LIST
OF CONTRIBUTORS |
Log Cabin Chronicles | DEC 2019 OPINION
STOPPING
COVID-19 ~ WITH VALIUM? Posted 1.12.21 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | One of the lesser-noted effects of Covid-19 and its lockdown is the
sudden and widespread proliferation of scientific expertise. There's a
touch of sarcasm here.
ON KEEPING WITS ABOUT
US Posted 12.23.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Lesson
number one: The pandemic's lockdown may be teaching us a thing or two,
despite it's costs. One lesson is obvious: how deeply we all depend upon
contact and communication with others. The opposite side of that coin
may be that we also are learning to live with our own selves, without
the contact we took for granted in the past.
WHAT'S WRONG
WITH "SOCIALISM"? Posted
11.15.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | American friends are certainly now on
the road to a healing presidential term. The Republicans may rant about
individual counts, but we can also be certain that they are busy
studying their playbook, "How to Sabotage a Democrat
President."
Posted
11.4.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Our world is so
connected Ñ everyone's in touch with everyone else, all the time. People
out for a nice dinner spend much of it on their Faceplant posts. Kids go
to sleep with their phones under their pillows, ready for the beep-beep.
We have messages from everywhere, about all topics Ñ with accompanying
video bursts. It's a little exhausting, really, when you stand back and
look at it all unfolding, day after day.
Social upheavals: the
money trail Posted 10.19.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | It
seems clear that modern societies have major inequities virtually built
in -- when 1-to-2 percent of the population controls well over 50
percent of the wealth and income increases, or when we have a few
families controlling majorities of the properties and assets of the
world. This is inherently unstable -- as the wealthy classes and
oligarchs learned in France, Britain's American colonies, Russia, China,
Cuba, and others, prior to major revolutions.
We have a Big Biz model
-- Hydro-Quebec Posted 8.30.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
Before the pandemic, the media, including this newspaper, received a
steady flow of messaging from business associations and pro-business
foundations and think-tanks. Apart from immediate flash-points (any
change to tax law, for example), these messages have been consistently
critical of any government intervention in the economy, and even in
social matters. Some even urge privatizing health-care.
Mini-nuke reactors Ñ
from the Ottawa River Valley to the world? Posted
6.22.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Just when Canada has its
attention diverted by policing protests and the pandemic, and with no
urgent need, a group of corporations has launched a new zombie attack:
Chalk River will rise from the ashes of that terrible plan to build a
astoundingly large radioactive dump just up stream from most of the
Pontiac's population. Fellas, it's Mother Day Posted
5.10.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | The pandemic, no matter
how close or distant it seems to any of us, is affecting us all, and,
the most social amongst us, women Ñ largely, women Ñ appear to feel the
lockdown's limitations most profoundly. What can be done to help?
Certainly not demanding that the isolation rules be dropped. But how can
we help our partners? How can we ease their anxieties, as well as our
own, with so much isolation?
China-bashing looks
backwards, not to the future Posted 2.28.20 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | China, both "communist" yet
economically successful -- something's wrong there! -- plus racially
different: there's an enemy for us! That seems to have been the extent
of a lot of the mental activity within the Canadian/American thinking
class (as they like to characterize themselves). And, presto, we are
awash in accusations of industrial spying, 5-G sabotage (via Huawei),
COVID-19 rumour-mongering, and the maleficent intentions of the Belts
& Roads initiative, plus the spread of Confucius Institutes - around
the world!
IN CANADA: MEXIT to the
Pontiac? Posted 1.24.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Although
Quebec's Pontiac region is no royalist hot-bed, the plight, or flight,
or fight, of the Duke & Duchess of Sussex has captured the attention
of many of us. It has been a long time since anything much Royal was on
the tongues of the Pontiac -- not, perhaps, not since the hoopla about
creating a Duchy of Pontiac! And that was the early '90s.
IN CANADA: Conservative --
or conservative? Posted 1.3.20 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | So
the Conservatives of Canada are about to pick a new leader -- giving
us even more exciting and stimulating campaigning! -- The need is
obvious, but shouldn't we finish digesting all that we were fed prior to
October 21? -- Is what we call democracy just being in a big rush?
Tune-up the nuclear waste
plan? Are they crazy? Posted 12.29.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | This is an opinion column. I live within Chalk
River's disaster radius; my children and grandchildren, too -- as do
thousands of Canadians. The issue is not a technical detail here and a
repair-job there, the central fact is that this consortium is proposing
to store mega amounts of toxic materials in our back yard.
News? What the
heck? Posted 12.11.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
When the news is delivered to us -- daily via air-waves, paper or device
-- are we getting the news? Or are we given an interpretation of the
news? Take this fall's federal election -- big news. What we received
were the election results, but inevitably delivered to us as an opinion,
and as a car-wreak: the result was an unstable minority government,
radical regional divisions, under-performing leaders.
Bringing it all back
home Posted 12.3.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | As several
friends and I were driving recently, one passenger noticed that all four
of us had been part of the quot;back-to-the-landersquot; movement in the
Pontiac in the 1970-80s. He was glum about it. quot;We didn't re-invent
any wheels -- all pretty naive!quot; Naive, yes, but inventing wheels
was never the plan when my wife and I bought an abandoned farm on the
Coulonge River in 1972.
Our rural Quebec hospital:
death by a thousand cuts? Posted 11.30.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | For those of us who have spent the best part of
our lives in the Pontiac, the single institution which represents our
community is the modern hospital in Shawville. Up until the last five
years or so, Pontiac's hospital was ranked as one of the best-run,
most-successful of all Quebec's rural hospitals. We have supported and
fund-raised it -- and we feel especially fortunate to have it serving
us, when we hear horror stories from nearby city hospitals.
Canada's Election 2019:
What went right? Posted 11.24.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
It's puzzling why most media reports the election just past as a
failure, a political car-crash. Apart from specific contests, and
certainly for the NDP & Greens, and Liberals on the prairies, apart
from them, what went wrong?
Hey, Canada, one more
election thing... Posted 11.7.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | The election isn't over. Tired of election
talk? Sorry, but many seem still fascinated with the ins and outs of the
campaign. Trudeau's victory, qualified as it is, remains a victory and
one worth remembering when we consider how much ground the Liberals were
able to make up during the brief campaign. "Brief", compared
to the Americans.
Let's make Hydro-Quebec a
verb. And use it. Posted 10.25.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | With at minimum six parties powering (sometimes
sputtering) through the federal campaign just passed, voters had a
near-full slate of proposals to choose from. Not full; nearly full.
Canada had no Bernie Sanders -- nor any Trump either -- even the NDP
with its innovative record, or the Greens' wisely generous proposals,
and the new PPC on the Right, offering a tight-fisted menu, and even
with the Bloc back in the game -- plenty of voices, plenty of bases
covered, and yet the solutions proposed by all of the parties are the
old ones, slightly tweaked, pumped up or budget-slimmed ... but hardly
novel.
UN steps into Chalk River
radioactive dump dispute Posted 10.10.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | After over a year of side-stepping the dangers
of a proposal to create a mega-dump for radioactive materials at Chalk
River, along the Ottawa River above the Pontiac, it appears the United
Nations itself has intervened. Acting on complaints from five First
Nations and about 40 citizen groups, the federal government invited the
United Nation's atomic energy overseer (IAEA) to investigate. An
24-member investigative team wrapped up its survey, September 13.
Bah, what do kids
know!< Posted 10.1.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | So much
praise for the climate-action demonstrations of the youth last week!
Finally modern kids are waking up -- "the way we woke up in the
Sixties,", or "fighting Free Trade in the Americas," or
"protesting globalisation." But others dismiss the whole thing
with a "Bah, humbug, what do kids know!"
Ottawa Flooding: our
river, our selves Posted 9.15.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | The flooding of 2019 is not over -- we are
still dealing with its aftermath. One issue is the province's
flood-plain identification plan with its preliminary mapping and
building restrictions. These questions cover the province, wherever
flooding occurred.
Election Canada: guess
who's back! Posted 8.31.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | The IDU's
own funding is unclear, since most comes from non-profit foundations
which do not have to reveal their funding amounts nor the people
involved. The Koch Brothers, US billionaires, have not been shy. One
former employee, Mike Roman (his Koch salary in 2016: $286,000), has sat
not only on the US Republican Party National Committee but as treasurer
of the IDU. He has acknowledged, with pride, digging up dirt on liberals
of all stripes, on environmental groups, unions, etc.
A national debate in
Canada on Climate Change? Posted 8.21.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | National polls consistently register that
"action on climate change" is one of the top concerns of
Canadian voters, even Conservatives (although with less gusto). The
polls results vary with place, time, class, education, income, age,
affiliations, and occupation, but, clearly, the issue remains high on
Canadians' all-governments-must-do list.
If legalization works, how
about nationalization? Posted 8.15.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Legalizing cannabis has reduced the violence
associated with illegal pot production, distribution and sales --
according to researchers in Norway and the USA (Economics Journal, July
19, 2019). It may be early for Canadians to draw such optimistic
conclusions, but this study looked at the legalization of medical
marijuana, which has been in effect in many places since the late '90s.
California legalized medical use back in 1996. We can be forgiven our
optimism if we project these benefits into recreational uses -- a more
massive market than for the medical herb.
We are all populists,
right? Posted 8.8.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Populism is
not new; the concept stretches at least to the 1800s with political
parties using that term in both the US and Russia. Then, populism was
left of centre, advocating for collectivization in Russia and the
nationalization of public goods, like railways, in the US. US populists
(The Peoples Party) argued for a graduated income-tax, and it is curious
that today's born-again populists are pushing to reverse tax laws, so
the wealthiest citizens pay the same as do the poorest.
Measles? TB? What's
Next? Posted 7.30.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Finding
three cases of measles in this region in 2019 (barely half-over) has
re-ignited the debate over making vaccinations mandatory. Measles was
once conquered, easily avoided by childhood vaccinations. Yet it's back.
So, too, is tuberculosis. Could polio's resurgence come next? These
scourges of humanity were considered gone, and, given their seriousness,
their partial return has prompted varieties of hysteria.
Wax
Wings? Posted 7.18.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | The older I
get, the more unavoidably obvious are changes in our climate. Perhaps
for someone who lives mostly indoors, in a city condo maybe, or those
who hardly notice such things as trees and snowfall, birds and heat
waves, as they rush from car to work to car to home ... perhaps it's
understandable that the whole idea of a climate catastrophe is
irrelevant, or a luxury, almost, when the daily chaos in just making
ends meet eats anyone's time ... perhaps the climate is not speaking to
them, not saying a thing. Is our climate is mute or it's us who aren't
listening, looking around?
Climate change and voting
reform Posted 7.11.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Real-media
news seems focused on climate change, with a recent report of polling
firm Abacus showing climate change as the number one concern in voters'
minds across Canada. Climate change polled high even among committed
Conservative voters.
About One Quebec
Graduation Posted 7.05.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | First, this
relatively large graduating class' teachers and administrators were
female. Of the 18 teachers on stage, two were male. The influence of a
female-heavy administration pervaded the whole ceremony -- decorations,
music, all the hugging (rather than only male-ish hand-shaking) and
general excitement. These are clichés, but they reflected an
ambiance.
Canadian Military and
Sexism Posted 6.11.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | One of
Canada's national news items was our military's failure to reduce sexual
harassment within its ranks. This is serious (anyone dismissive should
think of their sisters, daughters, grand-daughters), and the military is
taking it seriously.
After the
flood... Posted 5.27.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | With the
floods in retreat, the long cleanup underway, summer soon will be
full-force, full of BBQ, kids, a road trip or two -- and we'll be in the
midst of a federal election. Over a year ago, this scenario (apart from
the flood) would have raised only a yawn. The election then seemed a
slam-dunk for the governing Liberals, but since then they and the world
around them have collided, providing us a very different set of
electoral possibilities.
Quebec's Bill 21 -- Fred
thinks -- is "liberating, not
oppressive" Posted 5.17.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
Bill 21-- Quebec's efforts to "secularize" its public service
-- includes minor ramifications, some rarely-heard, some with deep
implications. Bill 21 implies that religious belief, what we hold in our
hearts as well as in public, should first be a private and personal
thing.
UN : Reshaping life on
Earth Posted 5.13.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | About 75
percent of land and 66 percent of ocean areas have been
"significantly altered" by people, driven in large part by the
production of food, says the IPBES. Cropping and livestock co-opt more
than 33 percent of EarthÕs land surface and 75 percent of its freshwater
resources.
Hard-wired to
self-destruct? Posted 5.8.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
This month, following the first peak of the flooding, a group took to
the streets to protest the provincial government's secularization
proposals. Naturally, they were met by another group, much smaller,
supporting Bill 21.
The haiku of political
hard-headedness Posted 5.1.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
Besotted as we are, finding ourselves in yet another season of flooding,
giving us just a taste of the anguish and massive expense to come,
assuming we continue to refuse a concerted and personal effort to thwart
the changes we ourselves are forcing upon our climate, how about an
editorial different from the usual -- un-cynical, when cynicism is
understandable, focussed on the tiny, when the big picture needs our
attention, one step, one life-change, every day ...
Whose planet is
this? Posted 4.22.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Many
households have been watching the series "Our Planet" on
Netflix, with the slow, wise voice of narrator David Attenborough
reminding so many of their grandfathers. Attenborough has much of Aylmer
sitting in a circle around him as he tells us the tales grandfathers
seem best capable of passing along. But he's not our grandfather; he is
relating to all of humanity the modern tales we do need to hear about
our world and its future. His measured tone and his observations,
combined with absolutely stunning photography, makes this series a
must-see for us all.
Show some
respect Posted 4.12.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Can't we
finally acknowledge that climate change is moving faster towards us than
expected -- and that there are measures we can take to combat (and
adjust to) it?
Open the door to the
Boreal! Posted 3.28.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Talk to
most people about current affairs, public personalities, important
places and events, and chances are most of their news will be from south
of the border. Maybe you'll hear some comment about events and places in
Canada, but they'll almost exclusively be from the few big cities on our
side of that border. We live in the second or third largest and richest
country on the planet, yet our attention is focused somewhere else...
Why does our distant focus even seem natural?
"I've got my own
sources" Posted 2.24.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
Don't trust the media? Too many "smut-seeking journalists"?
Too much sensationalism? Unchecked facts? Unverified claims and
assertions, innuendos, rumours reported as fact?
Canada's PM with a
plan? Posted 2.14.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | With
Suicide Prevention Week just past, it's a wonder the federal Liberals
didn't take some of the Week's precautions to heart. After foolishly
stepping into Trump's neck-snare over China, then joining the distinctly
un-liberal gang-up on Venezuela, on-side with the hemisphere's most
anti-democratic forces (Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Paraguay, and the
USA), and now protecting SNC Lavalin from bribery prosecution by, in
effect, firing the cabinet's senior Aboriginal minister, Justice and
Attorney-General -- is something wrong with the lemmings in the Liberal
Party's management? Heading for the nearest cliff, with only a few
months before the election, seems unwise.
Funding Canada's print
media? Posted 1.26.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Recent
emergency federal aid for print media has proven to be a productive
decision, so far. This support is nowhere near federal support for
petroleum, pipeline, ship-building, and a few other industries. Yet it
seems proportional to the size of each sector's difficulties -- and to
their economic and social importance.
Here's a bone to chew
on Posted 1.22.19 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | I'm
impressed by the dogs on Aylmer's sidewalks and trails -- breeds one
seldom sees (Kuvasz or Great Pyrenees), and all their shapes, sizes, and
personalities. Everything from Danes and Newfoundlands down to miniature
mutts I cannot identify. "Mutt" is a term of
endearment.
The passing of James Shea
and the future of school boards Posted 1.9.19 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | West Quebec's anglophones were saddened to
learn of James Shea's passing after his lifetime of commitment to our
community. His funeral reminds us that the threat to minority-language
school boards is real. Mr Shea appealed for respect for QuŽbec's
minority community's constitutional protections, especially school
boards.
A Christmas
enough? Posted 12.20.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
This is a rough time of the year for pessimists. Gift-giving, hearty
meals, and coloured lights reflecting off pure white snow are hardly the
stuff from which nightmares and disasters are made. In fact, since these
features combine better now than in any other public holiday during the
year, might we consider expanding its pleasures, fun, and warmth? Expand
it, you ask, how?
Posted 12.19.18 US SEN.
PATRICK LEAHY, D-VT WASHINGTON, DC | If Americans had any doubt that
President Trump is fixated on wasting billions of dollars to wall off
our 2,000 mile southern border, all they had to do was watch his
jaw-dropping press conference yesterday (Dec. 11), demanding another $5
billion of their hard-earned tax dollars for his political pet project
that he promised Mexico would pay for.
Some gift
advice Posted 12.7.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | No
editorial today on any of the grand subjects; no political affairs, no
city management, arts & culture, leadership, none of those topics. No
blogs, pronouncements, or sermons -- just a reminder, "have you
considered this?" So, allow me to raise one not very grand topic:
gift-giving. Specifically, gifts for seniors. Older relatives, parents,
neighbours and elderly friends. All these people who, largely, have all
they need after a lifetime of work -- and family gift-exchanges. Most of
us have a senior or two on our list.
On Dying and other
Autumnal considerations Posted 11.27.18 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | These are a few reflections on our final
autumns, on the end of life. We're all heading there, so sooner or later
these lines might provide some understanding and, through that, comfort
to all our readers -- but let's hope it's later!
Canada's postal strike:
crocodile tears? Posted 11.23.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
News of the stalemate in the labour dispute at Canada Post includes an
announcement that 550 tractor trailer loads of parcels are waiting
across the country to be sorted and delivered. With the union applying
pressure where it would be most effective -- at Canada Post's few
centralized big sorting centres -- the labour dispute has become
something more.
PTSD and you? And
us? Posted 11.20.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Around
Remembrance Day, I was in a local Canadian Legion hall and saw on the
wall a collage of photos of Canadian servicemen & women who have
given their lives in Afghanistan; it was a simple yet noble statement of
the terrible costs of war, something which should balance our tendency
to rush off to foreign battlefields in the pursuit of grand
ideals.
Together?
Not. Posted 11.9.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Today we
view our society under multiple fracturing -- we divide ourselves
between immigrants and non-immigrants, among racial types, left-to-right
political positions -- all the dimensions into which we force our
communities, slicing and dicing ourselves, but one big divide we rarely
heard about is the rural -- urban split.
Quebec's CAQ: New kids on
the block? Posted 10.15.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
With the groaning following Quebec's October 1st election dying down,
where's the thoughtful consideration of what just happened and why it
did? Post-election analysis is an integral part of the election process
-- if only to help us understand what voters really heard and
wanted.
So what
happened? Posted 10.8.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
Post-election, are we to accustom ourselves to a new era of change for
the sake of change? So it seems. Voters did want change, but every party
offered changes, big lists of promises -- and yet a lot of voters had no
idea what was on those lists. The voters knew mainly one thing:
"change." This seemed to motivate voters in the US
presidential election, in BC and Ontario elections, and now in Quebec.
New era, or back to the 1800s?
More Canada politics: guns
'n ammo Posted 10.4.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | However, if
gun owners want guns to protect themselves from "big
goverment" -- this is insurrection, clearly illegal. What's wrong
with owning a gun or two or five, but keeping them in a regulated,
secure environment? Is "gun control" even the issue?
More Canada politics: guns
'n ammo Posted 10.4.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | However, if
gun owners want guns to protect themselves from "big
goverment" -- this is insurrection, clearly illegal. What's wrong
with owning a gun or two or five, but keeping them in a regulated,
secure environment? Is "gun control" even the issue?
The coming Canadian
disaster Posted 9.27.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | The
question isn't if the greatest disaster will occur, or a lesser one, or
something far worse -- the question is, why are we even taking these
chances? Why would we allow a gigantic radioactive mound in that
location, and under these circumstances, at all? Why would we even take
the chance?
Notpetya ~ a cautionary
tale Posted 9.18.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | I stood for
some time behind a couple paying for two coffees -- with a debit card.
Next, a guy pulled out a fiver and paid for his in under two minutes.
Did that couple really not have a few bucks between them? That seems a
stretch, cashless out in the world, or maybe with a cell phone to make a
payment.
