Long arm of the
lawn: So police in Tennessee have charged a
man on a motorized lawn mower with driving under
the influence, saying he “smelled of alcohol and
failed a sobriety test” (Man
On Lawn Mower Gets DUI – Editor’s Picks,
online, April 17). Couldn’t they just have
arrested him for driving while on grass?
April 19, 2010
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| Below are my Letters written to the Globe and Mail in 2010. Yellow underlined passages indicate they were published in the paper or on-line the following day. ( As one can see, many are culled but few are chosen.) Letters submitted in other years may be viewed by clicking the appropriate year above. |
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At least one letter writer has noted that Stephen Harper has ‘ put the rogue into prorogue’. Let me add the Prime Minister has also put ‘mock’ into democracy in this rapid descent from decency. He’s an out-and-out cad, but I’d happily settle for just plain out. January 1, 2010 |
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Gauging the caliber of U.S. presidents In critiquing Barak Obama, Rex Murphy says, “His White House is as dagger partisan as Richard Nixon's.” Rex should review the Nixon tapes and revisit the movie “ All the President’s men “. Like Karl Rove, Sarah Palin and various right-wing Fox News commentators, Richard Nixon was more than just pointed in his partisanship; he went ballistic. January 1, 2010 |
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A bright idea - but a dimmer switch to obsolescence: Re Lawrence Scanlon’s article Reuse for recessionary times. They really do not make them like they used to. My personal testament to that is a light bulb in my garage. It was there when we moved in back in 1989. It seems to date to the 1930’s, a few years after our house was built. On average the light is switched on and off six times a day and I am embarrassed to admit we sometimes accidentally leave it on all night. It’s still burning bright. A few years ago I e-mailed Sylvania, the company that made the bulb back in the days when Sylvania was an American company. I thought they might want to know a product bearing their name was doing so well. They never got back to me. January 2, 2010 |
January 12, 2010 |
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Dug ourselves a hole, now looking for light at the end of the tunnel: The deficit is structural, as your editorial says, and it’s one of our own building. To deconstruct it, however, Stephen Harper must revisit his decision about the GST and then recalibrate ( he’s good at that. ) He will also face the politically difficult task of cutting back provincial transfers and putting the brakes on stimulus spending when the economy is more productive. In other words, we will soon be drowning in debt and the economy is damned if we don’t do something about it. Politically damned if you do, economically damned if you don’t. Ironically, Paul Martin’s hell or high water comes to mind. January 13, 2010 |
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Fat to fit in three 'easy' steps: A Statistics Canada study shows ‘ decline in overall fitness has taken place across all age groups’ in this country and that our weight gain is in fat not muscle mass. Although it flies in the face of today’s consumer-sedentary lifestyle, two common sense rules, ‘ move more and eat less ‘, address the problem best. My wife’s other rule for fitness is ‘ For goodness sake, Ken, look in the mirror before you step out the door!’ January 13, 2010 |
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By the grace of her majesty: I disagree with letter writer James C. Mullan who says the Governor General’s appeal for aid to Haiti was a disgrace because it ‘ evoked emotion unbecoming in the Queen’s representative’. On the contrary, far from disgrace, such feelings display the highest grace. Upon the untimely death of Princess Diana, the one quality missing in Queen Elizabeth II was the very compassion displayed this week by Michaelle Jean. As far as Mr. Mullan’s concern about a split allegiance between one's land of birth and land of choice, the Governor General has reminded us all that ‘we are the world’. January 15, 2010 |
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In for a penny, in for a pounding: US President Barak Obama looks more like Teddy Roosevelt than FDR as he takes on the banks. It’s risky but probably a good political move. While it’s helpful to have friends, sometimes in politics it’s better to have an enemy. Obama is picking a fight with someone the American public hates and distrusts even more than their own government, the banks. This could prove to be a nastier fight than the health care debate. The rich and powerful are not easily swayed by sweet words, no matter how eloquent the oratory. January 15, 2010 |
| Apple of my i: Congratulations to Apple for it last quarter phenomenal success. But I have to admit I have a hard time with a simple cell phone or even our cordless phone. As to state of the art ‘merged’ communication devices, I still rely on eye-books, my local public library. I have nothing against technology; I just wish it had nothing against me. January 25, 2010 |
