More Machiavellian Misquotes
Machiavelli today is known to many by sayings that aren’t actually his; pseudo-quotations or mis-attributed sayings that appear on slovenly, un-moderated, un-verified websites that do an enormous disservice to everyone…
critical thinking
The Bedside Library
When the books stacked beside the bed get tall enough to hold not only a cup of tea at easy reach, but a plate of toast with no threat of…
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…
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…
A Humbling Lesson About Critical Thinking
I am going to be offline for a few days as I join two of my fellow retirees on a trek to Algonquin Park, so I leave you with the…
An Embargo On Ideas In The Offing?
One of the pleasures of my retired life is getting together for coffee on a regular basis with my friend Ray, a retired vice-principal and one of the rare ‘good-guys’…
Mainstream Media’s Silencing of Important Voices
Probably two of the most important voices challenging the status quo today are rarely if ever granted access to mainstream media anymore. Both highly respected, Pulitzer Prize winner and former…
What The Extreme Right Doesn’t Want Us To Think About
Although it hardly qualifies as a startling or original insight, something occurred to me this morning as I was reading my Sunday Star. Two front page items, one about the…
The Economy And The People
Several years ago, while he was still writing for Canada’s self-proclaimed ‘newspaper of record,’ Rick Salutin wrote a column entitled something like, The economy is doing fine, the people not…
What is Truth?
An age-old question without a firm answer, it is one I find myself regularly pondering as I continue striving toward an ideal I know will never attain, that of being…
What Do Bumper Stickers Reveal About Us? Part 2
I recently wrote a post entitled, What Do Bumper Stickers Reveal About Us? Part 1, in which I contemplated the implications of the one that reads: If You Don’t Stand…
The Purpose of Education
As a retired teacher who spent 30 years in the classroom, I long ago recognized how crucial the development of critical-thinking skills is to a good education. During my career,…
And the point is?
After a few years practicing being a social commenter I have come to one certain conclusion. I should probably have my fucking head examined! Grief, that’s what you mostly get.…
Nurse, Interrupted
A pretty interesting video from Beth Boynton RN on what I call status interrupticus, the incessant and often needless interruptions nurses deal with when performing duties requiring critical thinking and…
Where In The World Is This?
What follows is a series of pictures, the link to which my son Matthew sent me. They are all pictures of the same country, the last one offering you the…
A Timely Warning From Gwynne Dyer
Author, historian and journalist Gwynne Dyer is offering a timely warning as the world seems to be going down the same uncritical path to bombing Iran as it did with…
Time For A War On Error
Although I rarely reprint items from the newspaper in their entirety on this blog, occasionally someone says something so succinct and insightful that I can't resist. Roman Haluszka from Newmarket…
Oh, look: everything Team Ford touches turns to crap. Don’t look so surprised
I'm all for respectful dialogue and agreeing to disagree, but there's a point at which you just have to admit it: we are right and they are wrong and clinging…
The ‘debt crisis’ and the undermining of democracy in Europe
While CK’s on the road, she’s invited me to blog and cross-post here. So I’m recycling this tasty little item, which I found via @NaomiAKlein. (They say she’s polarizing ……