Letter to Cousin
Marjorie Posted 8.7.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | Cousin,
think about that -- wouldn't you do exactly the same thing if you and
Ronnie decided to emigrate, say, to Argentina? Tell me you wouldn't
insist on real maple syrup!
A PROJECT-BASED
LIFESTYLE Posted 7.28.18 ROBBY PORTER It took longer to abandon the
idea that I might someday have a career. Perhaps I would have accepted
my lack of a career more readily if it had been a private failure, like
obtaining happiness. But there it was in every introduction: "I'm a
carpenter -- I'm a furniture maker -- I run the snow groomer -- We
started a little business doing solar installations."
FROM TRUMP TO FORD TO
QUÉBEC? Posted 6.23.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
Your safety belts fastened? We have an election coming - - in October,
four quick months away. Growing parts of the world don't have elections,
or they're for show. And we did hear plenty about Ontario's vote in
early June, but you'd never know we'll be picking a new government,
soon, in our own province.
Happy Birthday to all
Geminis! Posted 6.21.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC | What a
birthday gift to be born in this time of year...
href="/fryan/fred_ryan359.html" target="main">For stupidity, how about a
UN monument? Posted 6.14.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QC |
Ontario's vote will affect
West Quebec Posted 5.26.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | One
thing the Liberal government in Ontario has accomplished is to keep
Quebec tightly engaged with the federation -- as a deliberate policy.
While this would likely be continued under an NDP or coalition
government, it's unlikely that relations with Quebec are even on the
Ford/Conservative radar.
Really, a Trump-Trudeau
axis? Posted 5.10.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | When Mr
Trump was elected many Canadians wondered how our avant-garde
"feminist" leader would deal with the new president, already
known for outrageous actions and views. Canada has historically walked a
very thin line between what we profess and what our American protectors
expect of us. This would surely challenge that relationship.
False-flags right here at
home Posted 5.5.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
most cynical of false-flag events are "pubic consultations."
It's a rare one that actually consults with anyone. Usually they're
public announcements: "this is how it's going to be - - and how do
you feel about it?". That's no consultation, although there's a
smidgeon of feedback requested. Substantive changes rarely are birthed
in public consultations except in very dramatic circumstances - - say,
as a close election approaches.
$1.2 billion misdirected
in Canada Posted 4.24.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
Harper-Trudeau solution to our Canadian nation's nuclear waste over-flow
- - dump it onto a mound, covered by a 'membrane' - - is going to
backfire. Who doubts this?
In the gig economy,
where's the synergy? Posted 4.4.18 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We're constantly told that today's world is
at a boundary. We've reached a no-return point, and life will be very
different in the future. We heard this first via predictions about the
changes digitization would be bringing us, and indeed that seems to fit
-- in our homes, work, in businesses, the arts, sports, travel,
etc.
On plagiarizing
news Posted 3.31.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
Bulletin's discovery that one of its journalists has been plagiarizing
material published in another newspaper, while very embarrassing, has an
up-side, a lesson, as much for the reading public as for journalists
everywhere.
Facebook & Orwell,
tongue-in-cheek-ishly Posted 3.21.18 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | "One of any citizen's rights is the
right to copyright material in our possession, generated by our
processes and devices. We have the legal right to copyright all
information, photos, data, numbers, and recordings generated by our
various systems. The purpose of this Notice is to inform you personally,
as our valued client, that Facebook has copyrighted your
life."
Are we in the midst of
World War III? Posted 3.17.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| While we await, certainly with trepidation, for the US President's
next Twitter threat against North Korea (or Iran, Venezuela, Yemen,
Somalia, Niger ... ) it's worth considering that America's "War on
Terror" is actually a third World War. Add to Trump's crazy
threats, his threats to end trade agreements that don't favour America,
and it seems hard to say that we are not there.
Ah,
stereotypes Posted 2.21.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We're
constantly reminded to avoid stereotyping, but I can't get through a
single day without making a stereotype of one kind or another,
especially to myself. I've tried to stop, but, to be frank, it seems
most conversations would grind to a halt. (Or else blow into long-winded
storms of convoluted verbiage.)
Valentine's Day: Love's
changing numbers are written on water Posted 2.13.18 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | This arithmetic of romance is highly
emotional and usually calculated in-the-moment, not from an calm moment.
Any estimation of costs - - or benefits - - of a relationship is
ethereal and shifting; love's changing numbers are written on water.
"Give us the money,
but not your rules" Posted 2.8.18 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | But look at the implications. Does the
Conference of Bishops (all unmarried males) really believe that any
appeal to "freedom of religion" trumps federal law? Where and
when did we agree that our charters and legal heritage are subservient
to religious beliefs?
Clean, clear, easy to find
and understand Posted 1.27.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Accountability? The public deserves the project's details. Details of
managerial salaries, consultant fees, contracting-out fees -- the big
costs. Quarterly reports. We have to know what the managers are being
paid, to assess the projects. (Sorry but privacy concerns their private
lives, not our tax dollars.)
Climate change is NOT the
only problem, folks Posted 1.27.18 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | "It won't re-charge," he argued.
Even if the next ten years were as wet as the last were dry, and this
because the soil structure holding the aquifer has by now silted up and
collapsed; there is no longer much storage capacity down deep. Even if
the Americans were able to divert an entire Canadian river down there,
the aquifer no longer exists as it once did. The river would run off,
drain away.
The Me
Species Posted 1.19.18 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Making
one nation great is clan-thought. Nations, tribes, even families,
religions, languages : each means one nation really can be separate. Yet
it's obvious the world is a network, and it's hard to imagine that
changing.
"I'm from the
government, how can I help?" Posted 12.16.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The Quebec government just announced a
budget to help "traditional media," including small community
newspapers. Great idea! The help? Oh, that community newspapers stop
being newspapers.
The internet and no
communications Posted 11.28.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Quebec's federation of municipal governments -- the FQM -- this week
announced it's support of efforts to extend high-speed internet to all
rural municipalities in the province. The FQM claims there are 244,000
households without real access.
Proud to be
Canadian Posted 11.22.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Canadian patriotism is big in 2017. National celebrations on July 1,
and the 150th projects and festivities have been inspirational, but just
what do they mean to us, as patriotic Canadians?
West Quebec in provincial
cabinet? Posted 11.16.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Even on the federal level, Pontiac had, for years, the senior minister
in Prime Minister Harper's government - - Harper's Quebec lieutenant, no
less - - and is there one project in the Pontiac which was helped by
"having a seat at the table"?
Critics! Methinks thou
dost whine too muchÉ Posted 11.9.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Not only does Canada have a new
Governor-General, an astronaut-scientist-engineer, but she's not shy.
One of Mme Julie Payette's first speeches -- to a science forum -- has
generated an uproar. Most GG's avoid controversy, and many conservatives
are complaining. She dared to question creationism and embrace
evolution. And that was just the beginning. She restated the science
of climate change, lamented the quackery of cancer panaceas, and
dismissed astrology as junk science.
The trouble with
stories Posted 11.2.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | This is
not about turning the profession of journalism into story-telling. Nor
is it about the stories we continually tell ourselves to explain our
actions, urges, mistakes, and achievements. No, this is about
surrounding ourselves with stories, drowning in them - - and shouldn't
that be a concern for us, coping with an evolving world?
Expropriate the old rail
line? Posted 10.28.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| However, the Municipality of Pontiac declined, and sold off the old
rail line to the line's neighbours, effectively strangling the Route's
access to the Ottawa Valley, and killing any chance of the
municipality's own fledgling tourism businesses profit fro this popular
tourist link.
Loony
anthropology Posted 10.19.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Following the last full moon, I watched it rise and sail eastward each
evening - - until one night I was out before the moon. All the stars!
All exceptionally clear and bright - - and everywhere! Perhaps there was
less humidity on the air.
Quebec Day-care
strike Posted 9.25.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Four
hundred educators in the Outaouais have been without a contract since
March, 2015. There are 11,000 unionized workers in Quebec working with
no or with expired contracts. Is this the way to run an economy? How can
this be considered good government and good business management? How
family-friendly is it to push day-care workers to strike?
NAFTA: Will Quebec's
Pontiac region get milk - - or milked? Posted 9.19.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Meanwhile Canada is re-negotiating the
NAFTA pact with the US and Mexico, and this "revision" will
directly harm - - or help - - the Pontiac. Is NAFTA not news because
Canada's farm supply-management system is not high on Ottawa's priority
list?
Is CBC radio out of the
news business? Posted 9.12.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Radio-heads will answer that there's a news minute or two at the top
of every hour on our national broadcaster, and they're right. But if the
fans call those few minutes "news reporting," are they
actually listening?
NOT THE FAIR'S SIDESHOW --
he's our president, too Posted 9.6.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | In the old days, when farm fairs began,
there were side shows with weirdos and wonders in which we'd find
Trump-like buffoons, orange comb-over, all mouth, little Napoleons - -
that sort of thing - - and we'd all marvel, laugh, and go home feeling
smug and superior. Today, the real show has taken over centre stage and
there's no going home to avoid it.
A challenge for
anti-immigrants Posted 8.2 4.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| The spectacular media circus created by, largely, alt-Trump supporters
in the US has caught our attention - - how could it not? But less
attention, as usual, seems to be on events and issues closer to home.
Specifically, in Quebec - - and not that our province has a worse record
- - the mosque shootings in Quebec, the anti-Muslim cemetery campaign,
and more recent demonstrations of anti-immigrant feelings by groups,
like La Meute, "the pack", or individuals who put up large
anti-immigrant banners outside the venues housing immigrants make it
clear that we Canadians still carry old fears and prejudices.
America's Growing
Neo-Fascists Posted 8.16.17 FRED RYAN CHARLOTTESVILLE,
VIRGINIA | Again the leader of the "free world" is caught up
in violence and racism -- the Charlottesville, Virginia, rally by
America's growing neo-fascists was last week's top news.
Harm reduction, a safe
injection site? Posted 8.2.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| It is good news that a safe injection site has been approved for
Ottawa's Sandy Hill area, and that Ontario has offered funding. It's
important to note that it will be part of an existing drug and alcohol
treatment centre, one with a good record on all counts. The elephant in
the room, and not a silent one, are community fears that such a service
will attract more drug users and contribute to local criminality.
Surveys have shown that this is unlikely.
A little R-e-s-p-e-c-t, or
a lot Posted 7.22.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Just
back from a Zydeco festival in Louisiana, a musician friend was steamed
up - - about garbage, not music. "When the music was over and
everyone rolled up their blankets, the venue was 10 inches deep in
trash! Wasn't our generation past all that?" (expletives
omitted).
New proposal for the
nuclear dump on Ontario's Ottawa River Posted 6.23.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Canadian Nuclear Laboratories
(non-government) announced a year ago their proposal to build a very
large above-ground dump for nuclear wastes, near a fault-line, not far
from the Ottawa River, up-stream from Aylmer, Gatineau and our nation's
capital. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Our LCC home in Cobden, Ontario, is on
Muskrat Lake, which feeds into the Ottawa River. We buy our daily
drinking water from the Culligan plant in Pembroke, which is just down
river from the proposed nuclear dump site at Chalk River.] Apart
from local newspapers, this project has received almost no attention,
and even less from our political leaders. Isn't their silence
unsettling?
We're all newspaper
people Posted 6.14.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Over
the years we've all noticed that: Radio was killed off by cinema. Movies
were then killed by TV. Television was wiped out by video cartridges.
And VCRs were destroyed by DVDs. Vinyl succumbed to cassettes, which in
turn were killed off by CDs. CDs themselves fell under multiple
streaming sites. E-books have ended hard-copy books (which mysteriously
increased 17 percent over e-book sales last year); flaming fake news has
built social media, and now real news is hammering social
media.
Go tax
yourself! Posted 6.2.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Arts
are not a luxury, they are a necessity. Necessary for a whole life,
living in a way that assists us translate all that life throws at us
into our happiness index. The arts help us appreciate the multi-wealths
surrounding us, and not merely count the years until our pensions kick
in (one sorry approach to living! Life has to be more than accumulating
junk and preparing for its final years).
In Canada, the monarchy's
a good thing Posted 5.23.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| The old argument about Canada being -- or not -- a monarchy has indeed
grown old. It's no longer a burning issue, except, probably, within the
Monarchist League and in various republican grouplets. Yet it's still
worth some thought.
Ontario's Chalk River
Plant: nuke waste risk, with no gain Posted 5.11.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | It is strange, indeed, if any good can come
from the flooding we've experienced almost everywhere in our region.
There will be many individual stories of bravery and perseverance,
certainly, but I am marvelling at the coincidence of these floods and a
great decision that is facing us -- the decision on the proposal for a
massive nuclear waste dump in Chalk River, upstream from much of Ontario
and also West Quebec. This is our decision, not only that of a
"panel of experts.
CANADA'S FIRST 150
YEARS! Posted 5.3.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Wouldn't it be interesting to read readers' reflections on what Canada
means to them, as we look back over our nation's first 150 years? It's a
safe bet we'd prefer to remain Canadian and not "American",
despite our admiration for America's achievements. Canadians admire
Americans' openness, friendliness, and optimism.
Are governments enemies of
democracy? Posted 4.21.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | In
early April the CBC reported the closure of a reputable Mexican
newspaper, El Norte, in Cuidad Juarez, opposite El Paso, Texas. The
interview with the publisher focused on the assassination of one of the
paper's reporters, a woman specializing in political stories, including
government corruption. Her murder was a message to journalists. She
was the third Mexican journalist murdered in March alone. The CBC
interview focused on the murder. Rightly so for two reasons -- one, to
congratulate ourselves that no matter how inexplicable things might be
at home, they are surely worse elsewhere. That's the Canadian
mantra.
It's not "for
families" at all Posted 4.11.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | When I was a young man, one fashionable
idea was that the family is the key to any society's success.
"Family units" were considered a community's building blocks
-- social organization seem to grow from this format, therefore all
energies should go to protecting and encouraging "the
family."
Oh, the Chalk River
nuclear plant -- what could go wrong? Posted 3.30.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | An 18-foot high mound, the size of multiple
football fields, all above ground - - not far from the once-mighty
Ottawa River, the source of life for much of the Valley - - picture it.
Of course it's covered tightly, under and over with a membrane. A
high-tech membrane. There are pumps to suck out leaking - - what, you
ask? Here's the kicker - - this big mound will be filled with
radioactive waste. What exactly, we can't tell
Ignore Trump, watch
Ryan Posted 3.22.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Reader
Joanne Forsythe recent letter voiced her frustration with the media's
wall-to-wall coverage of Donald Trump, and that's probably media of
every stripe, shade, or ownership. "It's Trump, Trump,
Trump!", she writes, expressing an anger many people share. Surely
there's important news, not this man's idiocies!
In Canada: Broken promise
-- or unexplained change? Posted 3.1.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The latest big topic in our region has been
the federal Liberals' plan to walk away from their promise to reform the
Canadian electoral system.
Revolution is in the
air Posted 2.22.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
Brexit vote in Britain, Trump's win in the US, the Hungarian and Polish
extreme-right regimes, plus Putin's promotion of Great Russia
nationalism, all point to a political lurch to the right underway in the
world today. There are many explanations, and most may be correct within
their frame of reference, but the fact that these nationalisms seem to
be rising everywhere at the same time should indicate that there's even
more at play here than a single, local explanation.
A new regime south of the
border -- or not? Posted 2.6.17 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Approaching the new regime in Washington,
analyst Gwynne Dyer borrowed Rene Levesque's famous prescription:
"OK, everybody, take a valium!"
Women
marching Posted 1.23.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
participation rate in the "women's march" in Washington, the
day following the inauguration of Donald Trump, certainly upstaged the
official celebration. It is not difficult to grasp why so many women --
and men -- came out for this protest; the response of Mr. Trump's press
secretary to a question about the size of the women's march demonstrated
in the clearest way why they were making a statement with their
presence: "there were more people at Mr. Trump's inauguration than
had ever come out -- but the press covered it up" or something to
that effect. A bold-faced lie, which he later retreated from. Too many
lies É was one element being protested.
PUTIN TURNS THE
TABLES Posted 1.16.17 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Two or
three years ago it seemed that Russia had been backed into a corner by
the West - - from the Sochi Olympics to NATO's forces stationed along
Russia's borders, including the very-provocative NATO move to rotate
warships continually through the Black Sea, along the coasts of Russia
and Iran. NATO was negotiating for use of what used to be Russia's
largest naval base in the south, Sevastopol in the Crimea.
CBC's new Canadian plan:
more of the same? Posted 12.30.16 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | CBC has proposed a new operating model --
semi-new, since the BBC & TeleSur have used it for years -- in which
CBC no longer competes with private media for advertising dollars.
Government funding (more) makes up for the missing advertising revenues.
Sounds interesting, especially for the private media conglomerates who
have long complained about competing with the national
broadcaster.
No fear & loathing
Ôround this old Christmas tree Posted 12.22.16 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Since when did, "Have a safe
Christmas!", become a seasonal greeting? Did you hear this as a
kid? I didn't. Or if I did, it meant "don't drink too much",
but today this so-called greeting encompasses the most horrendous
threats.
Tabloid news reborn --
bigger, brighter, louder! Posted 12.05.16 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The American election just demonstrated --
if there remained a doubt -- that people across this continent are
getting their news in new ways. They once favoured "the
tabs."
Fake news, but
where? Posted 11.25.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| A month after the American election, the extent and influence of
"fake news" is slowly being uncovered. Fake news is now at the
top of most pundits' lists of explanations. Unbeknownst to us in
Snowflake Kingdom, the internet was jammed with "reports" of
Hilary Clinton's mis-deeds: with no evidence, apart from multiple
repetitions of the accusations, she was charged with corruption,
bribery, money-laundering, foreign influence, and favouritism.
Creeping fascism to
Canada's south Posted 11.08.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| A lot of observers rolled their eyes when Donald Trump accused the US
elections process of being "rigged." However, when the FBI
"leaked" the bombshell, two weeks before the vote, that Ms.
Clinton "may" be investigated for misuse of e-mails when she
was Secretary of State -- resulting in a huge drop in voter support,
just as she was putting distance between her candidacy and Trump's --
Trump''s claims all of sudden had some sense to them.
We need
immigrants! Posted 11.01.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| There are few villages and towns across West Quebec which are not in
decline. Given the exhaustion of our forest resources, the marginality
of tourism, the lack of infrastructure (even the internet!), the flight
of younger generations to the cities, given all this, is there any
wonder that Outaouais towns are almost zombie-towns?
The political parade
reaches West Quebec Posted 10.16.16 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | It's a screwy system we've let develop,
where our so-called representatives and our so-called government leaders
are not representative at all, and, in many cases, hardly leading anyone
real at all. If they represent anything, our reps represent not us to
the government, but they represent the government to us.Our system has
morphed into a top-down governing process, rather than what we used to
romantically call "grass roots" democracy.
Values that are
Canadian? Posted 10.08.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| One of the candidates for leadership of the federal Conservatives has
proposed screening immigrants and refugees for their acceptance of
"Canadian values and principles". It is possible that this may
not mean what it appears to say, and is a code-word for anti-immigrant
prejudice.
What's wrong with Truth
& Reconciliation? Posted 09.23.16 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |Canada's Truth &
Reconciliation Commission has been judged a big success -- so far. It
takes its place with similar successes in countries as varied as South
Africa, Argentina, Chile, and, now, Canada. I am not aware of any such
efforts elsewhere which have failed.
YOU ARE A
TROUT Posted 09.17.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Imagine for a moment or two a very different life. Imagine you are a
trout, beautiful, quick, sleek and wary -- in every way -- and you live
in a deep pond on a wide river not far north-west of Aylmer, Quebec. But
the pool sits above a high falls and fierce rapids. You live your life
in this great pool and you feel constantly the pull of the current as it
rushes towards the falls.
Victories at Rio: stunning
& incomplete Posted 08.19.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Writing conclusions from the Olympics with the Games still underway is
risky since everything can change with a single competition. Except one.