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Tourtièreorist Plot: Newfoundland MP Gerry Byrne seems to be over-reacting in implying PETA is a terrorist organization after a pie-in-the-face stunt protesting the seal hunt. ( Is a pie in the face a terrorist act) The arrested protestor should indeed be charged with assault, but she’s more a Tourtièreorist than a terrorist. She seems flaky and Mr. Byrne is being crusty. I think both of them are guilty of having half-baked ideas. January 26, 2010 |
| While I agree with Lysiane Gagnon that the Tory take on crime is irrational, that is so only if one takes Stephen Harper’s motives at face value, that he wants to reduce crime. But really he wants to win elections. His demanding longer jail terms is not about law and order nor is it about crime and punishment. It’s all about vengeance. And that’s a surer vote getter than statistical safety or justice. Justice is a Lady but Vengeance is a Bitch. February 1, 2010 |
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Good cop-out, bad cop OUT: OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino says “I have the utmost respect for and confidence in the judicial system…” After so many scandals from the RCMP and the OPP in the last few years, I find I cannot say the same about law enforcement agencies in this country. But I am glad we have citizens like Gary McHale and journalists like Christie Blatchford to police the police. It seems our governments are afraid to do so. February 3, 2010 |
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Tea Party? Only available in America, you say? The Web-exclusive opinion piece by Tom Velk gives one perspective on America’s political philosophy. Tom Velk, who writes the column, "From the Right", envisions an image of the American political spirit, but his view is through a glass darkly. If I may summarize his article: the American people have always favoured what they know works and is familiar. To be popular, change must be incremental, not radical. How convenient and supportive of the status quo. The Ante Bellum Southerners wanted what works and what they knew too. As did the Robber Barons of the late 19th century. As do the symbiotic vampires of the military-industrial complex. As do Wall Street and the banks that have imperiled American society and the world economy. Mr. Velk describes the current US administration as " a distant, self-righteous and tutelary central power". Funny, that’s how I would label the Ayn Rand / Chicago School of Economics flacks who, for 25 years, have molded a society ruled by a corporate plutocracy. February 6, 2010 |
| Suited to a Tea(Party): After this weekend’s Tea Party performance by Sarah Palin, there can be no doubt the former Governor of Alaska fits H. L Menkin’s definition of a demagogue: "one who will preach doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." February 7, 2010 |
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TV or not TV, that is the question: Clearly, Michael Craig, Toronto chair, China Rights Network, does not understand the nature of freedom of choice in a democratic society when he calls for censoring state-controlled propaganda from abroad. ( letters February 8 ) Freedom demands responsibility on the part of the collective and the individual. We have the freedom to choose and the responsibility to discern facts, opinions, honest reportage and outright propaganda. If distortion of the truth and deliberate promotion of hate disqualified a TV network from broadcasting in Canada, we’d be deprived of Fox News altogether. February 8, 2010 |
| This guy taught law? : Ian Hunter finds Parliament irrelevant to governance in Canada since 1982 when, he believes, Canada became a judicial autocracy rather than parliamentary democracy. This professor emeritus of law seems to object to the government having limitations like those imposed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as interpreted by the Courts. Parliament is still supreme, but within constitutional limits. No one is above the law, especially not the government. February 10, 2010 |
| Hit and Myth: In a fair and judicious world sentencing provisions would follow “ sound research into the likely social, legal and fiscal implications ” just as your editorial demands. But demagogues in a democracy are guided by polls, not truth. For them, justice and society’s best interests take a back seat to political considerations. Stephen Harper and his cabinet tend to rely on popular myths based on specious logic. But as American journalist H. L Mencken wrote, “ For every problem, there is one solution which is simple, neat and wrong “; he could have added “ wildly popular.” February 15, 2010 |
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Disown the odium: Margaret Wente has told an inconvenient and discomforting truth. While the British press have been venomous in criticizing the Vancouver Olympics, Canada may have set itself up in declaring it would own the podium. The true Olympic spirit of ‘doing our best’ was traded for ‘besting the rest’. Still, some media are being unfair and their comments border on petty hatred, hardly an Olympic spirit. Let us strive toward excellence and leave off the snipping. Let’s disown the odium. February 18, 2010 |
