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Things You Learn On A Ferry Trip!
Things you learn on a Wednesday evening ferry trip! You know things aren’t right when… … you hear your ferry is canceled when you’re already half way there. … your alternative ferry terminal, Horseshoe Bay, is so windy that you don’t leave your vehicle to go to the bathroom. … you find out your 5:00 […]
Is modern music going down the drain?
I recently came across an interesting article on the musical legacy of our current decade (2000-2009). The article, written by Kris Millet for Culture Magazine, takes a dim view of this century’s musical output. His central thesis is that the technological fragmentation of the last 10 years has destroyed our ability to follow a band […]
Anatomy of a Murdered High School Course
On Sept. 22, The Tyee published an articled called “Anatomy of a Murdered High School Course“. Here is the text of my response: ………………….. I appreciate the article, Nick. As an English 12 teacher and part-time college instructor, I can certainly sympathize with your point of view. I’d like to add a few thoughts to […]
Firefighting: A Public Good?
In a 2008 speech for TVO, Naomi Klein discussed the shrinking public sphere in the United States. Already small by Western standards, America’s public sphere appears to be shrinking by the week. One of the few realms of American society that is still considered to be a public good is firefighting and disaster relief. But […]
Jane Jacobs and Gentrification
In a recent review of Anthony Flint’s book on Jane Jacobs (Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs took on New York’s Master Builder and Transformed the American City), Jason Epstein* argues that Jacobs has had a remarkable effect on urban planning and development in North America. Her triumph over Robert Moses and James Felt (New […]
Bucking the Trend
When I was a student at UVic, a professor in the history department had this poster up on his door. It was a favourite of mine, and I have looked for my own copy ever since. I recently came across an online version and thought I would share it with you. ………………… Posted by Colin […]
My letter on multiculturalism is used by the Globe and Mail
On Aug. 25th, a short letter I wrote to writer Daniel Stoffman was used at the beginning of his Globe and Mail question and answer session on multiculturalism. In response to his earlier article, I made the simple point that multiculturalism is not as central to the Canadian fabric as some people believe because there […]
Leaving out certain details
The trouble with truth and journalism is not that the media regularly publishes falsities. It’s that it usually omits important information or emphasizes certain facts over others. Here’s an example: On August 17, 2009, the Vancouver Sun publishes an article with the headline, “Liberals funded by business, NDP by unions“. On the face of it, […]
Neil Boyd … Criminologist in the Clouds
On August 6th, Neil Boyd, a widely quoted criminologist from SFU, wrote an opinion piece that decried those who criticize him and other academic commentators on the issue of crime. Here’s a brief response. ……………….. Neil Boyd, a well known SFU criminologist, seems puzzled that people “don’t like what academics have to say” about crime. […]
Notes and commentary on Chantal Mouffe’s “Deliberative Democracy or Agonistic Pluralism?”
Mouffe, Chantal. “Deliberative Democracy or Agonistic Pluralism?” Social Research 66.3 (Fall 1999): 745-758. ———————- Chantal Mouffe’s article discusses two competing methods of envisioning an extensive (and thus radical) democracy. She confronts the theorists of “deliberative democracy”, particularly Jurgen Habermas, but also summarizes her own epistemological position of “agonistic pluralism”. Her article is clear and succinct, […]