2024-04-15 13:45
In my previous post, I wrote rather scathingly of Doug Ford and his refusal to put back into the building code a requirement for new home builds to have a plug built in to facilitate EV char… Read More
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Reflections, Observations, and Analyses Pertaining to the Canadian Political Scene
2024-04-12 14:32
There are some days I almost wish I weren't a newspaper reader. That way I wouldn't be confronted daily with the world's stupidity and perhaps not constantly haunted by a jaundiced vie… Read More
2024-04-10 13:40
It will probably come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog that I have a rather low opinion of our species. There are too many small-minded people thinking they are the smartest pe… Read More
2024-04-08 15:09
The crazed populist and evangelical set is trumpeting today's eclipse as yet another indicator of the end times. Marjorie Taylor Greene, never one to pass up an opportunity to display… Read More
2024-04-05 13:14
Maybe. Maybe not, since there is still more time until the end of time. Nonetheless, the following story does seem to suggest that there is no end to the unbridled gall of Don Trump and, und… Read More
2024-04-03 14:20
I take this blog seriously. In it, I try to offer informed aggregation and commentary, and hope that I am never needlessly cruel or uncouth. However, in order to make the point that American… Read More
2024-04-02 13:32
Some days, I truly despair, and words fail me.“He’s definitely been chosen by God,” said Marie Zere, a commercial real estate broker from Long Island who attended the… Read More
2024-04-01 20:22
No doubt the PP crowd on the West Coast is all abuzz over the fact that they will soon enjoy his presence as part of his Axe The Tax tour.No word yet as to whether will be musical accom… Read More
2024-03-31 19:03
On the 'contradictory' relationship PP has with corporate lobbyists:H/t trapdinawrpool.bsky.socialRecommend this Post Read More
2024-03-28 14:07
In this age of economic deprivation for so many, it is understandable that people seek relief wherever they can find it. Some do without, some shop at discount stores, some take second jobs… Read More
2024-03-27 01:20
From the theatre of the absurd comes Donald Trump's latest scam. He will be getting royalties from this special edition Bible. Truly, we are in The End Times.Recommend this Post Read More
2024-03-26 17:56
John Stewart - love the guy. Kevin O'Leary - detest the guy. Blowhards have always rubbed me the wrong way. Happily, the two diametrically opposed personages are together in the following vi… Read More
2024-03-23 14:09
I have done a great deal of reading in the past couple of years on The Civil War, slavery, Reconstruction, the Jim Crow laws that followed it, Black Codes, and the mythology of The Los… Read More
2024-03-22 12:16
Willy Loman - Death of A SalesmanBrian Mulroney - Late Canadian SalesmanIn a previous post, I discussed what I considered to be one of the shortcomings of the late prime minister, Brian Mulr… Read More
2024-03-21 20:50
Just a brief post, but reading The Guardian today, I am reminded that Jesus said, "The poor will always be with you." He could just as easily have said the same about the stupid:Trump pleads… Read More
2024-03-19 13:14
Please see my previous post for elaboration on Mr. Weston's dubious practices.Recommend this Post Read More
2024-03-15 15:56
Given that he is never seen publicly anymore, I am beginning to wonder if Galen Weston Jr, the president of Loblaw Companies Ltd., is in witness protection. If not, given the extortion… Read More
2024-03-13 16:16
Owing to a rather sensitive gag reflex, I only watched about two minutes of Senator Katie Britt's 'response' to Joe Biden's State of The Union address in which I gather, she blamed the presi… Read More
2024-03-12 15:40
And continuing with the theme of stupidity, here is an AI-generated video that speaks much truth.WARNING: Do not watch if you are offended by crude language.If you want more stupid, how abou… Read More
2024-03-11 13:44
For those who are congenitally stupid, I have much sympathy. For those who are stupid yet think they are the smartest person in the room, I have only disdain. And it is the latter that this… Read More
2024-03-08 14:19
I dare.Given the hagiography that has unfolded since the passing of Brian Mulroney, I now take a step into waters that his enthusiasts might deem sacrilegious, even blasphemous. Despite his… Read More
2024-03-04 16:43
With even Britain's Labour Party avowing no new taxes on the wealthy, it is refreshing when one reads about people of means asking to be taxed more. In the United States, it is the billionai… Read More
2024-03-01 00:12
While I have written extensively in the past about tax evasion and avoidance in light of the revelations of both the Panama and Paradise Papers, I felt it was time to do an update. To summar… Read More
2024-02-24 15:30
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. ”― George OrwellIt is very easy… Read More
2024-02-21 20:39
