Even Preston is Calling Bullshit on Steve
Oh, methinks the Cons are worried – very, very worried. Preston Manning, self-styled Grand Dame of movement conservatism in Canada, can see that Stephen Harper’s pseudo-democratic reform package is a…
The Mound of Sound
Canadian Navy’s Pacific Fleet Out of Service, Waiting for Repairs
The Royal Canadian Navy’s one and only supply ship for Pacific operations is awaiting a tow into the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. According to the Times Colonist,…
The Magic That Was Jonathan Winters
A close friend from Detroit sent me this clip of Jonathan Winters from the Jack Parr show. Comedians this versatile are few and very far between. Watch what Winters can…
Putin Flips the Switch – Russian Troops Enter Crimea
Wakin’ the Neighbours, Putin Style The Washington Post reports that U.S. officials have confirmed that Russian forces are across the Ukrainian border. The U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity…
On My, Don’t They Love the Nanny State Now.
Americans from the “Heartland” pride themselves in being fiercely independent, self-reliant folks who’ll have no truck with lefties and their Nanny State socialism but that seems to fly out the…
Maude Barlow’s Water Plea
In a lot of circle’s Canada’s Maude Barlow is the world’s foremost voice on our planet’s rapidly growing freshwater crisis. This week the Council of Canadians chair issued a plea…
Devil’s Advocate – An Idaho Professor Asks, "When May I Shoot a Student?"
Biology and criminal justice. Oh well, Boise State University prof. Greg Hampikian does seem to have the bases covered. The New York Times has published the professor’s open letter to…
Krugman Gives TPP a Thumbs Down.
New York Times economist and Nobel laureate economist, Paul Krugman, tends to support free trade but even he wants the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, or TPP, dead and buried. Krugman’s…
The Stage is Set
Vlad Putin is dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on this one. He’s won the approval of his parliament (tee hee) to send troops into Ukraine and, to top…
Carbon Emissions Costing Americans $37 Per Tonne
Don’t kid yourself, they’re costing you plenty too. The U.S. government has run the numbers on the social costs of carbon emissions to Americans. Climate change impacts – from more…
How Long Does It Take to Get Over Something Like the Exxon Valdez Disaster? If You’re a Sea Otter, 25-Years.
It’s almost a quarter-century since the Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound spilling 42-million leaders of crude oil into the cold, clean waters. That…
The Most Powerful Advocate for Gay Rights in America – The Fortune 500
Big Business had its boot firmly on Arizona governor Jan Brewer’s leathered neck this week when she vetoed a bill that would have allowed business owners to discriminate against gays.…
If the U.S. Was in Russia’s Position, How Would It React to Russian Meddling in Canada or Mexico that Threatened America’s Security?
The Ukraine sits right on Russia’s doorstep. It is the land route to Russia’s Black Sea naval base at Sevastopol by which the Russian navy can access the Mediterranean. Severing…
Look Whose Flag is Flying Over Southern Ukraine
The Russian flag waves over the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol. It’s beginning to look as though Moscow is not going to let Crimea fall to the interim Ukranian government…
Justin, Did You Think This One Through?
Congratulations to Justin Trudeau on the birth of his third child, a son who’ll be named Hadrian. Hadrian, really? When we hear “Hadrian” we probably think of the Roman emperor…
Brits Throw In the Towel in Helmand
Like Canada, Britain maintained a military contingent in Afghanistan for more than a decade. Like Canada, the Brits set lofty goals of their Afghan War. Like Canada, the Brits are…
Our Giant Prosperity I.O.U.
Never in our 50,000 year history have humans been so prosperous, so advanced, so wealthy. We owe a good deal of that to our mastery of cheap fossil fuel energy…
It’s Funny What You Can Pick Up from Watching TV
Last evening I stumbled across a documentary on America’s B-2 stealth bomber on the Smithsonian Channel. At one point there was an interview with an American engineering expert. She mentioned…
Another Climate Change Calamity. This One is Personal.
Island Scallops is on the ropes. The company, which produces an astonishingly-good hybrid scallop, has just lost three years’ production to ocean acidification. As we’ve pumped ever more CO2 into…
These Days It’s All a Giant Crap Shoot
Who’s got the wheel? These days the answer is all too often, no one. And with that comes a decline in predictability and a frightening rise in the volatility of…