Trans Pacific Partnership
Recently, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a woman I much admire, released a five-minute video that takes aim at the Trans Pacific Partnership, specifically denouncing the Investor State Dispute Settlement provisions…
Another Very Ominous Sign
Thanks to my friend, The Mound, for passing this on to me. It is not good news.The Tyee reports the following:As Arctic sea ice melts, one of the forces doing…
Democracy’s Shortcomings*
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”― Winston S. ChurchillThe above is clearly not in accord with the thinking of our 'betters,' aka the corporate…
Somedays I Feel Very, Very Old
This is one of the reasons:Recommend this Post
According To Wood Harrelson, It’s Simple
Unfortunately, thanks to the intractable and self-indulgent nature of far too many 'ordinary' people, it isn't.Recommend this Post
We Can’t Have It Both Ways
Despite Justin Trudeau's sunny assurances that meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and pipeline expansion are not mutually exclusive, most people, if they think about it at all, will see…
Deny All You Want
But it will not alter the truth. Despite anthropogenic-climate-change denier Marco Rubio's publicly professed befuddlement over the causes of the toxic algae blooms in Florida and elsewhere, the answers are…
Meanwhile, In Other Parts Of The World
.... things are hardly going swimmingly:Torrential monsoon rains along a stalled frontal boundary near the Yangtze River in China have killed 186 people, left 45 people missing, and caused at…
Counting My Blessings
No matter what our problems as a country may be, I couldn't help but feel blessed to be a Canadian as I watched this horrifying story:Recommend this Post
More On Corporate Tax Evasion
The other day I posted some letters from The Star about corporate tax dodging and evasion as revealed by the Panama Papers, and included my doubts that Justin Trudeau will…