Two strong Black women, Fanni Willis in Georgia and Latitia James in New York, have proven relentless in their pursuit of justice. As proven last week, despite efforts to disqualify he… Read More
2024-02-17 15:54
..... butH/t Theo MoudakisRecommend this Post Read More
2024-02-15 17:44
I realize that progressives are largely loathe to criticize the Trudeau government. Given the simplistic, either-or, black-and-white thinking of much of the electorate, such criticism is fra… Read More
2024-02-13 21:03
In the ongoing debasement of democracy, Ontario's Doug Ford is certainly playing his part. With his populist deck fully stacked, his latest effort to pander to the lowest common denominator… Read More
2024-02-13 14:44
H/t Theo MoudakisRecommend this Post Read More
2024-02-10 14:35
As one who taught high school for 30 years, I have always believed in the power of education. It is the best and perhaps the only way to narrow the disparities that exist in society. In my e… Read More
2024-02-08 15:46
For the past couple of years I have been reading about the antebellum South, the Civil War, and the so-called Reconstruction era that followed. My reading has uncovered a number of things th… Read More
2024-02-06 17:14
There is an article in today's Star about the threat to Canadian democracy posed by artificial intelligence. However, I can't help but wonder if the real threat is human stupidity.Raisa… Read More
2024-02-02 16:33
That's all it will take (actually, $12 million more) according to Police Chief Myron Demkiw to keep chaos and blood from running in the streets of Toronto. Reeling from the effort of city co… Read More
2024-01-30 18:19
Not sure it is the best for Ontario taxpayers, though.If you have been following the news here in Ontario, you will know that the government, in its deep wisdom, is relocating some privately… Read More
2024-01-28 15:09
Recently, I finished reading a book called The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, by Robert Levine. The American Civil War and its aft… Read More
2024-01-25 14:46
In my previous post, I mused about how much better society could be if we had fair and progressive taxation, taxation that forced those who make a lot to pay a little more. It almost seems a… Read More
2024-01-22 18:16
As a matter of course, I allow myself one hour of television news per evening, 30 minutes local and 30 minutes of either American or Canadian national news. It is a practice I highly recomme… Read More
2024-01-18 14:52
Most nights, after watching a half-hour of American news, my presence at the dinner table is suffused with cynicism and disgust. Tales of violence, savagery and complete disregard for… Read More
2024-01-15 15:09
If you read my previous post, you will know that the recent failure of a door plug in an Alaska Air flight was presaged by the air crashes of two 737 Max-8 flights, one in 2018 and one five… Read More
2024-01-13 15:10
I will be the first to admit that my viewing tastes are unusual for a man my age. I enjoy the off-kilter, the unusual, even the bizarre in movie/streaming fare. And although I ne… Read More
2024-01-08 16:33
No matter where you stand on the Israeli war against Gazans, undeniable is the fact that many, many innocent lives are being lost. One report estimates that 100 children a day are killed, an… Read More
2024-01-05 18:08
I 'm sorry to report that the American race to the bottom continues. The above is not a satire, but rather a post by Trump on his social media platform and will no doubt find an ea… Read More
2024-01-03 15:21
Regular readers may have noticed that I have not been posting very much in the last month or so. In addition to it having been a busy Christmas season, the other reason stems from my own out… Read More
2024-01-01 14:34
And Patrick Corrigan offers this apt and incisive cartoon to help us usher in the new year.While the threats to democracy are world-wide, three former Trump staffers warn the danger is… Read More
2023-12-31 14:36
As we move with both hope and trepidation into 2024, here are a few reflections, through a Canadian lens, on what happened this year, as recalled by my favourite editorial cartoonist, Theo M… Read More
2023-12-21 17:49
In the movie, Forrest Gump famously replied when asked if he was stupid, "Stupid is as stupid does."It is advice American voters should ponder in 2024:Recommend this Post Read More
2023-12-10 16:47
A friend sent me the following, Stephen Fry reading a letter from musician Nick Cave about the nature of creativity and how ChatGPT essentially short-circuits that process. Quite thought-pro… Read More
2023-12-08 18:36
I sometimes think, in my more cynical and dark moments, that our species really has not evolved very much beyond our tribal roots. Examine our collective deportment today, and it is easy to… Read More
2023-12-02 17:13
You have perhaps heard of the Orwellian-named group, Moms For Liberty, whose main mission seems to be to ensconce themselves on school boards so they can restrict the books children have acc… Read More
2023-12-01 13:24