The Games have already made an immense mark, and that is on the struggle
for full equality for women. These Games have set that standard, as
anyone viewing, say, the women's 100 m would easily see
Before the classrooms are
humming again Posted 08.05.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Excuse me for bringing this up in the heat of mid-summer, but about a
month from now the kids across West Quebec will be heading back to their
classrooms. Once the school year begins, it seems, there'll be too much
going on and too much to get through to allow time for any reflection on
our schools' activities. Allow me to raise one consideration: school
trips.
Mohammed Ali,
1942-2016 Posted 06.10.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Ali deserves to be considered the sports icon of his time. Today,
stars rate themselves by their salaries and little else. Ali's place in
history is marked by his bravery, his principles, his still-unmatched
skill in the ring -- and by his lip! Here's a guy who stimulated the
careers of rappers everywhere with his lyrical and very edgy
trash-talking. Ali, contrary to today's sports millionaires, used his
career and his phenomenal successes not to push product but to push
principles -- and good sense.
How to be
wealthy Posted 05.30.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| This headline reads "be", not "become", wealthy. I
have no unusual ideas on how to become wealthy; if I did, would I be
writing this column every week? Which is something to consider when
faced with all the self-help books promising wealth and success which
fill book stores.
The hounds of
capitalism Posted 05.18.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| My puzzlement over such blind support for capitalism grows from my
personal frustration with our economic system. Why would we want more of
a system which must lie to us, apparently, to sell us their products
(wall-to-wall advertising, deceptive packaging, hidden ingredients,
phoney stats and testimonials).
Simplicities are
us Posted 04.23.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Speaking from fifty years in journalism and especially in
editorial-writing, I am continually impressed with our predilection to
go with the simplistic solution to any problem. As the problems become
more complex and convoluted, as many political and social problems do,
our desire for a simple answer grows stronger.
"Buy local"
under threat -- by the USA Posted 04.15.16 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Or, we might say that our ability to
buy-local to support our home-town economy may also be under threat by
Japan, Chile, or any of the dozen coastal nations signing on to the
Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
Panama's alarm: Wake up,
Canadians! Posted 04.08.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| The so-called Panama Papers have everyone talking about off-shore
accounts and tax avoidance - again. A week earlier the same subject was
in the news. The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) was then in hot water
because the Agency admitted giving soft rides to the wealthy. Tax
avoidance and off-shore banking were the subjects then, too. The Panama
disclosures add shell companies to that list. And the Panama disclosures
identify hundreds of Canadians and Canadian companies using these
devices to avoid paying their taxes in Canada.
Hydro-Québec for
sale? No thanks Posted 03.23.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Hydro-Québec may have its occasional scandal, fraud, or
embarrassment, but it is a model across the continent for efficient
delivery of energy under even the most extreme conditions. We can see
how often Ottawa consumers are hit with black-outs and interruptions of
service; we should be proud of Hydro Quebec's record.
Free University, or
University for -- what? Posted 03.17.16 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Since high school seniors are applying at
this time of year, two recent events are worth noting about university
education. First was the Ontario premier's proposal that university be
free, essentially for students from low-income families.
Finally!
Seeking a better
view Posted 03.10.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Some
Asian cultures use the expression, "The Ten Thousand Things",
to refer to the world or everything that presses in on us day after day.
I recently found a nice line of poetry about this concept
America, example to the
world? Posted 02.27.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We seem to avoid meddling in foreign nations (most of the time), or we
may be really good at camouflage, but anyone watching the American
presidential primaries will have wondered what might happen if the likes
of Trump or Ted Cruz end up in the White House, unleashing their macho
rage-culture on the world. We may have to reconsider our hands-off
attitude toward other governments.
Any good
news? Posted 02.23.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| There is good news in the news; it's not as rare as we think. There's
plenty -- read through this newspaper! But bad news gets our attention
-- disasters, with warnings and scary items at the top of the list.
Especially scary. Good news can be medical discoveries that'll save
millions of lives, eventually, but this becomes invisible next to a
gunman massacring school children -- because it's awful and it's
today.
Cosmic
weather Posted 02.16.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| I'm convinced there's something like "emotional weather.".
It's not weather at all Ñ there are no clouds rolling in, no blizzards
or sunny days, except as metaphors, and as for metaphors,
"weather" will have to do.
Physician-assisted
depression Posted 02.11.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| However, there remains a big question, one raised last year by an
American surgeon, who asked why are we opting for a longer life, without
any thought of the quality of that long life? If life is painful and
incapacitated, due to terminal illnesses, or cancer, what is the purpose
in prolonging it?
Real change in
Ottawa? Posted 01.27.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| While we, and apparently much of Canada, are still happy with the
results of last fall's federal election, it's worthwhile to consider
that election in terms of Canada's electoral history. The most common
view is that Mr Trudeau's convincing victory marks a significant shift
in popular feeling and in the country's vision of its future.
EDITOR'S
NOTE: Alex Liepmann is a brave, courageous, and strong young woman who
has faced, and coped with, more than her share of challenges in the last
half-decade. Here, she shares her story in the hope that perhaps it will
help others deal with their own particular circumstances. My hat is off
to this young athlete. MY STORY: EATING DISORDER/DEPRESSION TRIGGER
WARNING Posted 01.25.16 ALEX LIEPMANN I was in grade 7
and had turned 13 a couple of months earlier. I was still using MSN and
was the biggest fan girl on Justin Bieber, but here I was starving
myself, worrying about my weight when really a 12-13 year old girl
should only be worrying about how's she's going marry Justin
Bieber.
Promoting conflict to
promote sales Posted 01.19.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Obviously the incredible influence -- power -- of the NRA to prevent
and derail legislation aimed at tightening gun possession laws is
foreign to us in Canada. At least we think this.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS --
OR QUESTIONS Posted 01.08.16 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| I had little success in convincing my granddaughters that New Year's
resolutions are appropriate -- or helpful.
Time to end mandatory minimum sentences
in the US Posted 08.11.15 US SEN
PATRICK LEAHY, DVT For three decades, Congress turned to mandatory
minimum sentences to answer every public safety concern. We send more
people to prison than any other developed country in the world. This
mass incarceration threatens our justice system's fiscal health,
effectiveness, and even its legitimacy.
Are Quebec cities in the
sports business? Posted 06.12.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Simply, cities cannot afford such extravagance, and there is good
reason to question whether any city should be in the business of
building facilities for corporate-owned commercial sports franchises, no
matter the popularity of the sport.
In Canada: Truth, first,
then Reconciliation Posted 06.05.15 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | So why refuse to call a spade a spade?
Compensation claims? Does that explain, too, why the Catholic Church
still refuses an apology for its role in the Residential Schools. Mr.
Harper has apologized, at least, so why not our & quot;new&
quot; Pope, the man who claims to be bringing a conscience back to Rome?
He lectures the world on eliminating poverty and fixing climate change,
fine, but the Church was one of the three principal players in the
Schools and it does claim a general moral high road.
The future of the
past Posted 05.30.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We can
remember the grand promises when we were in high school from experts
studying the future -- flying cars, housework robots, world peace
through better education, and, especially, the end of labour. Our
leisure lives were supposed to steadily grow, leaving us with decisions
not about careers but about filling up those leisure hours. With robots
taking over manual labour and electronics providing all capabilities,
the future indeed looked like a big vacation.
No spring this year? Or
just for some of us? Posted 05.25.15 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The year 2015 may be remembered as the year
without a Spring. We went directly from never-ending winter to 30 plus
degrees in early May. The daffodils barely had their beautiful heads up
when the heat slumped them over. Lilacs are struggling with this
Spring-squeezed year.
Posted
05.19.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Ottawa keeps calling
itself senior-supportive, but aside from this propaganda, there isn't
much for us to cheer about -- or to vote for once again.
Reclaiming human
values Posted 04.19.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| With the wave of austerity sweeping today's right-wing governments,
choices for public funding become more difficult and, thus, more in need
of full discussion. Is it far-fetched to ask why the
mega-corporations (Big Oil, Big Pharma) should get public funding, and
not have to fund-raise street by street like the Cancer
Society? Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
You and me and the
news Posted 04.11.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Personally, I can't resist a newspaper on the table, or a radio near
news time. (TV I can avoid.) But I wish I could. And you know why: it's
awful. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Personal train
wrecks Posted 04.05.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| The disaster and tragedy at Lac Megantic, Quebec Ñ the train wreck
supreme Ñ remains in our minds. Flames in the sky, billowing black
clouds, night-time explosions, all framed by buildings which could have
been any of our neighbourhoods (those near train
tracks). Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Public
art Posted 03.17.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
great murals of the world attract thousands of tourists, and, for those
in Mexico City, for example, visitors come from Europe, Asia, the US,
and our own cities. Look at the guest books. These murals deserve their
notoriety -- they are beautiful, awe inspiring, stimulating.
Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
More on
wood Posted 03.06.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | What
luxury, in the context of any other place in the world, to be able to
burn hardwood for heat. In many countries burning up maple, oak, yellow
birch, or beech would be unthinkably extravagant. How wasteful to just
burn up such valuable woods. We must seem clueless to the rest of the
world. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Plain old
firewood? Posted 03.04.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| This winter's frigid temperatures remind us that the proper term is
not "global warming," at least not around here. "Climate
change" is the concept, even "runaway climate change."
Sometimes cold, hot, usually fierce, always destructive -- that's
climate change, and this winter our household had almost burned through
our total wood supply by February first. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
The Barton Vermont-based
Chronicle changes hands Posted 02.25.15 CHRIS
BRAITHWAITE BARTON, VERMONT | To me the Chronicle will always be a
novelty -- a shot in the dark, a crazy gamble undertaken with almost no
money but all the energy a 30-year-old immigrant could summon in
himself, his wife, and a handful of friends.
Sitting on your [Canadian]
hands? Posted 02.16.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| National polls show the government inching past the divided
opposition. How can this be? Obviously, my friends, despite their
agreement, are remarkably insulated from what motivates so many other
Canadians. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Dirtying whose
nest? Posted 02.05.15 LFRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Here's some more-than-local news: astronomers have found a solar
system not terribly unlike our own, named Kepler 444, with five
earth-similar planets. They don't believe there's life there, since
these planets revolve too close to the star to accommodate life, as we
know it. The news is that the scientists were able to assign an
approximate age to this system -- and its age is exceptionally old,
several billion years older than our own. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
What's this you're
reading? Posted 01.31.15 LILY RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| How many of us know what makes a newspaper work? We have reporters who
go out and get the news. This news is edited, laid out, printed up, and
delivered, right? And that makes a newspaper? Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Pay your own
way Posted 01.20.15 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
revolutionary idea is that these costly institutions -- hospitals and
CLSCs, schools and day-cares and so on -- should be obligated to earn
their own way, just like you and I. This plan was proposed when Quebec
City was studying the Hull and Gatineau hospitals; those geniuses, and
they deserve this title, had decided that the two hospitals which were
unable to work together an any file, should be given a brand new
super-hospital for them to run jointly. Being in one building, they
would have to, at least, talk to each other in the
hallways. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Money isn't everything in
Quebec, Premier Couillard Posted 12.27.14 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The Christmas Holiday season may not be the
best time to raise the question of money -- although maybe it is, since
this is exactly the season of money. Cartoonist Aislin of the Montreal
Gazette noted last week that Christmas shows Canada's true colours --
not Jesus, not democracy, not personal liberties, not justice, but
buying stuff. And then buying even more stuff. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Christmas in the Middle
East Posted 12.11.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
American sources estimate that their wars against Iraq and Afghanistan
have cost roughly four trillion dollars -- so far. That is an immense
amount of money, making these wars the most expensive in history -- not
only among the least successful. Why that is the case, and where all
this money has gone are hard to uncover -- they're deliberately
well-concealed. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Am I the only misanthrope
in the newsroom? Posted 12.04.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| This title refers to the media's universally awful coverage of last
month's attacks on our soldiers in Canada. Is no one else revolted by
the flood of platitudes, pomposities, clichés, repetitions,
vacuous statements, emotional outbursts, and total lack of informative
content which filled the national media, private or public, as it
pretended to cover the week's terrible events and the subsequent
outpouring of tears, angst, and even more platitudes? Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
Can
"anti-collusion" be a smokescreen? Posted
11.25.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Large corporations
are using "anti-collusion" as a smoke screen to obscure their
growing domination of our economy. Price-fixing is already a crime. Just
use the legal system, as we already do. Why now kill local
entrepreneurship and jobs? Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Is this Quebec school
board election our last? Posted 11.20.14 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The Liberals in Quebec are questioning
free-standing school boards, and proposing to close many down and
centralize school management. The Couillard Liberals' centralization
mantra is very old news Ð- most of the health system restructuring in
the last decades was designed to combat the problems of a top-heavy
bureaucracy, too far from the people it is mandated to
serve. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Law 'n order is not making
Canadians any safer Posted 11.10.14 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We are not safer under the Harper
government than before. Despite this government's commitment to
law-and-order jingoism, it seems that although we may indeed have more
laws and stiffer regulations now, we are not safer. The attacks on
soldiers here at home could be seen as a dramatic and tragic blow-back
from this government's foolish commitment to heavy-handed military
approaches to complicated problems. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Homegrown terrorists in
Canada? Posted 10.30.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Amid the sadness and shock of the recent attacks in Canada, there have
been voices of reason and careful analysis, but they've been drowned by
the media's single-minded focus on tears and
breast-beating. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Can day care destroy
Canada? Posted 10.16.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Finally, a political party is awake. After years of talk,
hand-wringing, and hypocritical concern for families, one federal party
Ð the NDP -- has bitten the bullet and figured out how we can afford a
national day-care program. Finally! Bravo! Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Bound for
glory? Posted 10.08.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We each, on average, have a little more than 1000 months of life to
live. That's how much time we have to discover -- or create -- meaning
in our lives. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
On dying and
dignity Posted 09.26.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Canada's doctors proposed at the their annual convention this summer
that euthanasia be left to individual doctors. Those who disagree with
assisted suicide would not be required to assist their patients. Sounds
good and democratic -- for doctors. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Anti-Valentines Posted 09.17.14 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Since we are near the opposite side of the
calendar from Valentines Day, it might be interesting to look at love
and relationships without the candlelight and red lingerie of February
14. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
On Desiderata, that old
poster Posted 09.12.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Ages ago it seemed as though every apartment and dormitory room had a
poster called "Desiderata." The poster, presumably, carried
advice on how to lead a happy and fulfilling life. The advice was hardly
Earth-shaking -- "Go placidly amid the noise and haste." --
"Do not feign affection." And the now-famous "You are a
child of the universe, no less than the trees and stars." Yet every
one of its ten suggestions is solid and realistic
advice. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Re-making
Ottawa? Posted 09.04.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| "Attention servants of the Canadian State..." that's how the
communique was supposed to begin, I'm certain. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE DOIN'
IT Posted 08.27.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | It's a
rare person today who criticizes "social media" as a basic
tool of communication. Just look at any gaggle of teens in the mall, all
tapping away on their phones as if they each were alone in the world;
look at adults constantly checking their mail on a date, during supper,
while driving. People sleep with their cell phones, and check them
during the night. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Books -- reading one,
holding one Posted 08.13.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| To relax and pursue my personal interests, I pick up a small
paperback, say one from the City Lights Poets series, not much bigger
than my hand. I open at my bookmark, smile at the silence and speed of
this procedure, and I read a few pages. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Gas prices at the
pump Posted 08.05.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | When I
was in high school with my first car, gas prices were less than a dollar
a gallon. That's right, per gallon. And at time Canada was producing
almost no oil. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
The Care and Feeding
of Volunteers Posted 06.24.14 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Individuals volunteer for different reasons. It's wise to
understand each volunteer and what motivates him or her. Does he want to
take over an organization, perhaps yours? Does she want to learn a
particular skill that will be useful in finding a job? Does he just like
to be around people who enjoy his interests, whether that be a special
hobby or computers? Does she just want to get out of the house for a few
hours every so often?
That swastika was more
than graffiti Posted 06.23.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| When Councillor Mike Duggan, of Aylmer's Lucerne Ward, took out his
tools and safety gear and removed the swastika graffiti on a sidewalk in
town earlier this month, likely he was not criticizing the slow reaction
of the city's Public Works Department. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Locally, we could be more
creative Posted 06.17.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Cultural events and shows are considered one of Montreal's main
attractions, and its infrastructure keeps the millions, yes, millions of
visitors, in the city for days. They spend more, visit more sites,
expositions, view shows, tours -- all leaving substantial funds behind.
Ottawa is another powerhouse cultural destination. Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
The school calendar of
years ago Posted 06.12.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| As we unwind with the school year towards summer vacations, do we ever
wonder why our schools have the schedules they do? Why two or three
months off in a solid block during summer? Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Why collect books in a
digital age? Posted 06.03.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| They add warmth to a room. On an exterior wall they add insulation.
Sit close to them and notice the warmth -- compared to a blank wall or
to a screen. There's warmth. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Could a musician save
America? Posted 05.10.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Any of our readers who travel often in the US, or follow American
media, are aware that the United States is a fractured nation. The
political arena seems toxic and the idiocies that come from many
politicians and candidates are, frankly, unbelievable. Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
Economic optimism in
Aylmer, Quebec Posted 05.02.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| These business people attribute the up-tick to the last provincial
election. Every one of them said they felt consumers and home-owners had
put plans on hold as they waited for Mme. Marois and the PQ try for a
majority government and, likely, another independence
referendum. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Catching up to
Quebec Posted 04.21.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Of all the commentaries about the Quebec election -- and there are no
end to them -- we learn a great deal about the parties, their
strategies, and their missteps. What we don't see are comments on the
people who made the difference here -- the voters. Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
Post-election -- You are
white and I am black Posted 04.11.14 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Close up, each of our contraries can be a
division, a Berlin Wall, a conflict. We dis-learn about each other; we
dis-learn how to speak to each other with respect and
understanding. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
When the voting is
over Posted 04.03.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Everyone's talking about the Quebec election slated for Monday, April 7,
2014. So many opinions, and so many highly charged with emotion. But if
we really want to help ourselves, the future for ourselves and our kids,
we have to do it ourselves. And that means more than
voting. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
No free
lunch Posted 03.31.14 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Do I need to remind you that there is no miracle diet? No magic
facelift without surgery, no special machine that can reshape your body
without exercise, no miracle cure to back pain or any other common
ailment?
Nouveau Parti Quebecor,
eh? Posted 03.27.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Karl
Peladeau's entry into the Quebec election campaign has been well
dissected but one question has not been carefully studied -- the man's
motive for this radical career change. Why has he jumped into politics,
and why on the side of the PQ? What's in it for him -- this man who owns
so influential a part of the Quebec economy, Quebecor (including the Sun
newspapers)? Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Damned if you
don't Posted 03.18.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| There is a temptation to tell all the politicians to just Go to Hell
in this provincial election. How? By not voting. Or by spoiling our
ballots, which is supposed to indicate an unhappy electorate. If only
politics was this simple and clean.There is a temptation to tell all the
politicians to just Go to Hell in this provincial election. How? By not
voting. Or by spoiling our ballots, which is supposed to indicate an
unhappy electorate. If only politics was this simple and
clean. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Focus, in
hindsight Posted 03.15.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| I am an unashamed admirer of the Olympic Games, both winter and
summer. The massive expenses of both the Sochi and the Peking Games may
dismay many people -- myself included -- but why are we surprised by
such extravagance when every year we learn of multi-million dollar
contracts to hockey and baseball players, or the huge amounts invested
in sports training? Are these our nation's priorities? Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
Quebec Still
Shortchanging Seniors Posted 03.01.14 BARBARA
FLORIO GRAHAM Canada's health accord is expiring at the end of March.
The accord is supposed to guarantee "universal health care"
and a briefing note prepared for the minister last fall stated that the
government is committed to "publicly-funded, universally accessible
healthcare," but any private delivery of insured services should
not bear any charges to patients. Those of us who live in Quebec know to
what extent this promise has been broken over many years.
