Author Archives:
Create a WordPress Entry with Word 2010
If you’re not a fan of the online text-entry tool provided by WordPress, and you want to create your blog entry locally with a rich text editor, then Microsoft Office’s Word 2010 is an excellent option. Word 2010 offers a blogging tool with most of the same functions as Word’s standard text editor, and it […]
Personalized Learning? Unlikely…
The latest buzz-phrase in education is “personalized learning”. Like so many other education bandwagons, it has enjoyed a surge in popularity in university education programs, the provincial Ministry of Education, and recent education conferences. In December of 2010, the BC Ministry of Education and the Premier’s Technology Council [PTC] published its Vision for 21st Century […]
The Decline of the American Empire
A recurring media topic these days is the cultural, economic and political decline of the American Empire. It’s reflected in a large number of books, blogs and mainstream news stories. My former professor, Morris Berman, writes a popular blog, Dark Ages America, almost singularly devoted to the theme. Perhaps you’re skeptical? Well, if you […]
Some Random Thoughts on the Federal Election
The pollsters were more accurate than I thought. I’m used to the NDP getting a surge of support during a campaign, only to have it disappear on election night. However, the collapse of the BQ and the Liberals was so substantial that the NDP filled the vacuum. I guess somebody had to take the seats. […]
Tea Party Contradictions
One of the most fascinating examples of the absurdity of US politics has been the Tea Party movement. Populated largely by angry and frightened working class and middle class (white) Americans, the movement proves that contradictions are rarely a barrier to political action. At the core of the problem is a series of demands by […]
More anti-Conservative links!
Making the rounds is a humourous attack on Stephen Harper and the Conservatives (but mostly Stephen Harper); it’s the aptly-named website shitharperdid.ca. It covers some of the same ground as my own list, but it does add a few new whoppers. The art work and slide show format are things I can’t compete with! […]
Sun Media Brings Fox News to Canada
This is almost hilarious. It must be the most absurd media promo I’ve ever seen – as if it’s a parody made by the people at The Colbert Report or The Onion. Unfortunately, these yahoos are serious. Posted by Colin Welch at 8:21 PM Edited on: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 5:20 PM
Why I Would Never Vote for Harper’s Conservatives: A List
Sometimes you need a list to keep yourself organized, or at least to remember all the things you don’t want to forget. With this in mind, I’ve decided to create a list of all the reasons why I would never vote for Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. Here they are, in no particular order: Prorogation: The cynicism […]
Hypocrisy Reigns
Now that the federal Conservatives have fallen after a litany of ethical and legal transgressions, it looks like they are using the bogeyman of a coalition against their opponents. This 2004 letter is all you need for a response: ……….. September 9, 2004 Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D. Governor […]
Dogs, Children, Culling…
Don’t get me wrong: I like dogs. But our society’s love for dogs sometimes goes over the top. Is it because they are a substitute for the children we haven’t had for decades? Or the children we will never have, period? Whatever it is, it seems wholly disproportionate to the other challenges we face, especially […]