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Is the Globe's report half empty or half full? The Globe and Mail claimed the Supreme Court “ has spoken in favour of reducing prison terms for defendants who were abused by police.” (Top court bucks tough-on-crime trend ). But the previous on-line Globe 'take' of the outcome (Supreme Court rules against drunk driver beaten by police) reported the SCC ruling supported supremacy of minimum sentencing and that judges “ must follow mandatory minimum penalties in all but extraordinary cases.” Is this balanced reporting? Yes or No? Or both? February 20, 2010 |
| Cheers: To the ladies in red, our gold-wining women’s hockey team: Cheers! You got them from fans in the stands in Vancouver and across this nation. Among yourselves, but apparently not privately enough, you celebrated with cheers shortly after your win. The Bronx cheer some IOC Czars gave reflects more on those feckless bureaucrats themselves. They are not what makes people of all nations proud of the Olympics and the athletes who compete. Again, cheers! February 27, 2010 |
| A piece of the True Crosby?: It's just a stick and a pair of gloves. (Crosby's gold-medal gear goes missing ) Any value given to them is artificial, not inherent. Nor are they are not art, just artifacts which happen to be in the right hands at the right time. Even if found and put in a museum, they would be but symbols of that feeling of triumph and pride Canada felt from sea to sea to sea on that final day of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. As the Zen koan says, ‘The hand pointing at the moon is not the moon itself.’ March 3, 2010 |
| Re SEC Accuses Psychic Of Fraud, And Of Being A Bad Psychic (March 5): So is this a prophet and loss statement? The investors should have seen it coming. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s either a fraud or a Speech from the Throne. March 6, 2010 |
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Response to X-country ski decision going down hill: I too was disappointed with the decision to bench visually impaired cross-country skier Brian McKeever. (Olympic hate mail flows in) But it was the coach's call to make because this was a sporting event, not a World's Fair of Charter Rights or a showcase of Multi-culturalist/ all accommodating Canadiana. However, while people may respectfully express differing opinions passionately, hate mail in the form of threats goes beyond freedom of speech and should be a matter for the police. March 6, 2010 |
| Digital message: The image of Stockwell Day in front of the “Canada’s Action Plan” sign is an ironic medium message. The logo with its middle arrow pointing up higher than the arrows to its side is reminiscent of a former Prime Minister’s famous salute to protestors in B.C. some 30 years ago. As the areas most affected by today’s cuts seem to be in the heritage and arts sector, are the Tories saying “ Why should I sell your culture? “? March 09, 2010 |
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Zen Nudism: Quebec Immigration Minister Yolande James is not promoting social harmony by warning of ‘tougher yet unspecified’ measures to ban the niqab and burka beyond government services. Is this a veiled threat? While general bans are offensive, some restrictions do make sense. Personal identity verification clearly justifies reasonable demands and some social limits are the norm everywhere. Someone claiming to be a man of the un-cloth, a zen-nudist as it were, would not be allowed to parade buck naked in public anywhere, anytime. That’s just the stark reality. March 11, 2010 |
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Smarter than the average bear ( or bull ): In commenting on a Lawrence Martin column, letter writer Nicholas Read says Stephen Harper “ was smart enough to recognize the worst in us and exploit it” and that humankind’s natural predisposition is greed, a quality which motivates and suits the Tories. I’ve often heard the self-serving, right-wing argument of how the law of the jungle is the natural and paramount. My rebuttal, in a word: civilization. March 12, 2010 |
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Talk about scary!: An American woman, reportedly a self-proclaimed jihadist, may be involved in a terrorist plot. This woman’s story is sad and frightening. Some of the hateful on-line comments I find even scarier as they condemn the religion of Islam for this woman’s anger. One xenophobic blogger states ‘Christians don’t fly planes into buildings in the name of God.’ I immediately thought about 30 years of religious violence in Ireland and, on the off-chance, Googled the question “ How many people died in the troubles in Ireland?” In the flick of an eye I got a link to WikiAnswers that stated 3,594 died. Another web site gave detailed statistics and put the total number at 3466. A third site claimed 3523 deaths. I don’t know which scares me more: religious hatred or Google. March 13, 2010 |
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QED: Margaret Wente answers her own question ( Why are bloggers male?) with reference to male need for instant gratification through verbal jousting. As example, she invites us to look at the comments from on-line readers below her column, many of which she calls insulting and confrontational, like peeing contests carried on by 12-year-old boys. I appreciate that on-line editors do their best to remove the most offensive and libellous of comments, but Ms Wente assessment is correct. Most of the comments are nasty, ludicrously partisan, insulting, idiotic and reminiscent of a school yard brawl. My question is why carry the feedback feature in the first place? Male editorial decision? March 18, 2010 |