Student debt -- it's
societal self-abuse Posted 02.25.14 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | As economists try to make sense of Canada's
stuck-in-the-mud resource economy, one interesting consideration is the
dampening effect of over $15 billion taken out of the economy by
outstanding student debt. Some $15 billion is owed to the federal
government -- much more is owed to the provinces, the banks, family
coffers, and to credit cards by the graduates, 15 percent who are unable
to find work. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Canada's Conservative
Party War against the Placenta Posted 02.05.14 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | With Canada's Parliament back in session,
we've just been told that the Dirty Tricks Squad will re-introduce the
"abortion debate" this term. Oh, these folks! Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
Do I remember who I am? Do
you? Posted 01.28.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Last
fall, in-laws visiting from British Columbia were struck by our Quebec
license plates. "What does the slogan mean, 'je me
souviens'?," they wanted to know. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
In Canada: Privatizing
Public Service Posted 01.17.14 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| The Internet has already hit [Canada's Post Office] hard, so
increasing postage and parcel rates means business revenues decline even
further. With the revenues down, run up the costs. Appoint a political
guy to run the post office and pay him roughly $600,000 a year (with
perks). Add a whole bunch of vice-presidents, all well-paid. Say,
appoint twenty-two vice presidents. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Read too quick, talk too
soon Posted 12.16.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | One of
the key cautions in our era of click-n-send e-mails is to write your
message, save it, take a break, review it, and only then hit the final
"send." That is good advice for replying to anything and
anyone -- including letters to the editor. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
A great Santa parade, but
was it successful? Posted 12.09.13 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Who came to see Santa during the recent
parade in Aylmer? Tens of thousands, apparently! And although it is
difficult to figure out how the organizers come up with attendance
numbers, it is clear that the parade attracts thousands. Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
In Quebec, a (Pontiac)
Charter of Values, yes! Posted 11.25.13 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Our local economy has effectively ceased to
function. Most people work outside, and government payments (pensions,
EI, welfare) make up a major source of Pontiac income. The Pontiac has
been not merely de-industrialized, but de-economied. Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
We cannot be against
war Posted 11.14.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Pacifists weren't evident at this year's Remembrance Day ceremony here,
no white poppies in the sea of red. Yet in the most ordinary of
circumstances, most of us are pacifists -- which parents wish to have
our sons and daughters head off to a war? At best, we see those
departures as necessary evils. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
And the little children
shall lead them Posted 11.10.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| In the last several weeks of the recently completed campaign, I was
surprised to have my granddaughter, who is in Grade Three, explain the
election to me. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Winning could be losing
Posted 11.02.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | In
other countries and times, a disinterested population, coupled with some
national decline or crisis, opens the door for The Strong Man to step
in. A dictator. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Democracy doesn't end when
the election is over Posted 10.27.13 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We aren't picking a lottery number -- we
hope -- but no candidate comes with a guarantee. Our homework gives us
an inkling of what we might expect; real life throws so many unexpected
curves that promises are only guidelines. That is why voting is just the
beginning, not the end of our citizen opportunities and
responsibilities. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Damage
Control Posted 10.19.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| While many of us watched the dramatic revelations of Quebec's
Charbonneau corruption commission, we were relieved to learn that this
cancer has not spread to Gatineau's political life. But then, a couple
of weeks later, we learn that Radio Canada has found something worth
examining in the relations between a major contractor -- and a local
school board. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Magicians
Everywhere Posted 09.24.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Magic and magical thinking are topics that grow bigger, more
widespread, the more thought and attention they're given. For example,
politics is magic... Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Lousy government equals
lousy voter attitude Posted 09.17.13 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | With a municipal election here in west
Quebec this November -- plus elections for school board commissioners --
let's not look at the candidates, but at our role in an election, you
and me. It's not a pretty picture. Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
A good wife? A good
husband? (500) Posted 08.09.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Editorials are usually about current events, politics, topics of the
day -- from a new streetlight to closing a school, bullying to
illiteracy rates, high gas prices and the lack of recycling in your
local mall, you name it --but always removed from our most personal
concerns and certainly far from our personal lives. Editorials appeal,
most often, to our brains rather than our feelings, to our community
more than our bedrooms É and why is that? Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
Sound Management or
Foolhardy Ideology? Posted 08.09.13 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | More than a year ago, Japan's new prime
minister, the conservative Shinzo Abe, announced his government was
giving up on "austerity" measures because twenty years of
austerity had not yielded any economic improvement. When Abe announced a
100 billion dollar spending plan to stimulate Japan's economy, the
experts called the plan, "Abenomics," and waited for Japan to
sink. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
We can do
better Posted 07.26.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We ask our youths to work very hard at school, to put in the long days
| and long weeks of college and university study, take part-time jobs --
and to also assume $20,000 to $45,000 in debt, in their twenties.Could
we make it any more difficult for our kids to get a higher
education? Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Big, quiet
change Posted 07.18.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| The difficulty with historical change is that the people within it
usually are unaware that it's even happening. Once it's passed,
historians and the media tell us all about it. Why don't they inform us
while we are in the middle of it? Fred Ryans column
archives: Click Here
In Canada today: More than
just cronies Posted 07.01.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Although most prime ministers have misused their power to appoint, Mr.
Harper's blatant use of appointments to reward big donors, party
workers, or his party's losing candidates seems, well,
shameless. Fred Ryans column archives: Click
Here
Today's miracles and
magical thinking Posted 06.22.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| It's a bit like fantasy, a bit like wishing, where self-contradictory
statements, programs, and plans are taken to be accurate reflections of
the way the world works. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
What we're learning about
Canada's Senate Posted 06.11.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| As the Senate expenses scandal ripples outward, and as surprising as
| is the venality of the few senators who've been caught, it is what we
| are learning about the Senate's operating rules that is most
| informative. This is a genuine scandal. In any other jurisdiction,
| this would be a criminal matter. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
What Canada Senate
expenses scandal? Posted 06.02.13 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We haven't forgotten, have we, that politics is all about what's under
| the radar screen, not what's grabbing today's 3-minute media bite? How
| else explain this government's record-breaking use of omnibus bills to
| slide in innumerable measures that would, by definition, surely not
| pass on their own. Or, at minimum, these secret-agenda items would
| bring public wrath or a spotlight on the manipulations of this
| toxically-secretive government. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
The [Quebec] Pontiac's
reality options? Posted 05.24.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We do have a sovereigntist government at the helm in Quebec City.
| Pontiac being one big chrome-plated municipality or eighteen
| independent fiefdoms won't mean much to us if we are thrown into
| another independence referendum. Kiss investment
| goodbye. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Alert!
Alert! Posted 05.09.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We all love kids, especially our own. We love grandkids. That is not
| the issue. Just about everyone will do what they can to prevent harm
| to any child. We do not have to prove we love kids by supporting every
| call for hysteria, nor do we have to embrace fear as our guiding
| emotion. Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
April Moon
Thoughts Posted 04.23.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Late at night, when there's not much left of the daylight world to
think about, it is interesting to consider that when we are looking at
the moon, we are in fact looking at the sun. Looking at the sun is a
no-no, while looking at the moon is a romantic and philosophic moment,
although moonlight is no more than sunlight reflected. Can reflections
make such a difference? Fred Ryans column archives: Click Here
Boston Marathon: A Runner
Reports Her Experience Posted 04.17.13 DR.
ALISON SEELY BEACHBURG, ONTARIO | Dr. Alison Seely, a veterinarian
from Beachburg, Ontario, had a close encounter with the terror explosion
-- the bombs went off 50 meters behind her not long after she had
crossed the finish line. Her husband, Dr. Kevin Mahoney, a chiropractor,
was in Boston with her, although not at the finish line. [Full
disclosure: Kevin is my son, Ali my daughter-in-law.)
The chainsaws of
springtime Posted 04.15.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| With the air finally warming and the days nice and long, we're clearly
in spring. And spring means one thing: chainsaws. Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
Libraries and urban
villages Posted 04.02.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Debates about public libraries are not limited to Quebec's Gastineau.
We've seen them in Montreal, Seattle, Singapore, Berlin, Ottawa, and New
York City. A major impetus is the digitization of printed material. It
has been estimated that the entire collection of the federal Library of
Parliament can now fit into a shoebox. Why, ask library critics, do we
need massive, expensive buildings to house a shoebox? Fred Ryans
column archives: Click Here
Can you afford to raise a
kid? Posted 03.28.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Statistics tell us that it costs an average of a quarter million dollars
to raise one child to the age of 17 (in the US). High-earners can spend
a half-million. I don't know about you, but I have three grown kids and
I know we didn't run through that much money.
Hydro-Québec
"green-washes" its new fridge campaign Posted
03.21.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | First, Hydro is
asking us to discard our old appliances. How is that done? Dumped on the
curb, or traded in to appliance shops? Where will the carcasses of all
those old machines end up? What's "green" in dumping thousands
of working appliances into landfills, before or after they've been
stripped?
Talking too
much Posted 03.14.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | At a
recent evening get-together, with people talking on all sides, several
conversations at once, I had a startling revelation, to wit, that most
people don't know what they are talking about.
New check-off boxes on our
ballots? Posted 03.05.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| It amazes us to hear that in Russia and the old Soviet republics there
are many people who want communism back, and that the Communist Parties
do well in elections in many places. "Are they crazy?" we ask;
"They want megalomaniacs back in power?" They do. But they
wouldn't put it that way. Few people want mass murders or secret police,
but a lot of people want guaranteed jobs, enforced low prices on food
and staples, free education through university, even free telephone and
bus services. They want the security that dictatorial regimes can
provide.
Quebec is not a bilingual
province Posted 02.27.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| It will come as a surprise to some of our readers, but our province is
officially unilingual; its legal language is French, and only French.
Many who write letters to the editor believe Canada is a bilingual
country and they assume since Quebec is a province, it must also be
bilingual. This is mistaken, and the mistake is a big one: Canada is not
a bilingual country.
Where's the money
gone? Posted 02.16.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Where has the world's wealth gone? Since personal and family debt
loads have never been higher, pensions are being cut -- or evaded by
some corporations -- and Canada, once rated the number one country to
live in the world by the United Nations, now can't afford to keep our
scientists and researchers working, our health system functioning
smoothly, schools teaching, infrastructure maintained -- we can't even
fund a restoration of St Paul's Church!
Guns? Posted 02.09.13 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | There are so many guns in the US that some
are bound to be pointed at us all. We wring out hands, shed tears for
parents and teachers, and we tsk-tsk their culture of extreme-gun
ownership. We can do little about all this, apart from a shared sorrow
and our oh-so-Canadian indignation.
A lesson from the
States? Posted 01.26.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| This picture is changing, says my nephew. This town does have the
deserted downtown and the ostentatious suburbs, but few malls -- in fact
there were none. None open.There were no small stores at all, but there
was one massive Walmart.
Don't get stuck in
idle Posted 01.15.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Need
proof that we live in interesting times? How about the Idle No More
movement, the student anti-austerity protests last spring, the Occupy
movement, the Arab Spring upheavals -- all just the start of a
list.
Those New Year
resolutions Posted 01.10.13 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| What a relief that the world didn't end. The media's analysts
misinterpreted the Mayan calendar, or likely they exaggerated someone
else's misinterpretation, similar to the Y2K crisis when the digital
world was due to end. So we have a reprieve.
Quebec municipal
corruption for decades. No one noticed? Posted 12.26.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We're still in shock from the Charbonneau
Commission's revelations. There's more to come, but what often happens
is that we, the public, are overloaded with information and quickly grow
jaded even with the worst scandals. As a public, our population seems to
suffer collective Attention Deficit Disorder -- we continually want to
hear about a new scandal, new horrors in Syria, new massacres in the
States, new anything.
Pontiac's Easy Street?
Posted 12.15.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | As
close as we are to Ottawa, no one could have missed hearing about
Ottawa's big idea to build a casino of its own, right downtown where
traffic is bad, parking terrible, light-rail construction chaos is
starting, and the area is already over-built and crowded. And why a
casino?
Atomic
Anger Posted 12.07.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Nuclear is the big dark horse. Atomic energy is the door to so much
debate - and confusion. Shouldn't we cut through some of that confusion
if we could by speaking more clearly?
A different Turkey,
different Thanksgiving Posted 10.23.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | With the Quebec election only a month old
and the US presidential election heating up, the conversation over wine,
cheese, and smoked whitefish and salmon quickly turned to politics. This
might alarm those who avoid mixing politics and family, but given the
range of opinions, backgrounds, and experiences present, these
conversations were enlightening.
Thank you,
Deschenes! Posted 10.02.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Say the word "democracy" and most of us think of voting
every four years. That's the shopper's view, similar to choosing a brand
of toothpaste or detergent in the store. What if democracy means music
in a park, kids parading with banners and drums, and choices among
chili-dogs, salmon burgers or a Mexican atole drink? Democracy is closer
to what goes on in a park like that, than it is to voting once or
picking out one of 100 identical toothpastes.
Quebec's political sanity
Posted 09.13.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Mme.
Marois has a place in history as our first female premier. Will she be a
footnote to history or an entire chapter? If she feeds her old guard,
the geezers my age who want one more kick at the referendum can before
they croak, her record may read, " . . . she stalled Quebec's
future by immersing us in the quarrelling of another unwinable
referendum"?
An automatic referendum on
separation? Posted 09.04.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We may get or avoid a referendum, but we don't get the projects which
had caught our attention at the start. We are hostages.
This Quebec election is
part of something old Posted 08.21.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | As I get older, I'm surprised to find that
some of my prejudices are getting stronger, not dying away.
Who needs another bridge?
Not Ottawa Posted 08.03.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Ottawa's mayor claims he is against another bridge because it will
allow more people to move to Gatineau's cheaper housing and better
family services, and Ottawa will lose even more tax base. Is Mayor
Watson considering a wall around Ottawa to keep his ratepayers paying
their taxes only to Ottawa?
"Ain't seen nothin'
yet!" Posted 07.25.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We're getting accustomed to reports of weather that would have been
shocking twenty years ago. Two weeks ago Edmonton was hit with
tornado-speed winds, hail, and flash flooding, with many drivers
abandoning their cars on flooded highways. American reports of multiple
tornados, floods, continent-sized drought and lightning-caused blackouts
amid super-hot weather are almost routine.
The community of
"us" Posted 07.12.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| With our excessive regard for individualism, do we pay as much
attention to this reciprocity as it merits? Isn't our personal
happiness connected to the genetic collectivity to which we each and all
belong?
Je me souviens -- but can
we go back there? Posted 07.02.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | A drive home from work is a great place to
think. My route has little traffic and less stress -- perfect. This
isn't about relaxation.
Canada joins the
petro-democracies Posted 06.20.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | There were plenty of crocodile tears shed
in Canada during the last federal election about the weaknesses of a
minority government. Although the country seemed to be doing just fine
with its minority governments, we were assured minorities are the road
to disaster.
Our moon and
Venus Posted 06.12.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Driving out into the rural areas earlier this month, I followed the
graceful sliver of the moon drifting off to my left, while to the right
was Venus, about to set and burning crystal-clear in the distant sky --
what is it that makes us smile at these celestial bodies, what seems so
familiar about them, so home-like? What pulls our attention
upward?
Do yourself a lifetime
favour Posted 06.03.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Is buying a painting extravagant? Is it any more self-indulgent than
buying a boat, skidoo, patio set, even a microwave or a new outfit? If
we bought only essentials we'd have a lot more money in the bank, but
not much else.
Does shooting yourself in
the foot feel that good? Posted 05.19.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | On occasional trips through Eastern
Ontario, I can't help noticing a few large signs put up by various
"landowner associations." They carry short, loud messages like
"Back off, government!"
Better Quebec education,
more Quebec education Posted 05.03.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Students across Quebec have changed the
"national dialogue" within the province. Premier Charest and
his party had sunk everything into their famous Plan Nord, yet, at the
peak of the Premier's campaign to sell the Plan as the means of
re-setting Quebec's future, thousands of students have all but knocked
that plan off the public's radar.
Why wear a red tag of
support? Posted 04.17.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| In my extended-and-blended family, two broad approaches to staying
alive regularly surface during our multi-generational meals: to spend
less, be more frugal in everything, and require less income, and the
other, maybe the opposite, is to earn more. Earn more, live with more
abandon, spend more, work more, spread wealth around so it comes back --
option two.
The Canadian Federal
Budget or the Harper Rip-off Plan? Posted 04.13.12 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The government isn't proposing that the
present slow and inadequate regulatory process be revised and updated.
No, the Harper solution is to close it down -- make it shorter, cheaper.
This budget is for corporations; we merely pay the bills.
Rocks Posted 04.10.12 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Although Air Canada attached "Heavy Baggage" tags to
our luggage when we returned from three weeks in the west, the cab
driver groaned as he lifted our suitcases into his trunk. "What've
you got in here, lady," he asked, "rocks?" Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Data-mining (your name
here) Posted 03.27.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | One advance in our high-tech world is to allow
people in every check-out line to pull out their debit card for a pack
of smokes, a scratch card, groceries, or merely for a liter of beer,
and, of course, have to make two or three tries to get the card to work
-- while the rest of the line-up glares.
I can get it
cheaper Posted 03.20.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| If it is OK for you to drive to Ottawa to pick up sporting gear, for
example, would you also say it's OK for your boss, one morning, to tell
you he can get someone else to do your job at a cheaper rate?
The Craft of
Collaboration Posted 03.15.12 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM The
key is delegation, but this can be tricky. Too often we select close
family and friends to be our primary helpers, which can be dangerous
when tempers flare because they don't agree. Barbara Florio Graham is
the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
OBESITY, THE NEW
NORMAL? Posted 03.06.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| This is not a moral or ethical question. It's a health issue. It is
not about telling someone how to live as much as being aware that obese
people cost everyone, not just themselves, since we all pay their
eventual health bills. The list of ailments which apparently grow from
obesity is long and chilling. The current flood of diabetes, for
example, is repeatedly said to be in large part due to obesity. Ditto
for heart problems.
A Valentine's Day message
-- for guys only Posted 02.13.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Sigmund Freud asked that famous question -- to his life-long
embarrassment -- and it's still heard in sports bars. If you were to
scratch most guys, you'd find this question floating in their heads,
although more likely, "what the heck does Carrie really want?"
Or Ruth, Marie, Anik, someone personal.
You do not have to be a
victim Posted 02.07.12 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Why
don't they resist? Often it's because the attacker has a knife or a gun.
What would you do, or advise your children to do, if faced with a
criminal brandishing a weapon and insisting that you obey
him? Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to
Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Clear the air, Mr. Prime
Minister Posted 02.03.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| The Prime Minister made headlines flutter over a week ago, accusing
the opposition to that pipeline of being, basically, puppets of the US
environmental movement and for interests in the US who do not want
Alberta's tar sold to China
After the war came
learning Posted 01.29.12 ELISHA PORAT The sights and sounds from the
burning Golan Heights and the shelled enclave haunted me not only at
night, but during the day as well. And even writing poems about memories
of the war, to which I became addicted for a short time, didn't help. I
walked around my house and the kibbutz like a sleepwalker -- until I
took my friends' advice and went up to Jerusalem. Elisha Porat writes
on a kibbutz in Israel.
The War on Terror should
come home Posted 01.25.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Smoking is also big business, and tobacco corporations make millions
from the drug, millions they can use to insulate their drug from
criminal investigation. Imagine what the cocaine and heroin dealers
could accomplish if they followed tobacco's political pressure
tactics.
The real nitty-gritty of
progress Posted 01.15.12 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| It's popular to insist that schools and colleges teach specific skills
-- like plumbing, circuit-board design, or nursing. These can lead to a
job, quickly. But when the job changes, grows obsolete, or becomes
cheaper in China or Mexico, that skill-based education suddenly is a
constriction. It is flexibility, vision, knowledge of history, and the
ability to create absolutely new combinations that will see us through,
and which will be our tools to use what the complex modern world throws
at us. These skills help us grab the ball and run with it.
2011 -- One big
year Posted 12.27.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We are
nearing the end of the first year in which our society is being
remodeled: the Boomers are stepping aside.
Research -- with
credentials? Posted 12.14.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| "Privatize Hydro-Quebec" is a favourite idea of the Montreal
Economic Institute. This think-tank argues that, to cut to the chase,
hydro rates are too low in Quebec, but in corporate hands, the rates
would go up and investors would earn more profit, making Quebec a more
profitable place for investment.Great logic, from this tank so
generously funded by those very investors who want to save Quebec by
charging us more.
