H/t MoudakisI'll readily admit that upon first learning that Kamala Harris would likely replace Joe Biden in this year's presidential race, I was somewhat dismayed. The history of vice-presi… Read More

The battle for the future of America looks like it is down to two people. The following requires little comment from me, as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris stake out their sides. With hi… Read More

That America has become a house divided is so obvious it hardly needs stating. That Don Trump has played a major role in cultivating and growing that division should also be obvious to minds… Read More

On this blog I have never made a secret of my disdain for those who are willfully ignorant and mindlessly led. To allow someone else to do our thinking for us is unforgivably lazy and a comp… Read More

I have been avoiding most American news these days, given how the media are fixated both on the  attempt against Trump's life and his coronation via the Republican National Convention… Read More

Those who read this blog with any regularity likely know that I make frequent reference to the importance of critical thinking. As I have said before, it is an ideal toward which I am always… Read More

While it is shaping up to be a summer of meteorological heat, there is another kind quickly building in Ontario. And, despite a summer sojourn at his new, palatial cottage, Doug Ford cannot… Read More

 ... if not in actuality, then in spirit. I said this in my previous post regarding the current LCBO strike: The longer the strike goes on, the more opportunities thirsty… Read More

I often wonder how many Ontarians realize that we are led by a premier addicted ideologically to the private sector. A man hobbled by a limited education and intellectual breadth, Doug Ford'… Read More

My previous post addressed a concern that the media are writing narratives for us, telling us what to think, creating a consensus that may be at variance with reality. I cited the conclusion… Read More

Regular readers of this blog will likely know that I have great faith in the so-called legacy media, especially newspapers. The reasearch and thought that go into articles and columns far su… Read More

Although an inveterate cynic, for about one minute yesterday I felt something odd and rare: a moment of hope. The basis for that was an interview with Bonnie Crombie, the 'leader' of the Ont… Read More

 I'm away right now, but thought I would share a Twitter post by Mike Hudema, who devotes himself to matters of the environment. His posts show what is possible and indirectly cast ligh… Read More

When the next federal election comes, there are those who will vote with a certitude we all should be wary of. Because they are sick of Justin Trudeau, many will eagerly cast their vote for… Read More

Those who read this blog with any regularity likely know that I am not an ideologue. While I consider myself progressive, it does not mean that I am blind to the faults of either the Liberal… Read More

A disturbing report in The Star suggests there has been a serious campaign of disinformation to promote Islamophobia in Canada. The source of this campaign? The state of Israel.I have added… Read More

One of the plays I most enjoyed teaching during my career was Death of a Salesman. It told the tale of a salesman, Willy Loman, who lived a delusional life, never acknowledging his shortcomi… Read More

Perhaps the aging infrastructure at Queen's Park cannot handle the heat that builds up in the legislature. Perhaps that is why Doug Ford has decided that all MPPs deserve an early summer bre… Read More

Although I am past the age where I would consider attending a concert (unless James Taylor were performing),  I follow with interest the efforts the Americans are taking to bust the vir… Read More

My good friend Dave in Winnipeg was reading my blog the other day about the expensive Doug Ford Follies regarding expanded beer and wine sales in Ontario. The experience of Manitobans in suc… Read More

The ads making the rounds these days from the PC war room tell you all you need to know about Doug Ford's view of the electorate: they are stupid - mere Pavlovian dogs that will salivate acc… Read More

H/t Theo MoudakisWhen my son was young, he had a Magic 8 Ball which, if you asked it a question, would attempt to answer it after a fashion. One of its most frequent responses was something… Read More

 ... Doug Ford seems to have an unhealthy preoccupation with alcohol. Or perhaps he wholehearted believes that the way to a (wo)man's heart is through the bottle?At a time when increasi… Read More

Lately, I have been spending more time reading than writing. A tome I have almost finished is a biography of Albert Einstein by Walter Isaacson. While I do not pretend to understand the phys… Read More

Sometimes, no commentary is necessary. Their words indict themselves and their government: Marjorie Taylor Greene: “Why don’t you debate me?” AOC: “I think it&r… Read More

The following is hard to watch, but captures the unadulterated hatred for Palestinians that grips some Israelis as they work hard to stop humanitarian aid to Gaza:The narrative has clearly c… Read More

Pay no attention to the talking fool. Judging by the following video of a Trump rally, many, many agreed.Please note that I only listened to about 1;30 minutes of this bore, and out of consi… Read More

H/t Theo MoudakisA new report finds a dramatic rise in antisemitism in Canada since the Hamas attack in Israel provoked a protracted, ongoing invasion of Gaza, thus far killing over 35,000 P… Read More

Say what you will about Piers Morgan, but the following interview is hard-hitting and apt. I can't imagine North American journalists going after someone in this manner.@QasimRashidWell done… Read More

As the saying goes, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. And, dare I say, even PP might correctly take the people's pulse on occasion. However, even if he does say something that our m… Read More

In my previous post I discussed how media shape the narratives by which we interpret the world. I used as its example the near-hysteria surrounding changes in the capital-gains attribution r… Read More

As a regular consumer of media, I find myself more and more looking for patterns. While there is likely no such thing as totally consistent media narratives, I do think a preponderance of pr… Read More

“Someone must have been telling lies about Joseph K., for without having done anything wrong he was arrested one fine morning.”― Franz Kafka, The TrialOne of the… Read More

One has to hand it to the Americans. They seem endlessly inventive when it comes to devising new ways to inflict mayhem. However, while the following is legal in 48 states, I am sorry to inf… Read More

H/t Graeme MacKay Yesterday's post highlighted the rush to judgement many people embraced when Ulmar Zameer was charged with murdering a police officer. People like Doug Ford, John Tory… Read More

It is obviously just human nature to sometimes react with outrage and certitude when confronted with something that seems to beggar common sense. We have likely all experienced such a respon… Read More

Quite predictably, the rich have reacted with great bitterness to the new budget, in particular the part requiring them to pay more tax on capital gains that exceed $250 thousand. To hear th… Read More

Well, Tim Horton's has done it again - disappointed their customers. Of course, that's nothing new, but I'm not referring here to the mediocre coffee that is inexplicably a national icon. No… Read More

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

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

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

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

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

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

 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

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

 On the 'contradictory' relationship PP has with corporate lobbyists:H/t trapdinawrpool.bsky.socialRecommend this Post Read More

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please see my previous post for elaboration on Mr. Weston's dubious practices.Recommend this Post Read More

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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

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

 ..... butH/t Theo MoudakisRecommend this Post Read More

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

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

H/t Theo MoudakisRecommend this Post Read More

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This took place at a school board meeting in Virginia. The rest is self-explanatory.Recommend this Post Read More

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

 ... you will get this, the latest from Moudakis.Recommend this Post Read More

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

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

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

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

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