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Some moor about blogging: Margaret Wente’s column “ Why are bloggers male?” has brought on a swift reaction from female bloggers including Tamara Plant who proudly proclaimed "Nine times out of 10 I don't think before I talk.”, a trait Ms Wente attributes to the less fair sex. I believe it was Othello who said “ Weigh’st thy words before thou givest them breath…” I don’t think the Noble Moor would think much of blogging blether from either man or woman. March 19, 2010 |
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Inferiority complexity: I’m so simpatico with Margaret Wente. Her oven, TV remote and financial planning systems are complex because they’re designed with an illusion: that the gadgets and systems are better and smarter than ourselves. Bedazzled, we buy the fantasy and are lured into surrendering control. Form follows function, so we end up with telephones that perform marvels but force us to follow a 75-page manual to operate. You can’t feel empowered when you’re demeaned like that. It’s a pre-programmed inferiority complex. March 20, 2010 |
| La Bellicose Province: Gilles Deceppe likens Péquistes to Free French resistance fighters. ( Duceppe and the Québec "resistance" movement ) Does he mean the WWII resistance that was funded and supported in England? That’s sort of like Canada’s disproportionate equalization payments to La Bellicose Province. Winston Churchill once said "the greatest cross I have to bear is the Cross of Lorraine" Yeah, the analogy sounds about right. March 21, 2010 |
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‘live long and prosper’: Ian Brown says Canadians delude themselves by thinking Vulcan-like qualities are desirable in a leader and that Stephen Harper fits that image. ( We’re Canadians, not Vulcans ). The Tories may promise a Canada that will ‘live long and prosper’, but a Prime Minister who is cold, calculating, and devoid of emotion is alien to the Canada I know. What makes Harper most Vulcan-like is not his reputed but debatable logic; it’s that his heart is on the right. As a Canadian and a human being, my heart is on the left. March 21, 2010 |
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But me no butts: In the past five years I have spent a lot of time in those all-too-revealing hospital gowns. They are awkward, embarrassing and uncomfortable. When your health and spirits are at their lowest, they make you feel even more vulnerable. A design change for the gown certainly speaks to rights to privacy and dignity. It also speaks to common sense and makes me wonder why it took so long. March 23, 2010 |
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Foxy lady hates to complain: Re Ann Coulter prepares human-rights complaint. By the same logic, the Republican Party in the US would be guilty of inciting murder committed by doctor-killing anti-abortionists. Ann Coulter and Ezra Levant may well have a fair point about free speech ( I have already donated to Mr. Levant’s legal fund ), but the University did not incite outrage or hate; that's in Ann's bag of tricks. However, she may be going for extreme irony rather than the high moral ground. March 24, 2010 |
| Cold shoulder and then some!: Re Iceland gives stripping the cold shoulder: The striptease business was banned in an icy land where there is a strong women’s movement and almost half the legislators are women. I bet that law would never have passed in a house with a male majority or in a pro-rogue Parliament. March 24, 2010 |
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Right to hate: The University of Ottawa erred in not recognizing how much security they needed in hosting speaker Ann Coulter. Perhaps lack of time and logistics made it difficult to meet their then perceived security needs. But it was Ann Coulter’s organization which pulled the plug, not the protestors and not the U. of O. That move proved much more affective than giving an address. This looks like a staged event to promote Ezra Levant's war on Human Rights Commissions, a fight of his which I support. But the cancellation was just a political tactic that speaks more to drama than liberty. Unfortunately, politics has devolved to that level. March 25, 2010 |
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Blank verse, not poetry: Tories release reams of redacted Afghan detainee documents. ‘Redacted’ means ‘to edit or revise something in preparation for publication’. In other words, a veiled lie, the censored truth and the light of day blacked out. We’re told it’s for our own good, reminiscent of the movie ‘ A Few Good Men’ where Colonel Jessep, played by Jack Nicholson, screams, “ The truth? You can’t handle the truth.” To quote Barak Obama, Yes, we can! March 25, 2010 |
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Attack Frum the Right - Axes of Evil: The obvious ironic pun is “ Talk about your Axes of Evil “ (David Frum fired after criticizing Republicans) , but he should have expected no less from the American Enterprise Institute. The former GW Bush speechwriter was swimming in a think tank full of sharks which, like the Republican Party of late, takes a Jaws of Death approach to political discourse. Mr. Frum’s strategic criticism of his party’s virulent approach to the Health Care Reform may or may not prove to be right, but it’s clearly not right-wing enough for the G.O.P. March 26, 2010 |