Politics -- it's all about
people Posted 12.08.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| There are people who believe politics are everywhere and in
everything. Every club, team, movement, even every family, has its
politics. And on an abstract level, they feel every view, belief,
attitude, outlook, even jokes and art, have a political content, make a
statement, or support a political theory.
Our complaints
industry Posted 11.28.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| We've had a pleasant autumn, after a great summer -- so why all the
complaining across our city? Councilors are exchanging accusations, the
media is heaving barbs as if that's the only way to sell newspapers, and
regular citizens are up in arms about every subject -- from stoplights
and dog parks to the lack of doctors and crowded classrooms.
Editorial-writers and talk-show hosts, we self-appointed complainers,
are getting drowned out. What's going on?
It's holiday scam time --
be cranky, be uncooperative! Posted 11.18.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Christmas also calls out the thieves and
scam-artists -- those scum-bags who climb out of their gutters not to
admire the lights but to rob the weakest and least-alert of our
neighbours. Already we have had several letters and calls about scams
hitting local people, seniors mostly, via the telephone or
Internet.
How to make flu
vaccinations difficult Posted 11.10.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The elderly and the ill are supposed to
arrange their own rides, to and from, and also to wait during the line
up and then rest in observation after the shot? The elderly and infirm
likely don't or can't drive; can they find a family member to spend the
afternoon, or can they figure out the bus routes and transfers to take a
city bus, or can they pay for a cab across the city?
Reunion
Revelations Posted 11.03.11 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM These biographies have provided a fascinating glimpse at what
made the most significant impressions on these vulnerable kids, many of
who came from dysfunctional families. Although their parents were rich
and sent them to excellent universities, many described bouts with
alcoholism or drugs, one or more divorces, and quite a few failed
attempts to find a suitable profession. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
In Quebec, who's
celebrating being an anglo? Posted 11.02.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The francophone majority has plenty of
public mouthpieces, from Quebec nationalists and political parties to
cultural watchdogs like Imperatif français -- not to mention the
entire Quebec government with its often nationalistic civil
service.
Yes, Premier Charest, an
inquiry Posted 10.27.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Let me add another voice supporting a public inquiry into corruption
in the construction industry in Quebec. Premier Charest announced one,
but given his original insistence that an inquiry will never happen, his
lack of details is not encouraging.
Farming regulations,
climate change Posted 10.13.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| In our densely populated world the only alternative to government
regulation is self-regulation. The rant that "the only good
government is no government" leads nowhere.
Getting what you
paid for Posted 10.06.11 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM It's not only in entertainment where we don't get what we think
we're paying for. But it's unsettling to think that national
institutions we ought to be able to trust are sometimes ripping us
off. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to
Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Plenty new in
Ottawa Posted 10.03.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC
| Aylmer, Quebec's MP Nycole Turmel takes up the challenge of Opposition
leader as a new session of the House of Commons begins. Prime Minister
Harper is a known commodity, but we will be watching Ms. Turmel. The
massive job cuts (770 cut from Environment Canada alone) will affect
Aylmer. And the game-changer is the Tory majority in both House and
Senate.
Don't step aside, step
back Posted 09.07.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Although here in the Ottawa Valley we live in one of the most beautiful
and peaceful areas of the world -- not dramatically breath-taking, but
calm, pastoral and clean -- and although we are not crowded like even
New England, nor are we subjected to the thrashing of tornados,
hurricanes, earthquakes, or major flooding, and although we are not
subject to rampant corruption, drug wars, and criminality, the Pontiac
often feels like an unhappy place.
Jack's legacy, our
challenge Posted 08.17.11 FRED RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The
massive and very public grieving in Canada over NDP leader Jack Layton's
death, and the very quick growth of a myth around him, tells us less
about Jack than it tells us about ourselves. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
In Canada, ganging up on the
NDP's Nycole Turmel Posted 08.17.11 FRED
RYAN SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | If the struggle for notice in the media had
been her motivation, Nycole Turmel certainly knows how to work the
system. The political/media uproar (otherwise known as a tempest in a
teapot) over her past political affiliations is bringing her massive
media exposure, at no financial cost. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Oslo: One week later
(890) Without much consideration for themselves, these campers jumped
into their small motorboats, row boats, inflatable boats and began to
charge towards the island -- some being shot at both on the way there
and on the way back. Their stories were heart wrenching -- having to
leave people behind because boats were becoming overloaded, having to
decide who could possibly be saved and who could not. Berit Lundh
writes from Oslo, Norway
Conserve -- on drop at
a time Posted 07.10.11 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM It's easy to just throw your hands in the air and give up.
Certainly nothing any of us can do individually is going to make a
difference. But that's not true. Barbara Florio Graham is the author
of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
New (school) year
resolutions A world-wide study published earlier this year
(in Britain's Guardian, 31 March 2011) linked low education rates with
poor health, poor nutrition, and low family income. These linkages were
found in every country studied, differing only by the numbers -- rich
and poor, developed and under-developed, north and south. Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
PM Harper and Canada's Wheat
Board(600) Prime Minister Harper insists he will do away with
the Canadian Wheat Board. He has tried on several occasions, only to
have the board of directors of the cooperative thwart his plan. Fred
Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
The best newpaper prize of
all(500) For us at the Bulletin, a bigger weekend was
the one before -- Quebec's community newspaper convention and awards
gala. Always a big deal for newspaper people, the convention gets us out
with our peers from Quebec City, Gaspé, the Far North, south to
the eastern Townships, and all the cities -- English, French, Mohawk,
Cree, Inuit, Greek, and Italian. What a pleasure to touch base with
others who do the same sort of work as do we, week after week. Fred
Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
How to make
history(510) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | One of today's urban legends
is that newspapers are dying. If you are holding one right now, does it
feel dead? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Cats and
Songbirds Posted 05.20.11 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM A
terrible myth persists. Many people claim that cats are the primary
threat to the survival of songbirds. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Our fragmented
lives Posted 05.11.11 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM I
worry about today's children, all of whom seem to have earbuds in their
ears, blasting loud music, or cellphones commanding their attention.
Computers in their rooms are used for homework some of the time, but
also for continual monitoring of Facebook and viewing YouTube
videos. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to
Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Press freedom means
what?(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | As for readers and
media-watchers, your obligation in protecting press freedom is to not
just turn off. This has been happening, big-time. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
If Canadian health care matters to
you, you should vote! (500) IN THE PONTIAC, QUEBEC |
There is no better time to talk about health than during an election.
While it may seem that politicians barely notice the daily challenges of
their constituents, this year may be different. Once again, polls show
health care is the top priority for the election. Lily Ryan is the
editor of the West Quebec Post.
When Grandchildren
Come to Visit Posted 04.15.11 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Gone are the days when grandparents lived in big houses with
backyards, attics, and basements where children could discover forgotten
treasures and play for hours. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of
Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Are the local police abusing
their power?(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Gatineau's police
appear to be targeting the person of the mayor, Marc Bureau. Nothing
illegal here; in fact, it was taken as a joke that the cops would ticket
their mayor for jaywalking. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
A useful election, a
cost-efficient democracy (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Instead of
bombs and rockets, should our jets in Libya be dropping the pundits,
media experts, and Conservative politicians who claim this federal
election is "useless"? Or onto the crowds of Egypt, Libya,
Tunisia, Yemen, Oman, Honduras, and China? Those peoples, bloodied and
bandaged, would certainly be eager to learn why democratic elections are
a big waste of time. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Lets make attack ads
self-defeating Ð give them the boot (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Nasty attack ads by any Canadian political party are attempts to
intimidate voters; they push us toward hating politics, politicians, and
elections. This "politics of dirt" has been imported from the
worst excesses of American political assassination, promoted day after
day by the Fox TV network. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
How green is Quebec, or,
Not a bill, a bill of goods from Hydro (500) SHAWVILLE,
QUEBEC | First, Hydro is asking us to discard our old appliances. How is
that done? Dumped on the curb, or traded in to appliance shops? Where
will the carcasses of all those old machines end up? Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~
LIFELONG LEARNING Posted 03.08.11 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Don't be lulled by some of the magazine articles that claim
that just doing crossword puzzles or playing bridge will accomplish
this, although both are certainly excellent ways to stay sharp. You
have to learn something completely new to give your brain the workout
that will help fend off strokes and memory loss. You have to learn
something completely new to give your brain the workout that will help
fend off strokes and memory loss. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
"Green bathing?" Who,
me? (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We've all heard of "green
washing," where a company will redesign its labels and advertising
to position its products as environmentally friendly -- green -- without
actually changing the product. But how many of us have heard of
"green bathing"? How many of us know that our lovely Aylmer is
one of the worst examples of green bathing? Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Will Quebec's Pontiac grab
national Canadian headlines? Is Canada's Foreign Minister s head on the
block? (600) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | How secure is Minister
Cannon's toehold? Apart from his not living here, the complaints on the
ground are that he is seldom in our riding, given his oh-so-important
duties on the world stage (assuring the world that Canada does indeed
support democracy in Tunisia and Egypt, for example), plus the continued
stagnation of the local economy and its near-zero job creation. Fred
Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
Canadian Cold and Canadian
Taxes (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | What do Japanese auto makers
know about the realities of the road at minus 30? Or operating in the
spray of a slushy, greasy roadway? Foreign designers are very
intelligent, but they don't live our realities. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~
RESOLUTIONS Posted 01.25.11 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM The
problem with resolutions is that we aim too high. Losing ten pounds,
quitting smoking, de-cluttering your home, making new friends, are all
long-term goals that are difficult to achieve quickly. That means
there's no immediate reward to keep you on track. Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
War on Drugs: Canada, USA,
Mexico (460) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Canada's Foreign Minister,
Lawrence Cannon, recently brought the foreign ministers of the US and
Mexico to Wakefield, Quebec, to talk tough about drugs. There's no other
topic close to that subject for the three nations, even Haiti. The drug
wars in Mexico are in danger of being lost, a Wikileaks document reveals
a Mexican official admitting; there could soon be "autonomous
areas" where the army doesn't go... Fred Ryan is the publisher
of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Little in life is assured
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | "Unquestionable proof" is the
grail of those who lobby for no change to our life styles. These people
may or may not be supporters of the world's coal and oil industries; it
doesn't matter. Nor does their commitment to personal freedom and
against paternalistic government matter. What matters is that the
evidence, in bits and pieces from all over the world, is pointing not
only to a growing radical change in climate but to acceptance that much
of this climate change is due to human activities, mostly burning fossil
fuels in one form or another. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Stop promoting asbestos, Mr.
Quebec Premier (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The energy our
Quebec provincial government has recently put into promoting asbestos
around the world is shameful. On only one account it is not, and that is
the government's evident desire to help the communities where asbestos
was once mined -- near the town of Asbestos. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
A little muscle-flexing,
please (600) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | This very cabinet, in the
middle of the country's worst modern deficit, has announced it will
order new F-35 star wars jet fighters from the USA. They will cost more
than $70 million each. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~
JUDGE NOT Posted 11.30.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM As
the days get shorter and winter chill sets in, many people look forward
to the holidays. But if your family is too far away for you to see them
for Christmas, it can be easy to become depressed. Often, it seems
everybody else is being invited to parties, while your friends are
pre-occupied with their families or traveling south. Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Canada's conspicuous [defense]
consumption (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We expect the federal
government to reduce it's list of F-35 fighter jets, valued at roughly
$70 million each, by one. That $70 million would go to the Aylmer health
co-op and a new emergency ward, as well as to attract doctors with a
million-dollar lifetime commitment benefit payment. One jet fighter
could buy our town seventy doctors. Or a small hospital and thirty new
doctors. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Canadian Newsman: We take privacy
concerns seriously (520) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Should
spectators at sporting events expect to sign releases before any photos
of the game can be used? The courts so far have balanced responsibility
of conveying information with that of protecting privacy. Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
Change defines us
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The speed of the wheels and gears of life
surrounding us is something we often complain about, but it has created
some unexpected consequences. One is that it has made us all
elders. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Do you mistrust politicians -- or
should politicians mistrust you? (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
Money is tight, certainly, but spending by councils has always been
contentious and always has attracted close scrutiny. Why would it now
turn the municipal world upside down? Do we citizens really have cause
to mistrust our leaders? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Messing with street names has
complications (510) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | If we discover a
street in Gatineau, Quebec, named after a mass-murderer, someone who
practiced genocide and biological warfare (against First Nations
peoples), aren't we obligated to get rid of that memorial? Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
Quebec's Gatineau is wealthy, why
not the Pontiac? (650) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | September 2010
data from Statistics Canada indicates that Gatineau has the highest
family incomes in Quebec. This is of interest to the Pontiac because
right next door to Quebec's highest incomes is Quebec's poorest region
-- us. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~
JUDGE NOT Posted 10.01.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM When my ex-husband and I first visited the Ottawa area, in
anticipation of moving here for his new job at the now-closed
Abitibi-Bowater mill, we met with other engineers and their wives who
were eager to give us advice. Don't buy a house from a French
Canadian, one woman warned. Some of their places are clean, but most of
them are filthy. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five
Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity,
and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Retirement, no quiet
matter (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Governments are re-thinking
mandatory retirement ages and looking at increasing salary deductions
for very simple reasons -- first, the cupboard is getting
bare... Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~
LENDING A HAND Posted 09.20.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Consider mini-visits. Sometimes all an isolated senior needs is
to have someone come for ten or fifteen minutes, bringing along a
special treat, like a loaf of fresh bread, some cookies, or a few
flowers from your garden. Call before you head out to make sure it's a
convenient time. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast
Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
A spectacular decision
(510) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Canada has apparently undertaken to spend
nine billion dollars on super state-of-the-art fighter jets, plus
another nine billion for their maintenance over the contract. Isn't a
controversial expenditure of this size, taken without mention during any
political campaign and without specific agreement by the House of
Commons, a serious affront to democracy? Fred Ryan is the publisher
of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Video gaming & life
skills (510) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Earlier this summer,
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin published a photograph of the Laflamme
supermarket's interior in 1959. The store was busy, with numerous
check-out clerks and bag-packers who carried bags to the customers' cars
for tips. Where have those summer and after-school jobs gone? Where are
today's kids and young adults who might have found part-time jobs like
these? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~
PRESERVING THE PAST Posted 08.26.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Many seniors get involved with genealogy after they retire. But
it's important to capture the memories of older family members while
they're still able to communicate. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Speak some French,
s.v.p.! (600) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Most important is our
belief that bilingualism is one of our region's strongest assets.
Outaouais' bilingualism has a natural flow as people switch between
English and French. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Setting sights a little higher,
pushing a little harder (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The Quebec
Summer Games are in full swing across our city, including here in
Aylmer. This is a grand opportunity for all of us to catch great
competitors in action, no matter their age -- and to get a glimpse of
Quebec's future Olympians. Anyone who has the time should take in a few
games, trails, races, and matches -- there may never be such a
convenient chance. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Pulling ourselves up by our eyes
and ears (610) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Pontiac's industry faces
problems. Competition is a big one - -studio tours are everywhere, and
the market for art and culture is immensely fragmented. These
difficulties merit help from everyone, not just those directly
involved--like most industries. There's a limit to artists'
boot-strapping abilities. Apart from public attendance and purchases,
help must include support from our mayors and councils. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~ CAT
TALK Posted 07.20.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Have you ever had your wallet stolen? Or lost your cellphone?
How about leaving your camera behind at a restaurant? Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.

Wedding season, marriage for
life? (515) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The pomp within a beautiful
old Anglican church certainly impressed me with the sanctity of this
sacrament. At the same time, I couldn't help but recall that only half
of all marriages survive. The priest kept using the word
"eternal" -- hadn't he read the statistics? Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
A long, happy life? (515) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We are
bombarded with suggestions and directives on how to live healthier and
longer. There are rules apparently for every aspect of our lives: from
how much sleep we need to our all-important exercise and eating habits.
The self-appointed (usually) experts tell us how much romance and
intimacy we need, our stress levels, red wine, caffeine, vitamins,
alcohol, and how much time we spend in our gardens, with our cameras or
out fishing -- every thing we do seems to affect our life spans and
health. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
A long, happy life?
(510) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We are bombarded with suggestions and
directives on how to live healthier and longer. There are rules
apparently for every aspect of our lives: from how much sleep we need to
our all-important exercise and eating habits. The self-appointed
(usually) experts tell us how much romance and intimacy we need, our
stress levels, red wine, caffeine, vitamins, alcohol, and how much time
we spend in our gardens, with our cameras or out fishing -- every thing
we do seems to affect our life spans and health. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~ CAT
TALK Posted 06.16.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM You
would never leave a burning candle or pot on the stove unattended, you
change the batteries in your smoke alarms spring and fall, and you feel
that having breakers in your electrical panel means a circuit would fail
before it caused a fire. But you may not be as safe as you think.
Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better
Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.

Good news from the media
(600) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | If newspapers, facing a hundred new sources
of news, are going the way of the Gutenberg press, and if today's young
people are plugged exclusively into e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook, then
Quebec's recent community newspaper convention near Montreal didn't
happen. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Graffiti: a crime or an
asset? (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | One Quebec businessman told
the Aylmer Bulletin that "if graffiti is a crime, it's up to the
police to stop it. If the police can't, why should businesses -- the
victims of this crime -- be forced to bear its burden?" Fred
Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
Can things be too big to
fail? (600) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | What is the most "too
big to fail" is our planet's climate. Since it covers everyone, its
failure will damage everyone. Why is Ottawa mobilizing for banks and
global corporations, but not for global climate? Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Quebec: A have-not
province? (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Then another question
jumped to mind: Where is my province's stimulus spending? Where are our
billions of tax dollars being spent? Are they being siphoned off via the
kick-backs and wheeling-dealing we've been reading about from Montreal
and Quebec City? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
That generation and ours
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | "The Man" was a popular enemy,
although everyone defined him in a different way. To many the Man was
the corporate world of markets and bottom lines, suits and ties, long
hours in cubicles. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Stereotypes, eh?
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Because I'm as habitual a stereotyper as
anyone -- jokes involving my Irish ancestors especially, plus other
stereotypic inanities -- I can't shake my finger at anyone. But the
extremes to which stereotypes are being pushed today merit our
concern. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~ CAT
TALK Posted 04.04.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM But
the time comes when a dog is no longer practical. Dogs have to go
outside, regardless of how treacherous the weather. They are more
expensive to feed and need to be professionally groomed. Obviously, the
ideal pet for a senior is a cat. Barbara Florio Graham is the author
of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.

Listen very carefully to
children (480) IN THE PONTIAC, QUEBEC | "I told my
mother that I didn't want to go to his apartment because I feared a
fire," but it was only twenty years later when she remembered the
real fire at her father's apartment. It was a fire in his pants and he
asked his own daughter to pull down hers, and join him in bed. Lily
Ryan is the editor of the West Quebec Post.
Pontiac, Big-Hearted Quebec
Country (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We are a land, a region,
and a city of immigrants: all our families have come from somewhere
else, at some point. Even aboriginal people were on the move, migrating.
So why are many people upset with immigrants today? This is a
serious question, and Quebec has been at the forefront of the whole
world in dealing with it and related questions. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~
DOWNSIZING Posted 04.01.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Moving out of the family home into an apartment always poses
the same questions. Which things are you willing to part with? What will
fit into smaller quarters? Barbara Florio Graham is the author of
Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.

Federal fear tactic too transparent
to fool West Quebecers (440) IN THE PONTIAC, QUEBEC | Mr.
Harper would rather have Canadians locked up in their houses for fear of
Ôcrime,' too busy watching TV to care about the business of our
nation. Lily Ryan is the editor of the West Quebec Post.
Man, you're not a
feminist? (600) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | When we get to complex
rights, like equal opportunities for education and jobs, the collateral
damage caused by poverty, racism, misogyny, and bigotry can be enormous.
