The Art Of Misdirection
Well-played, Danielle. H/t Graeme Mackay Given that only 0.0037 of Albertans over 15 identify as transgender or non-binary, that is quite the feat! Recommend this Post
Lorne
History: An Update
As one who taught high school for 30 years, I have always believed in the power of education. It is the best and perhaps the only way to narrow the…
History And Pride
For the past couple of years I have been reading about the antebellum South, the Civil War, and the so-called Reconstruction era that followed. My reading has uncovered a number…
Stupidity Is The Real Threat
There is an article in today’s Star about the threat to Canadian democracy posed by artificial intelligence. But I can’t help but wonder if the real threat is human stupidity.…
For A Few Dollars More
That’s all it will take (actually, $12 million more) according to Police Chief Myron Demkiw to keep chaos and blood from running in the streets of Toronto. Reeling from the…
Good News For Staples
Not sure it is the best for Ontario taxpayers, though. If you have been following the news here in Ontario, you will know that the government, in its deep wisdom,…
The Endless Cycle
Recently, I finished reading a book called The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, by Robert Levine. The American Civil War and its aftermath are…
There Are Solutions
In my previous post, I mused about how much better society could be if we had fair and progressive taxation, taxation that forced those who make a lot to pay…
A Monday Thought Experiment
As a matter of course, I allow myself one hour of television per evening, 30 minutes local and 30 minutes of either American or Canadian national news. It is a…
The Noble And The Depraved
Most nights, after watching a half-hour of American news, my presence at the dinner table is suffused with cynicism and disgust. Tales of violence, savagery and complete disregard for other…
Boeing: A Followup
If you read my previous post, you will know that the recent failure of a door plug in an Alaska Air flight was presaged by the air crashes of two…
Downfall: The Case Against Boeing
I will be the first to admit that my viewing tastes are unusual for a man my age. I enjoy the off-kilter, the unusual, even the bizarre in movie/streaming fare.…
A failure Of Leadership
No matter where you stand on the Israeli war against Gazans, undeniable is the fact that many, many innocent lives are being lost. One report estimates that 100 children a…
"God Made Trump"
I ‘m sorry to report that the American race to the bottom continues. The above is not a satire, but rather a post by Trump on his social media platform…
A Personal Reflection
Regular readers may have noticed that I have not been posting very much in the last month or so. In addition to it having been a busy Christmas season, the…
2024 Begins – But Where Will It End?
And Patrick Corrigan offers this apt and incisive cartoon to help us usher in the new year. While the threats to democracy are world-wide, three former Trump staffers warn the…
That Was The Year That Was
As we move with both hope and trepidation into 2024, here are a few reflections, through a Canadian lens, on what happened this year, as recalled by my favourite editorial…
To The American Voter
In the movie, Forrest Gump famously replied when asked if he was stupid, “Stupid is as stupid does.” It is advice American voters should ponder in 2024: Recommend this Post
Words, Words, Words
It is hardly a revelation to say that words have power. They can delight, inform, edify, inspire and destroy. Unfortunately, it is the the latter effect that we see all…
Something To Think About
A friend sent me the following, Stephen Fry reading a letter from musician Nick Cave about the nature of creativity and how ChatGPT essentially short-circuits that process. Quite thought-provoking. Recommend…