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Not Sowell thought out thinking: Thomas Sowell may have written scores of books over the years, but his credentials are dubious as “ an intellectual with an immense respect for regular folk…” ( American intellectuals and the ‘fictitious personality' gambit ) This is the man who said “Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face.” Dr. Sowell has a doctorate of philosophy of economics from the University of Chicago. That school's right-wing, libertarian ‘thinking’ gave us Economic Imperialism, disastrous Reaganomics and the depression of 2008. Far from respecting regular folk, he is a shill for the Corporate Elite not unlike his biggest fan, Justice Clarence Thomas. March 29, 2010 |
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Face the facts: Clifford Orwin is mistaking common sense for ethnocentricity. ( No room at the inn for veiled women? Get real, Canada ) The state has the right to identify people using its services. If Photo-ID is deemed reasonable for passports, health insurance cards and driver licences, that assumes authorities have the right to see ones face. Government has the right to know whether someone seeking service is who they say they are. However, government services that do not require such identification, such as at an information kiosk, should not make such a requirement. It’s facial profiling, not racial profiling. March 30, 2010 |
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Regina ex machina: Letter writer Charles Cook suggests a solution to the risky steep-step situation that prevents the Queen from joining the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo on stage. Cook asks “why not use one of those elevators that allows the actor to emerge from the floor with a flourish and a puff of smoke?” Answer: the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics. Her Majesty would not be amused. April 1, 2010 |
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LOL, Lots Of Litigation: Margaret Wente’s column (A bad night at Zesty's and other tales of the rights tribunal ), speaks to Humour Rights not Human Rights. But if this frivolous and vexatious action succeeds, the only one laughing will be the complaining litigant; laughing all the way to the bank. She’s demanded $20,000 in compensation for… wait for it….. being offended in a Comedy Club! Lenny Bruce must be turning in his grave and I bet Mort Sahl is not amused either. April 3, 2010 |
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GG, gtg?: Jane Taber has invited us to submit “wild speculation and oddball nominations’ for the Governor General’s replacement. This reminds me of Mad Magazine’s Scenes We’d Like to See. Snowballs in hell have a better chance, but I would suggest either Joe Clark or Ed Broadbent for their integrity and intelligence. But if Jane Taber is looking for humourous recommendations, I’d suggest Helena Guergis or, for utter irony, Lucien Bouchard. April 3, 2010 |
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O Tempora, O MySpace!: Canadian news reports, citing un-named sources, first claim Michaelle Jean’s term as Governor General will not be renewed and that wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen was offered the post but refused. At cyber-speed this ‘news’ is blogged, flickered and tweeted about. But within 24 hours a real source declares the wheelchair athlete, while honoured at the thought, has never been formally asked. Is this a case of “ all the news that’s flicked to print”? The Globe and Mail might considering changing its name to the Grain of Salt. April 4, 2010 |
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Out of the fire: I agree with J.L. Granatstein that a Canadian peace or war role in the Congo is not possible or even desirable. But does he seriously believe the Afghanistan mission is unpopular with the Canadian public “ because it involves killing and being killed and supporting the United States” ? There are many sound reasons to doubt either the motives or likely outcome of that mission without dredging up straw-man arguments like idealistic pacifism or anti-Americanism. Afghanistan was political and military quicksand from the start. Mr. Granatstein may want to march brave soldiers into Grenadier Pond, but some of think it is just stupid. April 7, 2010 |
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Sex, Lies and Foxy Ladies: Roy MacGreggor finds political scandals in Canada are serious business and not sexy. Has he forgotten the Maxime Bernier ‘affair’ involving biker-babe Julie Coulliard? Ottawa tittle-tattle may not warrant the coverage nor sink to the depths of Fox News, but Helena Guergis is as close as Canada gets to America’s news-worthy former beauty queen, Sarah Palin. The newspaper adage ‘ If it bleeds, it leads’ has a political counterpart, ‘ If it raises a stink, it’s sure to get ink’. April 13, 2010 |