These mean that many women do not effectively have the same rights as
most men, because they are unable to exercise those rights. Poverty,
illiteracy, and racism affect men also -- all the more reason for men to
support the International Women's Day, yes, and all the more reason why
every man, especially every father and grand-father, should aspire to
become a feminist. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Owning the podium
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | For a couple of hours every day during
those two weeks, we forgot our problems and the troubles afflicting the
world. We let men and women from China and Korea, France and Germany,
the US and Russia, from all around the world, show us the rewards of
single-minded focus and incredible daily hard work. The Games may be
telling us that such focus and such effort could also help us solve
those problems of the world that we were able to ignore so briefly and
which are now making their way back into our awareness. If young men and
women can put the daily difficulties of growing up aside while they work
towards their goals, can't we adults do the same thing? Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Sweet talk a future
(570) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | A new game is sweeping Canada, at least
rural Canada, a game without the special effects of X-boxes and video
gaming, but a game with real consequences. It is the game of
re-imagining our communities that have had their mills, plants, mines,
and factories closed. The Pontiac is right up there with the best of
these rural gamers. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
We can change the weather
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Is "government" or even
"society" as bad as everyone says? One message we soak up with
the air is that "government" is, at best, a necessary evil,
and usually nothing but some form of extortion and self-aggrandizement
by politicians, those who do the governing. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
SENIOR MUSINGS ~
HIGH COST OF HEALTH CARE Posted 02.12.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM I
had no choice. In early 2006 I began looking for a new doctor, and
phoned the CLSC for help. I was told my name would be put on a waiting
list, and given priority because of my age and the fact that I take five
prescription medicines for five different medical problems. They never
called me back, although I continued to phone every few months to make
sure I was still on the priority list. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.

SENIOR MUSINGS ~
NEW COLUMN Posted 01.22.10 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM I've managed on my own by installing a stair-lift to access the
basement, which is not only ideal for anyone with mobility problems, but
also enables me to carry things up and down the stairs without danger.
Falls are the most common reason why seniors are hospitalized, so
anything we can do to avoid falling is crucial. Barbara Florio Graham
is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps
to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.

The Female Heart Attack (a story
for women (740) On December 30th, as I went to work to open
the Canadian Embassy here in Oslo, I was overwhelmed by acute earaches
and a peculiar feeling in my chest. I'd had these earaches for a couple
of months, on and off, and except for the fact that I'd never had an
earache before, didn't give it much thought. This was more intense
however, so I did what I had to do and went home. Berit Lundh writes
from Oslo, Norway
Quebec: First accommodating
immigrants, now euthanasia (620) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Our
province's public consultation on "reasonable accommodation"
of immigrant minorities received a lot of criticism because it seemed to
be little more than picking at a scab -- and because it gave a soapbox
to a lot of hysterical people who only vented their fears. It seemed to
promise something -- social accommodation of minority cultures -- that
could never be guaranteed. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
A lose-lose proposition
(540) You tell the BBB you already gave her the upgraded motherboard
and reinstalled Windows without charge, and she has nothing to complain
about. When she protests, providing screenshots showing the botched
reinstall of Windows, you have your lawyer send her a letter threatening
to sue if she writes about the experience. Barbara Florio Graham is
the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
An expendable Canadian
government (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Prime Minister Harper
was sent to Ottawa by Calgary. He has encouraged the tar sands. His
party all of sudden had enormous funds at its disposal -- they could
afford a continual election campaign, and their attack ads outside any
campaign testify to their cash reserves. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Speedway
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | They reach up to 200 km per hour," the
police veteran said, and he has the experience to estimate speeds.
"It's only a matter of time before we have a fatal pile up."
Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West
Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Not so funny
(530) Unfortunately, TV seems to rely much more on the lower levels.
Even shows geared toward kids contain sexual overtones, and there
doesn't seem to be a stand-up comic whose act doesn't contain
four-letter words and references to sex, alcohol, or drugs. Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Dogpatch -- it's
everywhere (600) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | A friend refers to a
crossroads on Highway 148 as "Pontiac's latest tourist attraction
-- Dogpatch!" He thinks he's humourous, but driving up from the
urban areas, which is the route most tourists take when coming to almost
any spot in the Pontiac, his wisecrack isn't funny at all. This stretch
of highway is no secret; it's in the Municipality of Pontiac, where Rue
des Dominicains meets Highway 148 Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Meditation on November 11
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | This year's Remembrance Day finds us --
Canada, Quebec, Gatineau, Aylmer -- in an unusual situation. We are a
nation at war, not peacekeeping; we are fighting on behalf of our NATO
allies, not for our own defensive interests; our military is finally
awash with funding, judging from appearances. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Distrust is a dangerous
drug (590) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Public distrust of politicians
is headed over the edge. The current H1N1 vaccination effort is an
example of how this distrust hurts everyone. Conspiracy theories and
rumours of corruption have become subjects of conversation, like the
weather, but when this distrust becomes so extreme that people fear the
vaccine more than the flu itself, we've got problems. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Poor H1N1 vaccination
planning (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We'd be justified in
wondering if the H1N1 flu is as serious a threat as we're told.
Obviously, if the health ministry officials aren't treating it as a
major threat, why should the rest of us? Isn't it their job to assess
these threats? Two clinic for the entire city does not indicate a major
threat. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
A goat named Bobbi (1160) An
11-year-old boy in Kenya is the proud owner of a goat named after me.
This initiative is called the Get Your Goat program, and is designed to
provide destitute families in African countries with milk for the
children as well as providing baby goats so other families can benefit
as well. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to
Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Giant snake, tiny
conscience (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The recent discovery of
a giant of a snake (at least to us), dead in a ditch on Terry Fox Road,
was a shocker. Living as we do on the edge of Quebec's vast boreal
wilderness, not to mention Gatineau Park, we are used to animals
wandering in among us -- bears, coyotes, raccoons, deer, maybe a moose,
none are strange to us. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Don't worry, be happy.
Really. (600) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | It's so easy to lose sight
of our own goals, or of even setting life goals for ourselves, so we
seem to stagger from one crisis to the next (especially if we're
dependent on the media's 'news' reporting); we can't stop running just
to stand still, and yet when we are standing still we're too nervous or
fear-struck to look around, to appreciate a sunset or hug a child. We're
lost in each day's shuffle. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Must we seek another planet to
call home? (610) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Who can we trust?
Ourselves. The missing component in this puzzle is us, behaving like
stewards of our back yards, of our farms and fields, forests, and
oceans. We can become informed and committed. And one good start is to
turn down cut-rate canned salmon, tuna, and "BC Smoked Salmon"
from China. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Is the leading candidate the Apathy
Party? (500) IN THE PONTIAC, QUEBEC | However, the elephant
in the room is this: only half of Pontiac's Liberal members bothered to
vote on Sunday. Lily Ryan is the editor of the West Quebec
Post.
It's "New Politics" is
it, Canada? (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | This new form of
campaigning has each party saying absolutely nothing about its own plans
-- that's trivial and self-serving. Now, each party rejects the Vision
Thing, projects, and platforms, and concentrates exclusively on
attacking the other party and its leader. This refreshing change means
we get the truth, finally. No more charades. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
The essential early influence
of music (500) Research has shown that music is an elemental
part of our consciousness, and existed in early man before speech.
Music teaches the brain how to integrate the right and left sides,
helping us see things beyond the obvious. Certainly that's a significant
element in innovation, which is one of the goals of higher
education. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps
to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
What's so bad about an election,
Canada? (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | We now have a party system
that is largely regional, in which no party has an agenda that appeals
to the entire country, and so each election results in a minority
government. And we haven't had a minority leader with vision broad
enough to unite the other parties. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Not the Bridges of Madison
County New bridges or hypocrisy & hot air?
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Imagine the letters to the editor and
talk-show calls-every Ottawa commuter up on their hind legs lecturing us
on being more accommodating, working together, and protecting the
environment from the pollution of thousands of idling cars. Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
(520) IN THE PONTIAC,
QUEBEC | Driving through Ottawa on a recent Saturday night, we noticed a
hubbub of activity at the Parliament buildings. My daughter gleefully
called for us to stop -- how could we drive by this festival? We
stopped, not knowing what "festival" it would be. Lily Ryan
is the editor of the West Quebec Post.
Getting serious about
savingÉeverything (620) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | So why if the
present recession is so much like the Great Depression are we seeing
virtually no creative and progressive thinking or experimentation?
What we are getting from our leaders and thinkers are lame attempts to
prop up the old order, the very order that generated the crash. Fred
Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
Canada's National Capitol
eyesores (505) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The bridges connecting
Gatineau and Ottawa, apart from the new and small Champlain Bridge,
would not be acceptable even in Espanola, Ontario, they are such
embarrassments Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Are volunteers a dying
breed? (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | These warnings are not
empty. As our population ages, volunteers are aging and are retiring. As
those who volunteer have noticed, it is often the same people who step
up to the plate, time and time again. There comes a point when they
tire (and when they tire of watching most of the population not
contribute). Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Shopping is not a
religion (510) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The idea that Aylmer
should have more parking lots, more stop lights, more malls is part of
the thinking which has produced North America's urban sprawl nightmare.
There are alternatives to more sprawl. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Doing the same thing again and
again (520) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | One positive to have come out
of the current economic troubles is the concept of behavioral economics.
The economics profession has now noticed that we are not exclusively
rational decision-makers in the marketplace. We often act against our
clear best interests (buying lottery tickets) and let ourselves be
talked into agreements that are based on vanity or greed, rather than on
rationality. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Newspapers: Going electronic, or
just going? (750) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Yes, the telephone and
paper have yet to be exceeded by modern technology, although they are
certainly being added-to. They're no longer the only game in the
industry. Which is true for the newspaper industry itself. No new media
has co-opted all of newspapers' benefits, but they have certainly added
to our industry's reach and services. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
In Canada: Nasty does as nasty
is (520) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | My wife and I were stunned by
our first view of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's attack ads on Canadian
TV directed against Liberal Michael Ignatieff. The ad was sarcastic,
personal, and nasty. There was nothing of policy, of issues, or of
priorities. "This is the work of a bully," commented my
spouse, and she captured in that word, "bully", the real
message of the ad. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
We get the leaders we
pick (520) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | During a recent dinner, a
visiting sheep farmer assured me he never reads or watches the news. We
were discussing politics and he dismissed his lack of information about
events even in his own country. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
What do holidays mean?
(520) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The interesting point is about our present
day, about how well our holidays reflect reality. We can make a
commercial event out of almost everything. Even Earth Day will likely
become a festival in which many people make money and sell products,
whether or not the Earth benefits. Making money and buying things seem
to be our major motivations, as pathetic as that sounds. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Advice our mothers never gave
us (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The old axiom for couples,
parents or not, is that any disagreement in the evening must be worked
out before going to sleep, together. This results in endless, churlish
discussions and late nights, leading to a weary next day. You are both
tired, so how are you going to reach any conclusion, agreement, or
apology? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
I see your name
everywhere(440 words) It's every author's dream, to have
his or her name mentioned by columnists, broadcasters, and in print
media. The kind of media training that produces this level of results
can cost a great deal, and is usually reserved for politicians,
corporate CEOs, and high-level professionals. Barbara Florio Graham
is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps
to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
The (digital) price isn't
right (520) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | When we convert everything to
its electronic format, we are doing this to pay less -- and we are
getting less. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Breaking the rules(560
words) Breaking the rules seems to start at an early age. Sadly,
our schools reinforce this, by allowing students who plagiarize to face
no penalties. Instead, they receive extra time to turn in work without
any loss of marks. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five
Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity,
and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
We're either going green or we're
going somewhere else (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | With climate
change, resource depletion, and the pollution of our environment, we
have no choice at all -- either we change our wasteful ways or the
planet will change them for us. The status quo isn't an option. Fred
Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
Think before landfills or
incinerators (540) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Landfill or
incinerator? Do we put our garbage into our air supply or into our water
table? Should we drink our toxins or breathe them in? Each partisan of
the garbage issue insists on our responses, but how can we answer such
questions? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Writers: It takes skill to
hold an audience(925 words) Writers are, by nature,
independent, and solitary. Some are sociable and meet friends frequently
to exchange ideas and banter. But speaking in front of an audience is
not usually something we relish. Speaking in public is at the top of
most human fears, and many writers dread an invitation to give a reading
or presentation. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast
Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Remove the gun from the 'Invisible
Hand' (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The market's enthusiasm for
profit will break down all borders of propriety, and when this expands
into open, permissible greed, there's no stopping the market's embrace
of the most outrageous adventures and investments, legalities be
damned. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Somalia's pirates, Colombia's drug
lords, Wall Street's swindlers (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | When
Bernard Madoff, the admitted swindler of 177 billion-plus dollars, a
world record in fraud, walked into court wearing a bullet-proof flack
jacket last week, a lot of investors must have kicked themselves for
letting the opportunity pass to plug the bum. He was not previously
wearing this protection. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Slicing the cake a different
way(720 words) The late Dr. Ursula Franklin, Professor
Emerita at the University of Toronto and Senior Fellow at Massey
College, once described the world as a giant cake which had, throughout
history, been sliced vertically, by location, nationality, constituency,
and community. The layers were stratified by class, caste, or custom,
and individuals seldom moved more than one or two slices away, to a
neighboring country or community. Barbara Florio Graham is the author
of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Philosopher-kings
(500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff may even
unintentionally have ambitions of being a philosopher-king, the iconic
leader who combines intellect with action for no self-gain. There have
been very few philosopher-kings in history -- more often the opposite.
SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
On being a klutz
(1150) OSLO,NORWAY | At 61 I am a klutz and have been for as long as
I can remember. My body is covered with dents and scars, I have deformed
feet and wrists, knees and ankles that don't work so well, and I'm more
than a few teeth short. But this past week has been brutal and I have
graduated to the top of the class. Berit Lundh is a Canadian living
in Oslo, Norway.
Hi-speed Internet in Quebec, as
in: the lack of (520) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC |
What sense can we make of all today's talk about "investing in
infrastructure,Ó "bringing Canada into the 21st Century," and "building
a knowledge-based economy," when much of the area surrounding our
national capital does not even have hi-speed internet? Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Remembering Zhao
Ziyang(1300 words) President Obama's recent visit to
Ottawa brought back memories of another visiting dignitary, China's
former leader, Zhao Ziyang. When Ziyang visited Ottawa in January, 1984,
Prime Minister Trudeau decided to host an elaborate Gala in his honor at
the National Arts Centre. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of
Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Seniors, speak up . . . really,
speak up (500) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Listen carefully, for
example, at the next dinner party's conversation. How much of it is
repeating the news of the day, which everyone has already heard.
Conversation will detail the step-by-step causes of the latest airliner
or bus disaster. Conversation will complain about the scams of bankers,
the avarice of public sector unions, and the self-centeredness of movie
stars, musicians, and national politicians. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
The food on our tables
(520) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | Poor eating yields poor health which yields
loss of wealth. And, eventually, even wisdom and happiness. We may lose
it all anyway, but why rush the loss by eating as if it doesn't matter
what we put in our mouths? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Get a firm grip on your
pocketbooks, Canada (510) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | It may be that,
living across the river from the nation's capital, we here in Aylmer,
Quebec, receive more than we wish about all things political. The famous
warm air, apparently, blows off in another direction, but all the
analysis, pronouncements, and sound bites spread out like ripples in a
pond, and, since we're nearest to the sinking stone, the sound-bite
ripples are higher and faster here than elsewhere in the
country. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Another flashy party, on our
credit cards (565) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | The Genie Awards are
coming to town! And although this glitzy soirée takes place in
Ottawa on April 4, we citizens of Gatineau and West Quebec will be
expected to participate. "Participate" means to contribute.
Contribute cash. We'll be hit up to fund a huge, flashy party for an
elite group -- in Ottawa! Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Focused lives, diffused
lives (545) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | I've heard a radio skit in
which Socrates is berated by his wife for not bringing in a decent
living, for ignoring his family, for spending his time in the town agora
"talking." Painters, writers, poets, the martial arts, every
sport imaginable, they all require concentration for success, and
although it doesn't guarantee success, hard work seems indispensable to
it. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West
Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Daughter
(610) SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC | I'm older now and this morning my youngest
daughter called from Honduras, on a line full of static and breaks. She
is on the first stage of a great journey, she says, and adds that it is
also one of many stages on the only journey there is. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
The Necessity of Art(1300
words) I can't get the image out of my mind. A piece of ivory,
function unknown, covered with finely detailed carving, that was part of
an exhibit at the Museum of Civilization showing the daily life of the
Copper Eskimos who populated the Bering Strait around 250
A.D. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to
Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
We are being so screwed, or 'With
next year's first cup of coffee...' (500) AYLMER, QUEBEC |
Here's a sobering thought for all of Canada's wage earners to begin the
new year with: by the time we each have our first coffee on the first
working day of the new year, Canada's 100 top-earning CEOs will have
already banked what it will take each of us a full year to earn. Fred
Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
How can small political parties do
better? (470) AYLMER, QUEBEC | The edges as sources of new
things applies to biology and history, to cosmology as well as to
mathematics. No surprise it applies to politics. But it doesn't mean
that every off-centre party has new and positive ideas. Some have rotten
ideas, like the neo-Nazis in Europe. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
A national mother's salary
(470) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Isn't this the time to introduce a national
salary for mothers? Mothers are creating our next generation. Our kids
deserve help. How better to get help to kids than through mothers? As
income, it would be taxed back from wealthier families, and as income on
the family level it will stimulate spending on the basics: food,
shelter, clothing. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
You disagree with us, eh?
(470) AYLMER, QUEBEC | If you, dear reader, don't disagree with us at
least once in a while, we aren't doing a good job. News is news, you
might say, but is "news" that simple? Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
On societal punishment
(520) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Most Canadians believe people can change, and
that if they show serious efforts toward rehabilitation and if this
shows results, these reformed criminals should be given a second chance.
Leaving someone to spend his life in a cell -- is that any better than
the death penalty? -- may seem simple, easy, cheap, and safe. But our
justice system is based on principles other than simplicity, ease, and
expense. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Dion hurt the Liberals &
Harper hurt Canada (530 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | While the
Bloc is blowing its horn for having denied the Conservatives a majority,
and most commentators agree, there is another side to this coin. The
Bloc may claim it harmed the Conservatives, but the Conservatives
crucially helped the Bloc. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Who wants a president, eh,
Canada? (540 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Mr. Harper appeared to
be the only one running for the Conservatives. No matter where the
campaign bus stopped, it was always Stephen Harper who got off and made
the speech. At every interview, it was Mr. Harper doing the talking. We
heard he had a team, but... Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
This confusing economy
thing (420 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | I am just as confused
about the present financial crisis as everyone else, but there are a few
things that strike me as particularly incomprehensible. First, we are
not certain that the slippery slope we are on will in fact carry us down
to the depths of another Great Depression. In fact, we are warned of
this by the same gang who assured us Iraq had weapons of mass
destruction, that Europe was on its last legs, and that the market place
will solve all problems. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Traffic circles are not election
issues, this time (500 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Stoplights are
a significant cause of stop-and-start automotive pollution. They cut
traffic into chunks, which move down the avenues as blocks, rather than
promoting a steady stream of traffic. Why go backwards to this
simplistic technology? Because it's simplistic. Nobody gives a set of
lights a second thought (bad idea), but a traffic circle does require
alertness to other cars and pedestrians. We embrace telephones that
download e-mail, but we can't figure out how to drive a traffic
circle? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
A cloud of smoke(480
words) I'm convinced that advertising, especially on television
(because the images are so realistic and the medium so invasive), has
been a major factor in the current financial crisis. TV has become an
addiction for the middle class. It's where they've come to feel
"entitled" to the home much larger than they can afford, the
cars that scale mountain-tops and go "zoom zoom," the fashions
they see on soap operas and awards shows, and the huge engagement rings
flaunted by stars on entertainment shows. Barbara Florio Graham is
the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Censorship and/or
Manipulation (500 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | A lot of censorship
is brazen -- a freedom of information request comes back, whole pages
blackened, without apology. But manipulation would be totally
ineffective if it is too brazen, as when a US politician says different
things to businessmen and evangelicals trying to get their votes. Canada
has its censorships and has world records in some types of manipulation.
