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…
Lorne
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…
Pavlovian Dogs
I sometimes think, in my more cynical and dark moments, that our species really has not evolved very much beyond our tribal roots. Examine our collective deportment today, and it…
1984 Redux: Moms For Liberty
You have perhaps heard of the Orwellian-named group, Moms For Liberty, whose main mission seems to be to ensconce themselves on school boards so they can restrict the books children…
Is It Brinkmanship?
H/t Moudakis One has to wonder, given the lack of any real movement on a national pharmacare program, whether Justin Trudeau is gambling on Jagmeet Singh’s NDP being more afraid…
The Politics Of School Boards
Having worked as a teacher for 30 years, I am well-aware of the politics that pervades and blights education. The higher one goes up the ladder, the more one is…
A Walk In The Country
One of the pleasures of my retired life is going out for long walks with former colleagues. Having taught at the same school, we have known each other for many…
The Warning Signs Are All There
There are many reasons that can be adduced for the declining health of democracy: widespread disaffection from the political process; pervasive anger among citizens; the disproportionate influence of social media;…
Shiny New Things
Despite our professed admiration for things that have withstood the test of time (heritage buildings, old literature and traditional values come to mind), it is undeniable that there is much…
Such Elequence!
This took place at a school board meeting in Virginia. The rest is self-explanatory. Recommend this Post