H/t MoudakisOne has to wonder, given the lack of any real movement on a national pharmacare program, whether Justin Trudeau is gambling on Jagmeet Singh's NDP being more afraid of an early e… Read More
2023-11-28 17:13
Having worked as a teacher for 30 years, I am well-aware of the politics that pervades and blights education. The higher one goes up the ladder, the more one is concerned about damage contro… Read More
2023-11-25 16:42
One of the pleasures of my retired life is going out for long walks with former colleagues. Having taught at the same school, we have known each other for many years and, dare I say, we are… Read More
2023-11-22 16:19
There are many reasons that can be adduced for the declining health of democracy: widespread disaffection from the political process; pervasive anger among citizens; the disproportionate inf… Read More
2023-11-20 15:03
Despite our professed admiration for things that have withstood the test of time (heritage buildings, old literature and traditional values come to mind), it is undeniable that there is much… Read More
2023-11-16 01:56
This took place at a school board meeting in Virginia. The rest is self-explanatory.Recommend this Post Read More
2023-11-15 14:09
The woes of the world are wearing me down. I therefore choose to change channels completely today and focus on comedy, one of the few escapes this world permits almost everyone.There are fiv… Read More
2023-11-10 14:57
... you will get this, the latest from Moudakis.Recommend this Post Read More
2023-11-09 13:36
Increasingly, it seems that free speech and freedom of expression are contingent upon whether the powers that be approve of your views. Recent events surrounding the Israel-Gaza war undersco… Read More
2023-11-07 13:49
Let's face it: life is grim these days, the Israeli-Hamas war but another reminder of our collective inhumanity, not just in the perpetration of evil acts of destruction but also in the very… Read More
2023-11-03 17:58
As the war between Israel and Gaza rages on, it is almost too painful to watch the devastation that the former is inflicting on the latter. I have always been steadfast in my view that criti… Read More
2023-10-31 14:37
I guess we never really outgrow Halloween, especially when the auguries spell something scary for Doug Ford.And editorial cartoonists are certainly trying to put the fear of God into the pre… Read More
2023-10-29 17:04
With the NDP imploding under the weight of idealists and ideologues, and with some calling for the resignation of Marit Stiles, the following editorial cartoon seems to hit its target:T… Read More
2023-10-26 17:13
I have never been much of a joiner. I never really participated in team sports, committees (unless I had no choice), or group endeavours. There is something about the passionate intensity of… Read More
2023-10-23 14:55
The Israeli-Gaza war is heart-breaking, so much so that I find I cannot look at imagery of the dead on both sides. The Hamas attack on Israel was horrific, but so is the Israeli retaliation… Read More
2023-10-22 00:35
This is all we can really say:Recommend this Post Read More
2023-10-14 15:54
I have thus far refrained from writing anything about the atrocities taking place in The Middle East. I have nothing constructive to add to the debate. However, I can't help but make an obse… Read More
2023-10-13 13:16
There is a saying that, in many cases is a mere platitude: "Time heals all wounds." Often said to the bereaved, it is meant to impart that there are better days ahead; things will get better… Read More
2023-10-10 19:46
I've been feeling pretty disgusted lately with our world, given our impending climate doom and the humanitarian crises and wars going on. Those pungent testaments to our profound failures as… Read More
2023-10-09 15:03
And let us give thanks that we do not live in the Benighted States of Amerika.Recommend this Post Read More
2023-10-08 14:37
If the Doug Ford government has any credibility left (a big IF), it has taken yet another hit, thanks to a Star investigation. Uncovered is yet another example of the cronyism that shou… Read More
2023-10-06 14:24
Readers will know that Ontario premier Ford cares little for environmental matters. One remembers his rash act upon assuming power of enthusiastically tearing up 750 green energy contracts… Read More
2023-10-05 15:28
Fires are burning in the House of Ford (not the fashion mogul's, but rather the corrupt and incompetent one that 'rules' our province). That increasing attention is being paid to the sometim… Read More
2023-10-04 14:40
In addition to the blatant corruption of the Ford cabal, my other ongoing obsession is with all that Donald Trump represents for a rapidly-declining Amerika.Here, John Kelly, his former chie… Read More
2023-09-30 17:43
The uproar over the Greenbelt theft has died down to a seething anger, despite Doug Ford's promise to restore it. There is ongoing anger over the fact that he lied to us, anger over his apol… Read More
2023-09-27 13:35
Some of you, especially if you live outside of Ontario, are likely tired of hearing about the Greenbelt Scandal. Since I reside in the province, its tentacles of corruption continue to both… Read More