Forget China and Somalia, they're crude. We're in contention for gold in
media manipulation. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Criminal leaders, rich leaders,
cautious leaders (500 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | There's news of
an international movement to have George Bush's inner circle arrested as
war criminals if they venture outside the USA, similar to what happened
to the Chilean dictator, General Pinochet. The Americans include VP
Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and others. Wouldn't that have
interesting effects on future war-making? Fred Ryan is the publisher
of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Canada's Old Boys Club holds a
"debate?" (500 words) It took two days for the
Canadian election campaign to turn, take on water, roll over, and sink
to the bottom. The refusal of two party "leaders" to allow the
Green Party to participate in the televised debate deserves to be called
anti-democratic. And how about petulant, arrogant, unfair, and stupid?
They all work. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
What makes a great
teacher?(800 words) Why do you think China has risen so
dramatically in economic clout? That country may have awful living and
working conditions, but their educational standards are extremely high,
and the population understands that a solid education is the key to
improving their lives. So how about Canada? Barbara Florio Graham is
the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Canada election campaign
underway (550 words) The ship of state is not a high-powered
speedboat. It rarely lurches from one direction to its opposite; it's
more like an oil tanker changing course inch by inch, starting its turn
miles before its new destination. Who controls the helm is important,
but looking only at the captain does not guarantee reaching a
destination. An Obama is not going to radically change America's
trajectory (any more than Kennedy was able to do, despite the world's
expectations). A Harper majority will not mean we become the newest ten
American states. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Time (540 words) Last
week I was introduced to a bird, a cockatiel, who is 72 years old. He
was quite spry. He had all his feathers. I considered that a 72-year-old
cockatiel has time to burn, as must those turtles who live to reach
biblical ages; but length of life is a small part of the whole equation.
What we do with our time is what counts. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Canada isn't winning? Stop
bitching (525 words) Allow me my two cents on the Beijing
Olympics. These Games have probably created the largest group of
armchair quarterbacks since the term was coined. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Home builders are missing
something (490 words) More homes and more people do not mean,
for the general public, better services or other advantages. More people
means more traffic, more congestion all over, more kids for classroom
space, more people seeking doctors and dentists, and so on. The fact
that more houses bring big-box stores is hardly attractive. Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
Municipal political parties: the
way to go? (510 words) Before we rush into accepting
political parties as a possible solution for our dissatisfaction with
municipal government, we ought to look more carefully at both the
results of political parties elsewhere and also look at the problem
itself: inadequate funding from the higher governments combined with a
tight restriction on what city governments can do to expand their
revenue base. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Canada's Postal
Service(640 words) It costs me 93 cents to send a
letter to my sister in the US, but only 79 cents for her to reply.
Furthermore, the US still has a lower rate for postcards, as well as
Saturday delivery in most urban areas. US Post Offices are still open to
the public, so you can have a parcel weighed by someone who actually
knows what they're doing, unlike here, where minimally-trained clerks in
drug stores usually only know how to handle standard-sized
packages. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps
to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
An inferiority complex? Who?
Us? (550 words) We discovered this summer that Truro, Nova
Scotia, has a 1000-acre forest right in the middle of the city...Are
Nova Scotians a bunch of spendthrifts? Can't they recognize the value
of a dollar? Don't they realize that streets have to be repaired, buses
provided, water purified? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Whither modern medicine in
the days of Peak Oil? (1200 words) I think that medicine is
going to have to abandon its fixation with the latest and the best and
move from the constant search for the newest cutting edge technology and
instead start to think about rehabilitating viable trailing edge
technologies that have been shown to deliver good enough results at
lower levels of waste and energy consumption. Former Canadian James
Barson MD writes from Australia.
This story has a story of its
own(640 words) I was standing in the aisle of the moving
vehicle, holding on with one hand, the other clutching my purchases.
There was no way I could write down the ideas that came tumbling,
unbidden, into my head. As I came in the back door, my mother was
startled to see me drop my coat and my parcels, race up the stairs to my
bedroom, shouting, "I have to write something
down." Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps
to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Death by police shooting
(550 words) The death of anyone by shooting is shocking. When the
person with the gun is a police officer, our shock is magnified, and
when the person shot turns out to have been unarmed, blinded by pepper
spray, and was shot three times at close range, our shock turns to
mortification. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Thinking Of Summer(525
words) I just read that only seven percent of Canadians own a
vacation property of any type. Meanwhile, the Ottawa Citizen's
annual section describing summer camps for kids contains a huge
assortment of day camps and more than a dozen overnight ones, offering
experiences ranging from zoo-keeper, science, circus, radio, and
leadership, to international languages, art, dance, theatre, and every
sport a kid could want, from golf to soccer. Barbara Florio Graham
is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps
to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Which Canada to celebrate?
(550 words) What history of Canada will we follow? The history of the
First Nations peoples? The history of the starving Irish and Scots, or
the history of the railroad and oil barons? The history of Lords and
Governors General or the history of the families who gave up sons and
daughters to faraway wars, to the coal mines, or to shipping disasters
on the Great Lakes? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
In Vermont: Nudity should not
generate a big fuss, but it has (360 words)
Bethany
Dunbar writes for the Barton Chroniclein Vermont.
Real costs, real life (550
words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Last week, CBC radio in Ottawa reported that
Canadians are spending 18 percent more for their daily purchases than
are Americans. There's a positive note here because in the last quarter
of last year, we spent 24 percent more than did Americans. Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
Let the consulations
roll(500 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | There's no more beautiful
place for a downtown. What urban planning law says a city's core has to
be entirely cement and asphalt? Hull's core has the disadvantage of
containing huge, indigestible lumps of government buildings which are
empty every evening and weekend, except for the Maison du Citoyen. Big
government buildings are a black hole for revitalization. Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
This little steam train is our
business(550 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | The "p'tit
train" to Wakefield, Quebec -- the steam train running from
Gatineau through Chelsea to Wakefield -- appears to be on the road to
disappearing. If it is sold, as the owner says he intends to do, and if
it is moved, as two potential buyers say they intend to do, its loss
will hurt us all. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
It's time for the
Stupidity Tax (730 words) "Ford Stumble Signals Rising
Risks" warned a recent headline in the Wall Street Journal.
Then in the second line of the "stacked" headline the
Businessman's Bible still favors: "Pickup, SUV Sales Take
Surprisingly Steep Fall." Now who, we wonder, could possibly be
surprised? Nobody around here has talked about anything but the price of
gas for months. Hillary and old John have made it a major part of the
presidential debate. Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton
Chroniclein Vermont.
Canada's Minister of Foreign
Affairs quits. So? There's much more going on, eh?(600
words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | We've heard a lot of alarmism about the bill
that will open the door to censorship of movies, but that is only one of
almost a dozen Conservative measures that will fundamentally alter our
federal-provincial system and our social framework. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
The PQ's so-called "national
conversation"(600 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Every minority
out of power in the world dreams of independence in some form or
another. Thus, riding her wave of by-election victories, and getting a
kick at Mario Dumont while he's down, Pauline Marois, head of the PQ,
has announced she intends to bring all Quebec independence forces
together for a "national conversation" with the goal of
creating some sort of United Front. It would be led, of course, by the
PQ, "comme formation politique majeure," in Ms. Marois'
lovely words. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
In Canada, gas prices aren't all
bad news, eh?(508 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | With sky-rocketing
gasoline prices here in Canada, everyone is predicting the worst: $2 a
litre this summer, and so on. We all want to know why, and the
explanations include the war in Iraq, disturbances in Nigeria, a strike
here, a storm there, and, the big reason, the oil-hungry economies of
China, India, and Brazil. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
How did this happen --
again?(510 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | For example, the
condemnation of six big homes in Gatineau sector because they were built
on an unstable clay base. The question isn't why were they built there,
but why was the builder given permission to cut down the trees and build
there? Who issued the building permits, and why? Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Blankety-blank
citizens(510 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Decisions made in
secrecy or "at a professional level" are the most open for
manipulation and corruption. Most scandals in other levels of government
are the result of secrecy that blew up, as it usually does. Secrecy
can't succeed -- there are too many people in government, in residents'
associations, and in the media. And the media still means a local
newspaper. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Privacy vs Security in the 21st
Century(505 words) I was pressured into joining Facebook
last fall. I was careful to post minimal information, no photo, and no
comments. Still, I'm sorry I did this. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Fluoride in our water(710
words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | At the last Gatineau city council meeting
several citizens, including representatives from the Lakeview Terrace
Residents' Association, raised the question of the city putting fluoride
in our drinking water. Council is considering a city-wide fluoridation
program for all municipal water. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Climate refugees and water
hostages(505 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | As Europe finds itself
struggling with a continual flood of migrants, the EU has released a
study that predicts an entirely new form of refugee: climate migrants.
These are people forced from their homes due to climate change. Where we
might once have imagined "climate refugees" as the bleached
Canadians on the southern beaches, that image has been pulled inside
out. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West
Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Just a big, loud,
intrusive, obnoxious, unconstitutional taxi (670
words) Beyond the cloying clichés, there are some realities
that really do make Vermont a better place to live. One of them is our
state Supreme Court which, through close reading of the Vermont
Constitution, seems determined to preserve civil liberties that the US
Supreme Court seems no less determined to deny us. Chris Braithwaite
publishes the Barton Chronicle in Vermont.
Bad news at the Mall's back
doors(500 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | It only takes a PD day and
a sunny afternoon to bring the kids out to Aylmer's main mall. There
are always a few hanging around the back doors, and I had assumed they
were waiting for the cinema to open. It's just been pointed out to me
that there's more going on there than that. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
A small town newspaper publisher
speaks out(570 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Why isn't it bigger?
Why doesn't it have more from my area? These are the two most common
questions we hear about the West Quebec Post. We also hear complaints
that the Post doesn't arrive on time, or that it regularly ignores some
events. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Better get serious about
water(545 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | March 22 marked World Water
Day. Given this winter's levels of snow, moisture hardly seems a
problem. And given Canada's lakes and rivers, water may seem the least
of our troubles. That conclusion is very shortsighted. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Imagine this snow in
Vancouver(545 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | This has been a
beautiful winter, far from the usual freeze and thaw cycle which leaves
us with brown fields in many winters; the fresh snow has kept the
street-sides sparking like mountains, not like piles of dirty laundry,
which is usually the case at this time of year. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
The best of times or the worst of
times?(500 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | No matter which way we
turn these days we hear complaints and laments. The environment is
crashing, ice shelves melting, ocean currents dying, and the economy is
on the edge of a major collapse; we're told all political leaders are
crass and self-serving, that our youth are criminals, our lives move too
fast and are too short, our work's never over -- and, besides, the whole
world will end in 2012, according to the Mayan calendar. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
France has conservatives, Canada
has neo-cons (510 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Our country is not
the only nation with a self-proclaimed "new" government.
France also elected a conservative leader, who labeled himself
"new" although his program also stretched back to ideas
popular before the last century. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Whose ÔRights' are
Right?(530 words) If you're like most TV viewers, you
were annoyed to miss many of your favorite programs during the prolonged
strike of 10,500 US writers in the film and TV industry. The issue was a
simple one. The writers wanted "a share of the burgeoning
digital-media market, including compensation for Internet-delivered TV
shows and movies." Barbara Florio Graham is the author of
Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
A world without borders?
(510 words) Canadian guitarist Jesse Cook dedicated his latest CD to
his new son with the wish that as he grows up he will face a world
without borders, or something to that effect. A world without borders?
It's easy to dismiss the idea, given our world of nationalisms and
fanaticisms of all stripes, but the question that bothers me is: Do we
really want a world without borders? Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
A senior's lament (715
words) The biggest shock I get, and it's shocking every time, is to
hear seniors say they don't keep up with the news, they don't read a
paper or listen to radio news. In other words, they're saying, "I
don't want to know what's going on around me." Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
For one million dollars an
hour (760 words) They say the three-day Montebello summit
last summer with Harper, Bush, and Caldéron will reach $30
million in policing costs alone. That's ten million per day, or about a
million dollars an hour. For security. How did they spend a million
dollars in an hour? That's more than almost any of us will have to show
for ourselves at the end of our entire careers. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Municipal Nightmares (545
words) We're living the home owners' nightmare: our property taxes
are too low to fund the work needed by the municipality, but our
municipal councilors keep adding new projects, which cost even more
money. There can be only one result: we pay more. We pay more taxes,
as they inch upward, and the extra costs are added to our town's debt,
which has to be paid off sooner or later. Fred Ryan is the publisher
of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Wellness Ð it can open
doors (570 words) "Wellness" is a disturbing word. Where did
it come from? And why is it often used in the weirdest of senses, say in
"Welcome to Wellville," or as the basis of extravagant claims, as in the
ads in health magazines? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Charity begins right here at
home(520 words) Are there no families there who need this
kind of assistance? Hardly! Entraide often has as many as twenty
families across the entire region whose needs are urgent. Some have been
displaced due to a fire or other natural disaster, are new immigrants
who have few household possessions, or are temporarily homeless because
of a family break-up or other problem. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
More public transportation?
Yessiree! (600 words) The developing world has developed
buses that put our to shame in comfort, as well as safety and speed, at
cheaper rates -- and they make money. All to say, we should use what we
can from systems that work, since ours doesn't. Like feeder systems.
With jitneys. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
So, Santa, you got some practical
but boring stuff this year? (530 words) I was mildly dissed
recently at a family get-together for the practicality of my gifts. Last
Christmas I gave every household in our blended family a flashlight,
those new rechargeable one million candlepower dynamos. They're not
bulky, are easily rechargeable, and give a tremendous light. They could
also cause blindness. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Inter-generational climate
abuse? (700 words) AYLMER, QUEBEC | Last weekend's day of
protest over our "new" government's very old tactics of
denial, blaming others, and its invocation of various forms of economic
self-righteousness, saw many Alymer residents at the demonstration in
Ottawa. The protest was to send a message to John Baird, Canada's
Anti-Environment Minister, as he departs for the Bali Conference on
climate change. Given what is at stake for all of us, and given our
government's made-somewhere-else position, more of us should have been
at that demonstration. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Pets and Holidays(500
words) I like to promote pet adoption at all times of the year
except one. The holidays are not the time to bring a new pet into your
household. TV commercials of the child discovering a puppy under the
Christmas tree make me cringe. There is enough confusion and extra
activity around the holidays without introducing a new pet. Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
That little stone
schoolhouse (530 words) PORTAGE DU FORT, QC | Gloomy news --
business closures, loss of jobs, decline in forest resources, low
farm-product prices, school drop-outs, illiteracy and uni-linguality,
population out-flows, drop in tourism -- chronicles the march to the
bottom here in Quebec's Pontiac region. Amid all this pessimism, signs
of life are important. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Hockey, a cell phone tower, and no
respect (550 words) Two recent events in West Quebec are
worth noting: one, Industry Canada's near-unilateral decision to approve
a cell phone tower in Chelsea, against the neighbourhood's wishes, and,
two, Shawville's hockey association insisting a Luskville lad must play
his hockey with them, not with his buddies, or not play hockey at
all. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West
Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Canadians a trillion in
debt (500 words) The daily newspapers recently reported that
personal debt in Canada has passed the trillion dollar mark for the
first time. A trillion divided by our population is not an alarming
amount, but it is not the whole population, not every child and senior,
who owes this debt. The number becomes alarming when we realize how few
owe all this money. A lot of Canadians owe much more than they own.
Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West
Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
The Mukasey
Confirmation (400 words) . A man who can't bring himself to
declare that an ancient, notorious, and particularly obnoxious form of
torture is against the law is about to take over our Department of
Justice. Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Back to school: Part
Two(600 words) I was shocked to discover how many of
these wealthy kids described their families as dysfunctional and often
alcoholic, and how many felt, as one wrote, "like a fish in a
tree" during their high school years. Yet most of them survived and
became contributing members of society. Their tales revealed both
triumph and tragedy. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five
Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity,
and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
On War Movies (520
words) Post-war dramas are top sellers in movies, TV, and books. It
may seem to some that all these movies and books are promoting a
militaristic attitude, under the guise of supporting our troops in
Afghanistan. The opposite may be true. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
The Way of the Shock Jock
(510 words) Shock jocks may claim to be selling ideas, arguments,
debate, and opinions, but they're really selling listeners to their
advertisers. Listeners are product. The more listeners they can generate
for their show, the happier their advertisers -- this is advertising.
One way to get listeners -- and to get them to identify themselves as
such -- is by rolling them back and forth on emotional rides. Emotional
highs are pure adrenalin; they're wild and exciting. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Back to school: Part
One(600 words) The first thing I learned about education
is that the best teaching happens when teachers are enthusiastic about
the material. That can't happen if English teachers are forced to teach
classics they hated when they were student ("Silas Marner" comes to
mind.), or when Phys. Ed. teachers are assigned to teach English.
Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better
Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Mirroring back who we are, what we
want in West Quebec (590 words) We're hardest on those
closest. What we say to family members, or even lovers, we'd never say
to a fellow worker; we get worked up over a neighbour and his barking
dog more than we ever do about the ravages underway in Darfur. We're
hyper critical of things American, but never blink an eye over French
and British political venialities. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear
Power - All Fall Down? (400 words) A nuclear plant isn't like
an old pickup we can nurse over the back roads until the floorboards
rust out or a wheel falls off. It's more like an airplane - with no
safe compromise between being in prime working order and unfit to fly.
Even a "minor," nonfatal nuclear mishap could have enormous economic
consequences for the "Green Mountain State," the place with no
billboards and clean air and placid cows turning out organic milk that
we process into gourmet cheeses. How would "America's Chernobyl" look on
a license plate? Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Rail-line dreamers (500
words) Ottawa's recent "Transportation Summit" called by
the city's new mayor was the stuff of dreams, and only dreams,
unfortunately. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
"No comment"
(515 words) Stephen Harper's decision to kill the current parliament
and keep MPs out for an additional month, after an entire summer off,
should be unacceptable to his employers, the folks who pay his and the
MPs' salaries. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
An East-West SPP (515
words) The dust hasn't settled on the SPP meeting in nearby
Montebello, QC, but the world according to Bush-Harper-Calderon is
bending over backwards to assure us that the SPP agreements mean nothing
to our daily lives, and that the protesters were exaggerating the threat
of the secret deliberations. If we believe all this, maybe we should
check out the sale on the Brooklyn Bridge. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
A Greater US of A? (515
words) Why all the secrecy, including official near-silence
surrounding next week's meeting down the highway from us? Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
Missed communications
(520 words) Have you received your cheque for $9000? It looks
pretty authentic, until you scrutinize it more carefully. Below the
bogus cheque is "a very important communication for Barbara
Graham" which repeats my name no less than ten times. On the back
is an order form for a bunch of products. Barbara Florio Graham is
the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
It ought to be a crime
(480 words) Urban life was reported to be safer from crime than
small-town living, calculated as a crime-per-person. Toronto and
Montreal are two of the safest cities in the world; in fact, several
western cities are more dangerous than Hog Town: Regina, Saskatoon,
Calgary, and Edmonton, for example. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Coming to Canada (500
words) I arrived in Canada forty years ago this month. Unlike so
many Americans who arrived in the 60s as draft-dodgers, my immigration
had nothing to do with the Vietnam War. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Why risk innocent
lives? (340 words) Every once in a while we come upon an
account of a high-speed police chase that makes us wonder. This is one
of those weeks. Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Don't worry so much, be
happy (600 words) Here's something for your summer vacation.
It doesn't take long, but appearing frivolous, it's a holiday matter.
It's happiness. Certainly a holiday matter. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
It weren't me, babe (500
words) Bluesfest was remarkable in the stars it attracted last
week- Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, and Manu Chao, but even more remarkable
is the rumour that Bob Dylan was sighted in Aylmer the day of his Ottawa
show. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Meditating on Canada Day
(560 words) As we approach Canada Day it seems appropriate to do more
than wave the flag and assure ourselves that our country is the best in
the world. Canada is the best, but it shows a certain respect to our
being Canadians to ask ourselves what being Canadian means or
implies. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
On toddlers and hockey
stars (525 words) Every day of the working week I see women
with groups of children out on the sidewalks or in local parks, most of
them small, private daycare services in action. As sweet as the toddlers
are, walking along holding hands or riding in home-made multiple-seat
carriages, it is the women taking care of them that catch my
attention. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
All the news that's fit to weep
about (550 words) Have we become a nation of blubberers? Are
we unable to separate private grief from public accountability? Has news
become blended into entertainment? Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
If you're thinking about adopting
a pet (570 words) When you consider adopting a pet, look
carefully at the front paws, as they often offer a clue as to how large
the animal will be when he's fully grown. You should also look carefully
to see that the pet's eyes are clear, their ears and bottom are clean,
and there are no broken teeth or problems in the mouth. Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
No idle matter, eh? (575
words) Most drivers add about $75 a year to their fuel bill just for
the pleasure of idling. Long-term costs for engine maintenance and
repair increases the bill. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's
Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
On closing Pageant Park in
Barton, Vermont (400 words) This is more than a shame. It
strikes us, in its own small way, as an outrage. If Barton is to stem
its slow decline into commercial oblivion, it can hardly shrug off the
loss of a park as beautiful as Pageant, on a lake as beautiful as
Crystal. Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Excess fat - it's everyone's
business (500 words) In the end, obesity is a social problem
and one our community should take more seriously than it does. True,
there is no magic bullet, no magic diet, no pill to solve this problem.
