Apologizers and the proudly ignorant
There are two kinds of people who don’t use computers, the internet or social media. The first kind is, I think, wrong but doesn’t bother me. People in this group sound apologetic for not using computers or using email or social media. They are, for the most part, unfamiliar with the tools, search, email, photo […]
We could but we won’t
I watched a PBS NOVA program on the design and construction of the new World Trade Center One at Ground Zero in New York. It is hard to comprehend the brilliance of the design work, the scientific innovation and invention and the steely courage and competence of the trades people who made it stand. What […]
Losers
With the northern parts of the world watching the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, there has been even more discussion of losers than usual. Some years ago, Nike had a commercial saying you don’t win silver, you lose gold. It is a common refrain. It might be a good time to have a discussion about that. […]
US Women’s hockey team weep
With four minutes left to play in the gold medal game at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the U.S. women’s team had a two to zero lead over Canada. Canada fought back, tied the game with seconds to go, and won it in overtime. As with all such games a different bounce in any […]
It takes a generation
David Brooks is the type of conservative I could see liberals being able to work with to effect useful compromise and progress. In Canada’s Parliamentary system, the election of a conservative government led by a Prime Minister who thought like he does would not leave me in panic and despair as a leader like Paul […]
Prayer of thanks
In the past few days, I have seen horrifying reports of arrests in connection with child pornography rings, human sex trafficking and sexual predators on young women. One sting operation lured 200 men. The police said they could have caught many more if they had enough officers to keep up with the messages. I am […]
Grammar Nazis and Les Macramés
I am an aficionado of, not an expert in, English grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and good writing. As such, I cringe at so much of the writing in today’s print media. It irritates me when journalists and editors don’t know how to conjugate lie, lay and lie or know that they are three different verbs. I […]
Entitlements
Much of Tea Party Republican fury with government seems to centre around entitlements. It would appear their resentment is focussed on entitlements to the poor, working poor and middle classes. They seem fine with the entitlements to the rich and corporations, like subsidies on corn for ethanol, tax deductions for oil well depletion, stadiums for […]
Start old age security at birth
For years we have been hearing that the industrial age was near its end. The information age was on the horizon. Transition times are painful but, once the page has been turned, no one really wants to turn it back. When I first came to the Miramichi, the woods were full of leather-skinned, steel-boned, cable-muscled […]
Help First Nations grow up
More and more information about the attempted genocide of First Nations by the residential school system is coming to light even if most people aren’t paying attention. In retrospect, it seems insane that society believed it had a right to and could do good by ripping children from their families and punishing the Indian out […]
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