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Rahim Jaffer is certainly exiled from the corridors of power as John Ibbitson suggests. But I doubt there’s any point in prosecuting the former Tory M.P. for improper lobbying. For one thing, we don’t have a jail cell large enough to accommodate his ego or chutzpa. Jaffer’s appearance before the government operations committee may have been embarrassing, but it brought no shame. Looks of disgust in the eyes of others causes embarrassment. Shame, on the other hand, comes when you see those looks in your mirror. April 22, 2010 |
| Unsex-ed or unmanned: Chalk one up for ignorance, intolerance and bullying. After two years of consultation and study on the matter, it took less than two days for Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to back away from school sex education plans. The self-touted ‘Education Premier’ has taught us all the wrong lesson in giving in to the school yard bullies. Clearly, McGuinty was reading from the text book authored by John Tory, “ How to lose an election ”. April 24, 2010 |
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I was intrigued by the philosophical implications of the seven fold problem discussed in the Globe’s Collected Wisdom section. A very thin sheet of paper of infinite length and width, it was theoretically estimated, could be folded 100 times and the resulting paper wad would have a thickness of about 10.7 billion light years. I know this is a bit of a stretch, so to speak, but after 101 folds this theoretical origami could reach back beyond our Big Bang origins 13.5 billion years ago to a time before time. The mind boggles, but I guess the universe is unfolding as it should. April 26, 2010 |
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Two points: try... and get it right: I must take exception to the wording in Doug Saunders’ column about the British election outcome. To wit: “Under the constitution, Brown has the right to try and form a government first…” The United Kingdom does not have a single constitution per se. Rather, it relies on a set of laws and principles such as the supremacy of Parliament, limited monarchy. A history of statutes, court judgements and treaties form the basis of law within this parliamentary framework. Mr. Saunders would also be well advised to use the infinitive ( ‘ try to form’ ) rather than slanguage ( try and form ). May 6, 2010 |
| Alley Opps: Humans carry Neanderthal DNA, researchers find. This goes a long way to explaining the Republican Party in the U.S. May 6, 2010 |
| A slick idea? News sources around the world are reporting of plans to use bundles of human hair to absorb oil spill detritus. ‘How can human hair mop up the oil spill?’ ( BBC ) ‘Hairy idea: Clippings used to absorb oil spill’ ( MSNBC). Questions of blame and liability are also being raised ‘ Oil execs play blame game over spill ‘ ( Globe & Mail ). It’s clear addressing this disaster will be costly; perhaps now we will see who is going toupee. May 11, 2010 |
| Mondegreen, eggcorn, or just puntificating? BP hopes to use a mile long tube to siphon oil leaking from its pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. If this works, they might be able to reclaim some of the precious oil and offset the cost of cleaning up the toxic waste that’s polluting the shoreline. If we’re lucky, a terrible waste can be a beautiful thing to mine. May 16, 2010 |
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It should go the way of the ha'penny: It’s about time Canada abolished the copper penny coin. This numismatic anachronism costs more to make than it’s worth either as currency or as an aid to commerce. Minting pennies stands the saying ‘ a licence to print money’ on its head. The more we make, the more we lose: not a great business model. Anyway, that’s my tu'pence worth. May 27, 2010 |
| All the news one cannot Pan gloss over.I don’t think Margaret Wente’s column (Dare to be an optimist!) reflects either Pangloss or Pollyanna. Her attitude seems closer to a libertarian-Darwinism that implies the best of all possible worlds is best left to the machinations of the status quo. ‘Quo’, unfortunately, is not the status that brings me hope. It is not the writings of Naomi Klein, Robert Fisk, Al Gore or Jeff Rubin that turn my mind to the dark side of cynicism if not pessimism; it’s reading the News and Financial sections of the Globe and Mail. O tempora! O mores! May 29, 2010 |
| McCrap: Kudos to McDonalds for quickly recalling millions of those toxic “Shrek’ glasses. Now if the company could just apply the same care to the food they serve, we’ll all be much healthier. June 4, 2010 |
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DND too PC? I agree with Leah McLaren, we should all give General Ménard a break. Sex and soldiering should not shock the Canadian military. One common term for professional ladies of the night comes from the practice during the American Civil War when a female entourage followed the Northern army on its campaign marches. It was named after General Thomas Hooker. June 5, 2010 |
| Woofers and tweeters down under: After reading of the open air concert for dogs held this week in Sydney, Australia, I wondered which high pitched tunes were chosen. If it was a command performance, I would expect something like ‘Roll Over Beethoven’. The concert premiered Sunday on the steps of the Sydney opera house and will continue until June 20th. If there’s going to be a reprise performance for canine music lovers, may I suggest Sir Elton John’s ‘The Bitch is Back’? June 7, 2010 |
