What A Man Must Be
“What a man can be, he must be.” – Abraham Maslow Whenever I taught Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I also taught my students about Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, his theory…
Lorne
Industry Self-Regulation – An Update
Yesterday I wrote a post about the plight of Ryan Harrington, the young man who, were it not for a drug called Celontin, would suffer upwards of 200 seizures a…
Industry ‘Self-Regulation’
In a world rife with the environmental, economic and social consequences of unfettered capitalism, the term ‘industry self-regulation’ has always struck me as little more than a oxymoron. Examples abound…
A Tale of Two Men
No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn…
An Insatiable Appetite
I couldn’t think of a single hole to punch in this letter-writer’s logic, but then, of course, I am not part of the 1%: Re: Bonuses at Canadian banks hit…
To Extend A Helping Hand
Still in the throes of a Christmas dinner-induced torpor, this will be a relatively brief post related to material in today’s Toronto Star dealing with microloans. As a teacher for…
A Christmas Message
As a retired teacher, I am well familiar with the works of Charles Dickens. Although his literary legacy is one of predominantly lengthy works, he is probably best remembered for…
Oh Lord, Spare Me From The Overly Earnest
For someone like me, who strives not to be crushed by the many cruel absurdities the world has to offer, a sense of humour is a key survival mechanism. In…
Some Star Readers Respond To Anti-Unionism
I have to confess that my last few blog posts have felt singularly uninspired. I therefore yield to one of my favourite sources for perceptive analysis, the readers of The…
”Twere to consider too curiously, to consider so.’
The title of my post today, taken from Act Five of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, occurs in a graveyard. Hamlet begins musing on what may become of one’s earthly remains, as even…
And Now, A Word From America’s Most Powerful Lobby
Such unctuous and pious hypocrisy I have rarely seen or heard: BTW, what law were the protesters breaking that got them ejected? Recommend this Post
What I Really Want For Christmas…
Were I given to the Christmas flights of fancy that prompt people to compile impossible wish lists that usually include a desire for world peace, the end of disease, and…
Psst – A Message for Teacher-Bashers
Here in Ontario, teachers have fallen into disfavor thanks to their refusal to meekly accept the unfairness and unconstitutionality of Bill 115. For those who enjoy getting outraged over such…
Think Again
For those who believe Stephen Harper was showing uncommon common sense when he seemed to repudiate his Firearms Advisory Committee last month, think again. Recommend this Post
Which Black Do You Prefer?
If you are Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the choice is clear. Recommend this Post
The Prospect of Revolt
I cannot help but wonder how healthy our democracy might be if its myriad abuses at the hands of the Harper regime elicited the same spirited response from citizens as…
Yet Another Failure of The Corporate Community
We hear everyday about the grim prospects that our young people face – protracted periods of unemployment, underemployment and contract work have become the norm, rather than the exception, even…
An Editorial Recommendation
A bit of a busy day today, so I only have time right now to recommend today’s editorial in The Star, a timely warning about the implications of increasingly popular…
The Taint of Ideology
Although I’m sure that I frequently fall victim to it, I am deeply offended by lazy thinking, our seemingly endless capacity to fall back on ideological bromides as a substitute…