2023-09-26 12:33
And today's thought comes us from the mighty Moudakis:Recommend this Post Read More
2023-09-25 15:14
As I wrote in my previous post, I am not in a forgiving mood, now that Doug Ford, in order to desperately try to salvage his and his government's reputation, has promised to restore and neve… Read More
2023-09-22 14:59
Make no mistake about it: I am absolutely delighted that the Ford cabal has, albeit quite belatedly, seen the light and is restoring the pilfered Greenbelt lands. But, like puppies receiving… Read More
2023-09-21 13:57
... didn't stay in Vegas. Consequently, another one bites the dust. Dean Blundell explains all:The corruption obviously runs deep, and it runs from the top down. Doug the Slug is… Read More
2023-09-20 17:34
Sometimes it's difficult to know what is going on in the mind and motivation of Ontario premier Doug Ford. Is he merely a benighted soul who embraces a simple mantra of 'private sector good… Read More
2023-09-20 13:58
Just a change of pace for today. Besides, have you ever seen Samuel L. Jackson give a bad performance?Recommend this Post Read More
2023-09-17 12:56
What's good for the silly goose should be good for the gander, eh?Recommend this Post Read More
2023-09-14 13:39
crimes against humanitya deliberate act, typically as part of a systematic campaign, that causes human suffering or death on a large scale.One hardly knows where to begin, but one… Read More
2023-09-12 17:32
Despite all of Doug Ford's bluster and lies about how important the Greenbelt is to meet his goal of building 1.5 million new homes in the next 10 years, the reality of real estate in Ontari… Read More
2023-09-11 13:23
H/t Patrick CorriganI'm fairly certain that readers who have stuck with me during my protracted postings on the Doug Ford corruption scandal are growing a bit weary of my apparent monomania… Read More
2023-09-09 14:19
Woke up this morning thinking of some lyrics from The Police:… Every move you makeAnd every vow you breakEvery smile you fakeEvery claim you stakeI'll be watching youThen I found… Read More
2023-09-08 21:41
If the people of Hamilton are any indication, the citizen fury against Doug Ford's brazen and corrupt theft of Greenbelt lands continues unabated.In a meeting ostensibly called to get input… Read More
2023-09-05 10:19
The title of this post is likely known to most. It means taking actions that will do nothing to avert disaster. And that is precisely what Doug Ford is doing as his response to the Greenbelt… Read More
2023-09-04 16:09
What can be said about the overdue resignation of Housing Minister Steve Clark, other than that it is only a good start? His departure from cabinet (which I am sure is only temporary) is eit… Read More
2023-09-01 12:42
Just another short post today. There is a scene in my favourite Shakespearean play, Hamlet, in which King Claudius, who killed his brother and stole his crown, is suddenly overcome with guil… Read More
2023-08-31 13:19
Regrettably, I don't have too much time these days to post, and today is another busy day, so I shall leave you with the following editorial cartoon from Greg Perry, and links to some… Read More
2023-08-26 16:50
The Enclosure Movement was a push in the 18th and 19th centuries to take land that had formerly been owned in common by all members of a village, or at least available to the public fo… Read More
2023-08-24 14:44
While a flurry of columns, articles and editorials continue to rail against the Doug Ford cabal theft of Greenbelt lands, I thought that a couple of editorial cartoons might be sufficient fo… Read More
2023-08-22 14:31
As most of us know, magicians use misdirection to accomplish their seemingly amazing feats. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, the process is seamless and awe-inspiring. In the hands of… Read More
2023-08-19 15:20
It is a word that I don't often use, but it is one that seems especially apt in describing the Greenbelt corruption stench currently assaulting us in Ontario.Many Ontarians, as I have been p… Read More
2023-08-17 15:35
H/t MoudakisHere in Ontario, there are two reasons our air quality is compromised: this summer's ongoing forest fires and the stench of corruption whose source is Queen's Park. Of the two ch… Read More
2023-08-15 15:45
No, I'm not referring either to cancer or a crude anatomical term. The "C" word of the day, and of many, many days ahead, I hope, is CORRUPTION, writ large when thinking about and referring… Read More
2023-08-14 17:03
I realize that on the surface, the troubles we face in Ontario are likely of little more than passing interest to those living in other jurisdictions. However, wherever citizens live, any go… Read More
2023-08-13 13:12
H/t Greg PerrySome people have very deep, expansive pockets.Recommend this Post Read More
2023-08-12 13:35
Most have probably heard about or seen the video of the violent confrontation occurring in Montgomery, Alabama the other day. A riverboat was unable to dock because a group of white lo… Read More
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