| 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. |
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 |
|
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 |
-
Fox News scores in
the culture wars
-
With one more voice
awailin’.
-
The ultra right
will now wage their fight
-
With the help of
one Sarah Palin.
-
-
This Joan of Arc of
all forces dark
-
Will misuse
language quaint.
-
With logic-defying
and outright lying
-
She’ll cast all the
news that aint.
-
-
Even 'more dumber'
than Joe the Plumber,
-
Sarah promotes
ideas that getcha,
-
Like devious shots
about death panel plots.
-
Will Fox News give
them credit? You betcha!
January
12, 2010 |
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
|
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
|
|
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 |
|
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 |
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
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|
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 |
|
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 |
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
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 |
|
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 |
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 |
|
‘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 |
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
|
|
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 |
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
|
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
|
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
|
|
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 |
|
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 |
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
|
|
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 |
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
|
|
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 |
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
|
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
|
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
|
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 |
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
|
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 |
Home spun truths:
Most MPs are reluctant to divulge the
specifics of their expenses. Of course, they
should submit to an open audit by the
Auditor-General, but it’s obvious why they
won’t. They can only lose and have nothing to
gain. All MPs, regardless of party, have one
thing in common: They’re all incumbents. Their
opponents in the next election would have the
advantage of no record to defend. Any record of
expense can be “spun” as being inappropriate or
excessive and therefore used as ammunition to
fight an opponent. It isn’t that our members of
Parliament fear the truth; they just dread the
spin. What a sad state of affairs. May 18,
2010
|
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
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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 |
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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 |
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
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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 |
I forget, I
think: It’s reassuring
to discover my failing memory is just a natural
consequence of aging and information overload (Collected
Wisdom – June 12). These days I can’t even
remember what I’m trying to forget. June 19,
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 |
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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 |
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,
executive vice-president of the National Rifle Association commenting on
the Supreme Court decision. How quintessentially American. Thank you. I
will celebrate Canada Day this week with even greater joy and thank my
lucky stars I live in Canada. June 29,
2010 |
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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 |
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
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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
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