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A comment that takes the cake: Commenting on imminent changes to the value of the Chinese yuan, Shanghai economist Stephen Green cautions that “ The proof will be in the pudding on Monday.” Bankers and traders worldwide may get their just desserts someday, but Mr. Green has made a dog’s dinner of the adage, which should read, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” When a top economist shows the erudition of a Don Cherry, we’re really in the soup and that’s a recipe for disaster. June 20, 2010 |
| The Unmoved mover: In the midst of Ottawa’s earthquake of the century, Stephen Harper ‘didn’t feel the tremors’. ( Earthquake shakes central Canada ) Of course not; the Prime Minister and his party remain insensitive and unmoved after overwhelming anger from Canadians over the cost of the G8/G20 summit. Our PM has not been moved by Canada’s chiefs of police over the gun registry, nor by the Parliamentary Budget Officer on the costs of the so-called Truth in Sentencing Act, nor by Parliamentary committee demands for documents and testimony from civil servants, nor by high court rulings re action on Omar Khadr. Why would we think a mere earthquake would shake him? June 24, 2010 |
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Anarchy of authority is romantic drivel: Your editorial calling for a Security Czar is sound advice. Over the years I have worked with volunteer groups who did not properly understand the need for clear lines of authority. It’s the tragedy of the commons, not as an economic principle but a general organizational truth: when everyone is responsible, no one takes responsibility. It’s only natural; if you are not given the power to see things right, you don’t want to take the blame when things go wrong. Harry Truman comes to mind, ‘ The buck stops here.’ June 25, 2010 |
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Give 'em 'what for!': Marcus Gee’s question “What for? “, referring to the anarchic violence in Toronto this weekend, is the exactly correct question. Sadly, the correct answer is “What against.” The fury and hate fomented by these pathetic souls is all about being against: against what they are not, powerful, respected and very much gainfully employed. I was impressed with the police restraint, given their difficult security G20 mandate while having to handle tens of thousands of peaceful protestors as well as a few hundred hooligans. I hope the justice system gives those violent rioters ‘what for’. June 27, 2010 |
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Naked force and the right to bear arms:
“What good is a right without the gun?”
said Wayne Lapierre |
| Sticks and stones may break my bones, but a billion dollars for security can sure hurt me: A sling shot, bamboo poles and cans of spray paint. Not exactly WMD and certainly not worth a billion dollars in security costs for a two day conference of fatuous photo ops. Sticks and stones can break my bones, but a billion dollars for security can sure hurt me.The confiscated sling shot does provide an ironic touch though; given the small number of hooligans and the thousands of well armed cops, David and Goliath does spring to mind. Luckily the handful of violent rioters didn’t get within a stone’s throw of the security fence. June 29, 2010 |
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We hold these truths...: About 900 protestors and by-standers were detained in the G20 debacle in Toronto. Now some of them are thinking of raising this at the U.N. Human Rights Council. Frankly, their minor tribulations and inconveniences don't bother me much, but as a Canadian the political implications do. This is how police states start: handing over undue power to the state out of fear. When wars on terror or some other evil abstract are cited as cause for relinquishing freedom, it's time we remember the lessons of history. You should only trust the state as far as you can overthrow it. I read somewhere “….it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” That statement, by the way, could be construed as sedition to a paranoid state and such thoughts were back in 1776. Please note, I am making this declaration on July 4th. July 4, 2010 |
| I'm sure glad we didn't pay a million bucks for security on Her Majesty's visit if the RCMP and security handlers just stand idly by while the queen is approached so casually.( Woman breaks free of Toronto crowd to speak with Queen ) But this wasn’t as bad a security breach as standing by watching your patrol cars get trashed and burned. Still, I'm glad they refrained from using sound cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets to maintain a five meter security perimeter around Her Royal Highness. July 5, 2010 |
| Graying with time? No, still Black: Margret Wente wonders about Conrad Black and is “ not so sure he’s all that guilty any more, and if so, of what.” If that were a question, the answer would be fraud, deception, breach of trust, tampering with evidence to name but a few of his crimes and misdemeanours. If his arrogance, hubris and aristocratic indifference have been ameliorated by his time in lock up, then rehab is working for him and I certainly wouldn’t want to cut short such beneficial treatment. July 7, 2010 |
| Is Junk Mail in jeopardy? The debate over privatization of Canada Post is a healthy one and all aspects of the issue should be considered. For instance, what percentage of mail ( by delivery target as well as by volume ) is made up of advertising / junk mail at reduced bulk costs to business. When you factor in ‘householder’ or ‘resident’- addressed mail, it must come to a majority of our postal carriers’ burden. I am a red-dotter and so do not receive such unsolicited post, but very few people know about the program and have their mailboxes crammed with this stuff. Any discounted mail outs constitute a subsidy for business and the government of the day may choose to support such policy. Fair enough. But if sold, will a privatized Canada Post continue this practice and what will be the economic consequences? It’s something to think about. July 9, 2010 |
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Stand on guard for whom? Costs for the Vancouver Olympics ( not counting transportation infrastructure ) was 925 million dollars and it gave Canada something so wonderful it rivals Expo ’67 or the Montreal Olympics of 1972 as an event of national pride. But for a mere 75 million dollars more we could have had the security arrangements for the G8/G20, an event that brought nothing but shame to Canada, in what amounted to little more than a photo-op for the world’s most powerful men ( and one woman ) who were protected by an expensive version of Caesar’s Praetorian Guard. More Expos and Olympics for my tax buck, thank you; but spare me the photo-op summits.July 9, 2010 |
| Consensus; Tories 'con' in the census an Inaction Plan: The Tories seem to oppose anything that smacks of government involvement, even a no brainer like gathering useful information through a long form census ( Tories refuse to reverse census decision ). This isn’t just a rejection of the so-called ‘nanny state’, it’s a dismissal of government’s basic mandate to plan for the future. If this is Harper's Action Plan for Canada, he should go back to the drawing board. July 16, 2010 |
| And I thought the G20 costs were the height of stupidity! New jet fighters will cost the Canadian taxpayer 60 billion dollars! I am reminded of lyrics from 60’s protest singer, the late Phil Ochs as he sang of American military might: “We've got too much money we're looking for toys/ And guns will be guns and boys will be boys” But Canada does not have plenty of money. What we have, we should not waste. Just think, with 60 billion dollars we could host G20 summits three score times and still have change left over to buy some new tasers. July 17, 2010 |
| A Spector haunts the health care system Norman Spector surprises me by faulting Canada’s Health Care system by saying, "Canadian families frequently shoulder 25% of the total cost of palliative care.” This is a bad thing? That 75% is covered through our social/ health care system probably means the state covers what’s needed but that we family members choose to do more and pay extra for the greater enrichment of end of life for our parents. Does that not speak well of our love and personal commitment to familial duty. I would hate to think that only the state will care for and support me in my twilight years. July 17, 2010 |
| The PM's number is up! John Ibbitson rightly assesses the gravity of Statsgate ( pardon the inevitable banality ? ) and his column accurately notes Stephen Harper’s has slipped this in during the summer doldrums when the public are prone to miss a scandal like this; I can only infer the PM’s timing was no coincidence. As an economist, Harper must understand the need for reliable information before planning. So he clearly places political posturing above the nation’s interests. He must back off and, as Ibbitson says, “ Either that, or this thing will still be making headlines when the leaves begin to fall.” And when, one hopes, his minority government falls with them. July 22, 2010 |
Not my cup of tea party, thank you very much Re: Placating the Tory faithful John Ibbitson states the obvious when he writes “ Rarely, if ever, has this ( Harper ) government appeared to court social conservatives on so many fronts.” It’s all a matter of perspective, point of view, how you see things etc. In fact, I’m told that from Calgary, Tories are able to see Sarah Palin serving up sweet, though toxic, delicacies to the witless but faithful at a Tea Party. Now available in Canada, you say? Pity! July 23, 2010 |
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"worst possible motives "... no-duh. Re: The census distracts from a reasonable discussion: As your editorial notes about Statsgate, and this applies to many moves by the Harper government, “it is understandable that the worst possible motives are being inferred.” Review of federal employment equity policy may be proper or it may be something else. Call me a Nervous Nelly but somehow I get the feeling it is equity itself which is ‘under review’. This is the government which earlier, against all reason save political, axed funding to The Gay Pride Parade in Toronto, the largest festival of its kind in the world. At least the opposition’s old battle cry of ‘ secret agenda! ‘ has been put to rest. There’s no secret here. July 24, 2010 |