But the solution is not complex either... Fred Ryan is the publisher
of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
You bet your booty that I'm
entitled. Now. (510 words) Entitlement, let's be clear, means
not that anyone's a crook, but that they believe they have every right
to do what they're doing. In the Land of Entitlement no one is a crook,
complainer, or lazy bum; everyone's entitled to their foible. Fred
Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post,
and the Pontiac Journal.
Quebec's Secessionist Musical
Chairs (540 words) The PQ has brought in the 'B' Team.
Pauline Marois has been rejected twice by the party militants because,
presumably, she didn't have the stuff to be party chief and lead the
troops to the promised land. Suddenly she does. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
The warm butter of a lingering
kiss (515 words) Vimy may mark Canada's "coming of
age", but that cliché may also obscure a much-too-expensive
loss of life for what was gained. Was a single hilltop worth the deaths
of so many? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Sorry, I won't be back (460
words) The last time I attempted to buy something at your
cosmetics counter, I waited several minutes for the girl at the cash to
finish her personal phone conversation. I won't be back. Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Rethinking your local
Idol contest (500 words) There is an strong current of
sexuality in Idol competitions - performers who strike a pose or
wiggle their hips make points with the audience. Aren't eleven year-olds
a little young for this? Julie Murray writes for the Aylmer Bulletin
and The West Quebec Post.
WWI, Vimy, and beyond (515
words) Vimy may mark Canada's "coming of age", but that
cliché may also obscure a much-too-expensive loss of life for
what was gained. Was a single hilltop worth the deaths of so
many? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Is it a Muslim thing, or
what? (555 words) With a young Canadian soccer player pulled
from a game for wearing a hijab, and, during the election, having the
Keeper of the Election Rule-Book deciding that women wearing a hijab
must remove their veil to be identified before voting, the question of
religious clothing and paraphernalia is still stuck in our collective
craw. Or is it the fact that the gear is Muslim that bothers us
so? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West
Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Fat kids sit more, die
first (535 words) For the first time in history - so says a
report just issued by the Permanent Committee on Health of the Canadian
Parliament -- children are expected to have a shorter life span than
their parents. Take a moment to let that sink in. Julie Murray
writes for the Aylmer Bulletin and The West Quebec Post.
Who in the world is fighting
carbon taxes? (500 words) The auto industry, besides its own
evident stupidity, sees us all as morons. They are claiming that
carbon-tax surcharges on gas-guzzlers harm only local auto
makers. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Daylight Savings Time all year
'round (510 words) More than a billion people in
seventy countries observe some form of Daylight Savings Time. But it
isn't just most of Saskatchewan and part of British columbia that remain
stubbornly on standard time. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of
Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
A little plastic, a big
problem (460 words) Even with recycling, plastics are still
about 20 percent of everything going in our landfills. We are not yet
fanatics about recycling, but fanaticism is what it will take. Fanatics,
for example, reject the plastic packaging which makes up much of our
garbage-- that's positive fanaticism. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Opinion: Don't kill Vermont's Bull the
Moose (350 words) Bull is a pet raised by David Lawrence
inside the confines of the Nelson farm - not in the same pen where
canned hunts take place. He is completely friendly and charming.
Abandoned at birth, he needs to be left alone to enjoy jelly doughnuts
and Budweiser with his caretaker. Bethany Dunbar reports for the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Whose junk is this? (500
words) There are outlets which take empty ink cartridges
and dead batteries as well as computer components, but what about the
other items that shouldn't be littering our landfill? Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Cutting to the chase
(1660) "So, Doc," I said, "when do we want to do this?
I'll have to let the office know that I will be off work for a couple of
days." Bob Gervais writes in London, Ontario.
How to make any election worth the
effort (500 words) Quebec Premier Jean Charest is to call a
provincial election this week, and thus we begin the grand drama of a
general election. This most important ceremony of our democracy will be
played out with breast-beating by the contenders and with wildly
optimistic predictions from the minor parties. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Quebec needs a Ministry of the
Environment (550 words) The environment may be a significant
concern for Quebec voters -- poll after poll says so -- and it may be in
the heart of every politician sitting in the National Assembly -- they
tell us it is -- but if actions speak louder than words, governmental
action on the environment is so silent it must be dead. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Are you prepared? (490
words) Do all of our citizens know what to do in case of
an emergency? Do you have an emergency kit in your house, along with
water, food, and supplies to last at least three to six days? Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
No more alphabet soup (490
words) If we're all so good at communicating, why is it still such a
problem? Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Blue Cheese on Toast
(590) Posted 01.16.07 Bob Gervais It was not a true-blue Blue Cheese, if
you know what I mean. Not Un fromage bleu with all the associated
pedigree that causes one to speak with a French accent like Charles
Boyer. Bob Gervais writes in London, Ontario.
Has the CBC's time run
out? (555 words) I never expected to reach this conclusion,
but after thirty-plus years of rarely missing at least one newscast a
day, today I still listen, but wonder, when the taped weather update
symbolically sums up the news with a report of conditions eight hours
ago, why I bothered turning on the radio. Fred Ryan is the publisher
of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
The way I see
it Posted 01.09.07 Bob Gervais "The way I see it" . . . Have
you ever spoken that particular phrase? Do you know anyone who has?
Well, I certainly have heard it said and I have no doubt uttered
it. Bob Gervais writes in London, Ontario.
Amateur Antics (529
words) According to a recent report, YouTube hosts more
than 100 million videos, with 65,000 new videos uploaded daily. These
are completely uncensored and often record humiliating incidents without
those being captured on video giving their consent. Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Hey, Quebecker…think you own your
piece of land? (520 words) Private ownership of property may
be a bedrock concept of our society, but it sure doesn't stand in the
way of what governments and big corporations see as their best
interests. Changes to Quebec's mining act has virtually tossed private
ownership out the window; such changes have been made across
Canada. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
A clear choice for Vermont
Verizon (310 words) Most of the world now communicates by
cell phone, and large chunks of the Northeast Kingdom are decidedly
backward, for better or worse, because the damn things don't work
here. Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Quebec, America, and Lucien
Bouchard (520 words) Former Premiere Lucien Bouchard of
Quebec was either quoted out of context or he suffered a lapse of
lucidity when he said, or is reported to have said, that Quebecers don't
work hard enough to meet the demands of the globalized
marketplace. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin,
The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
The Doctor is (Not) in (535
words) Posted 11.06.06 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM I laughed that if I went to
the clinic feeling great, after sitting that long in a straight chair in
a waiting room full of coughing patients, I'd be able to tell him that I
thought I had the flu, and complain about my bad back! Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Pesticide! A curse whose time has
come (515 words) I'm going to wade into water well over my
head, and, as a typically dense anglo, make some suggestions for change
to the French language. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Pay and pay again scams
(500 words) Posted 10.18.06 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM I
no longer use my VISA for most bills, so when I saw a charge from
Chatelaine to renew my subscription, I was suspicious. Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Follow the money (500
words) The cardinal rule of investigative journalism - follow the
money - is a powerful tool to figure out what's happening to our
neighbourhoods and region. It leads to explanations where there were
none before for bulldozing of a green space or even the high school
drop-out rate. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer
Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Pay and pay again scams
(500 words) Posted 10.18.06 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM I
no longer use my VISA for most bills, so when I saw a charge from
Chatelaine to renew my subscription, I was suspicious. Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Goodbye Jim, and thanks (790
words) I made the acquaintance of Jim Jeffords in 1974, when he was
between jobs. That is to say that Jim Jeffords the politician had lost
an election and been forced to resort to the career he had trained for
at Harvard Law School. Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
(500
words) Posted 09.26.06 WAYNE LARSEN MONTREAL, QC | I was one of the luckier
Dawson parents. My son was in the cafeteria when the shooting began and
he managed to get out right away. He called me with the news as he
hurried over to the Examiner office, where he spent much of the
afternoon helping with the coverage-monitoring Internet and radio
reports while trying to track down friends who had also been
there.
Less Stuff (585
words) Most of all, we have to start living as though we really live
here on the earth and aren't just passing through. We have to live here
in a way that reflects how much we love where we live. Who is unaffected
by a sunset? Or the green burst of spring? This planet is our home, all
that we've got, our start and our finish. Fred Ryan is the publisher
of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Chance encounter: Lighting up
with a witness to murder/suicide (800 words) Posted
09.18.06 RUSSELL COOPER MONTREAL, QC | I stood on the corner of de
Maisonneuve and Atwater moments after the shootings at Dawson College
and watched horrified people stream out of the school. Russell
Cooper, 29, was born in Sudbury, Ontario. He says he's a 'recovering
musician and treeplanter'. "I'm now studying journalism," he
adds, "but will probably one day be a recovering journalist,
planting trees in a jazz bar."
Simon Teakettle: 1987 -
2006 (520 words) Posted 08.29.06 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Simon gave me plenty of warning, declining dramatically in the
past few months, preparing me to lose him. And to the end I respected
what I knew were his wishes, to die at home, not at the office of the
vet he hated. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast
Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
A matter of Degree (535
words) Posted 08.23.06 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM This year marks the fiftieth
anniversary of my graduation from Columbia University. Most university
graduates are proud of their accomplishment, and many list their degrees
after their names. I'm proud of my B.A., and my diploma hangs in a frame
on my office wall. But there's a myth about higher education that I'd
like to dispel. Let me start with a story... Barbara Florio Graham
is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps
to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Nothing to sneeze at (520
words) Posted 07.03.06 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM Just try to buy unscented
products in the stores. A search through an entire row of deodorants and
anti-perspirants reveals a stunning variety of scents, but few, if any
unscented ones. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast
Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Stompin on the CBC (560
words) Posted 07.03.06 BARBARA FLORIO GRAHAM CBC TV irritates viewers by
failing to promote quality shows well enough in advance for us to plan
to watch. What's even more odd (and irritating) is that programs are
promoted heavily as frequent commercial messages within other CBC
programs. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps
to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Good PR, it's everyone's business
(480 words) Posted 05.16.06 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM We've all encountered rude store clerks from time to time, as
well as receptionists whose manner, on the phone or in person, appears
to indicate that your inquiry is an unwanted interruption in their busy
schedule. What do they consider more important than treating callers
with respect? Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast
Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
On Seniors and public
transportation (530 words) Posted 05.07.06 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Everybody loves spring, but seniors from Eastern Canada
appreciate it this year more than ever. While others remark on how this
year's milder winter was a pleasant change, the winter months were a
nightmare for older people. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of
Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost
Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Gasoline prices, Big Oil, and
conservation (840 words) I see the Chairman of Exxon/Mobil
pulling down nearly a billion dollars in compensation last year and all
oil companies enjoying record astronomical profits, and something just
doesn't compute. Don Mayer is the Main Man at Small Dog Electronics
in Waitsfield, Vermont.
Opinion: Another bad idea from
you-know-who (380 words) The National Animal Identification
System (NAIS) is just another example of the current U.S. administration
trying to scare the people into giving up their independence and
rights. Bethany Dunbar reports for the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Byte me Posted
04.11.06 Bob Gervais In the "Computer Room" the temperature was
kept at a constant 70 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity of 35 percent.
An impressive array of equipment sensed, sucked, belched, and blew to
maintain the artificial environment necessary for the creature comfort
of the computer and its associated pieces and parts. Bob Gervais
writes in British Columbia and Ontario.
Do not add. Do not
deceive Posted 04.05.06 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Sorry, folks, when it comes to real or made-up, there is no
middle ground. Something is either true or it isn't. Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Time to obfuscate, hesitate, and
mumble (715 words) Vermont has a record of preserving its
mountains and ridge lines from development, and it's not clear why that
stance should be thrown to the wind. As a society, we tend to be a
little goofy on the subject of energy - a bit prone to fad and fashion.
Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Pardon my
French Posted 03.06.06 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM I
have a confession to make. Although I've lived in Quebec for
thirty-eight years, I still can't hold a conversation in
French. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to
Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Taming The Wild
Snollygosters (575 words) I may not be the smartest goat in
the barn but it seems to me that politicians are a lot like teenagers.
If not properly supervised, they start running with the wrong crowd,
they get into trouble. Paul Graybeard Paine, a retired homebuilder,
writes from Claremore, Oklahoma. His website is at http://pdpaine.us.
The fear factor (675 words)
The enormous significance that has been placed on our effort to
identify, find and kill a handful of murderers; the very decision -
slavishly copied by so much of our media - to call this effort a
"war" has only increased their power over us. Chris
Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle in Vermont.
Prostituting the press (680
words) If we are prepared to violate the best traditions of our own
democracy to win the war in Iraq, then what is the point of our being
there? Chris Braithwaite publishes the Barton Chronicle
in Vermont.
Gambling fever, big government
bucks Posted 01.25.06 BARBARA FLORIO
GRAHAM Quebec's $1.5 billion in annual revenue (figures for
2003-2004), are a part of the $23 billion earned by government-run
gambling across the country, which includes 60 permanent casinos as well
as gambling machines and lottery ticket centres. Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
And to all, a very
Merry Christmas (980 words) What a year it's been. It began
with an almost-surprise 70th birthday party on December 23rd, in that I
knew I was being taken out to dinner but didn't know who had been
invited. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to
Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Fuel for thought (520
words) As we head into winter, everyone is concerned about the rising
cost of fuel. Whether to heat our homes, run our businesses, or power
our vehicles, fossil fuels are vital to our existence. Higher fuel costs
also inflate the price of everything we buy. Barbara Florio Graham is
the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Two new Canadians: From
atrocities to honours (500 words) ...it was October, they had
no winter clothes, nowhere to live, knew nobody in Ottawa. For six
weeks, including during the birth of her daughter, Gulshan didn't know
if her parents and younger sisters had survived the purge. Barbara
Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing,
Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
This spam's not in the can (600
words) Somebody, somewhere, has decided that I need to refurbish,
renew, and recreate my old, shopworn carcass. I really can be a
handsome, sexy, rich man about town, or so they tell me. It's the sexy
part that's most bothersome. Paul Graybeard Paine, a retired
homebuilder, writes from Claremore, Oklahoma. His website is at http://pdpaine.us.
Judging the judges (530
words) In the end, it is judges who judge, who pass sentence, who
decide upon appeals. We are all at their mercy. If they release someone,
like repeat offenders who sometimes end up killing policemen or innocent
civilians, or choose to keep someone like Robert Latimer in jail, we
have little recourse. Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five
Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity,
and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Back to the (Internet) Dating
Game (540 words) I didn't want to spoil her pleasure by
pointing out that a rose, a few compliments, a nice dinner (probably
chalked up as a business expense), or a long-distance phone call were
really inexpensive ways to get free sex. Barbara Florio Graham is the
author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to
Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Temptations abound
(450 words) We're all getting fatter, despite our best efforts. Could
it be sabotage? Barbara Florio Graham is the author of Five Fast
Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and
Mewsings/Musings. www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
America, for shame, for
shame (380) Do not prattle to me any more about being the
Land of the free and the home of the brave. Do not try to con me with
your drivel about being one nation under God. Do not snarl your
disbelief that torture is a tool in your government's bag of tricks, and
to expose it is treason. John Mahoney edits the LCC.
Bigger doesn't mean
better (480 words) No, bigger isn't better. Who decided that
the customer would prefer towels, toys and lamps to groceries when they
went to a store supposedly devoted to selling food? Barbara Florio
Graham is the author of Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, Five Fast
Steps to Low-Cost Publicity, and Mewsings/Musings www.SimonTeaKettle.com.
Musings on a warm day in
Spring (750 words) Conversation turns to great loves, missed
opportunities, plans for the future, and what should have been. All as
unconceived as the slowly melting pattern of prints in the frozen mud we
left behind in the lane. David Lapp is a musician and businessman
based in Lennoxville, Quebec.
There's a time bomb in our back
yard (250) COVENTRY, VT | They've created a potentially
toxic time bomb in the Lake Memphremagog watershed and now they want to
almost double it's size. On Thursday, at 7 p.m. in theTown Hall here,
they'll be looking for faith-based approval to truck in 2500 tons of
waste a day. John Mahoney edits the Log Cabin Chronicles.
'Tis the Season of Incredibly Bad
Music (585 words) One of the great innovations in seasonal
festive music was the introduction of dogs singing. German shepherds.
They didn't really sing; they barked in a sort of harmony. Fred Ryan
is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and
the Pontiac Journal.
Get rid of those plastic
bags (550 words) The problem is so profound that Bangladesh
and Taiwan have prohibited their use altogether. Ireland has introduced
a 15 cent tax on each bag, reducing their use by 95%. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Media concentration in
Canada (600 words) No one, apart from bankers and these
corporations, sees much benefit in having our nation's sources of news
controlled by a few large corporations. Even free-market evangelists
stop short of approving a monopoly seizure of the media. Fred Ryan is
the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
Chiropractic for animals: Does it
work? As a veterinarian, I find the term "side
effects" has an ominous ring. We caution clients of the negative
implications of drugs on liver and kidney function, appetite, thirst,
urine production, attitude and alertness. Dr. Alison Seely is a
Veterninarian and a certified Animal Chiropractor. She practices in
Ontario.
Bob Phillips, an exemplary
Canadian (525 words) Bob had battled cancer for two years,
and seemed to be surviving until a heart attack turned the tables. He
was 81 years old, and he lived a life as full and as rewarding as any of
us would wish to have.
I don't want a pickle, I just want to ride
my motorsickle (600 words) Bruce Miller just wants to ride
his motorcyle, especially in Quebec where he lives.
Trust us, we're from the government. We're here
to help. Your papers please, Patriot. (800 words) One of the
guys finally levels with you: Someone in Caribou Coffee told them you
were reading something "suspicious" and called the
FBI. Carol Henderson writes in North Carolina
A tribute to a good man, a good
journalist (600 words) Bob Phillips is a man of many parts:
in the late '20s he was a copy boy at the Toronto Star, where his
mastery of language made itself evident. This stood him in good stead
later, as the author of six books and hundreds of magazine articles
across more than half a century. He served with the Canadian Army in
northwest Europe, and after the war he joined the then Department of
External Affairs, and was promptly posted to Moscow, 1947-49. On one
occasion, Bob met and shook the hand of Joseph Stalin. On his return -
as was the order of the day - he went to the National Defense
College.
So what's the big deal
about the Tomifobia Valley bike trail? (800) Until two
Sundays ago, I had never been on the completed trail to any great
extent, certainly not since its completion. Now officially opened
between Beebe and Ayer's Cliff, I decided to set out with the family to
see what the fuss was all about. We set out on our leisurely way under
sunny skies. Ross Murray is editor and publisher of Quebec's weekly
Stanstead Journal.
It's about the money, stupid (570
words) I am so sorry for all the smokers in this country. They are
the supreme patsies of the western world. Imagine paying eight dollars
for twenty cigarettes. It's insane. Art Mantell writes for The Low down to Hull and back
News, an English language weekly newspaper in West Quebec.
A wake-up call for the beef
industry (400 words) There is one easy way to stop all this
nonsense – to allow Canadians, Americans and everyone else who eats our
beef to feel confident and reassured that it would not make people sick:
not this week, not next week, not in five years from now. Stop feeding
animals to animals. Cows and pigs and sheep and chickens are grazers.
They eat grass and hay and grain. Karen Macdonald is editor of The Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph, the
English language weekly newspaper of Quebec City.
Hire a student this summer (585
words) High school students may not have the slightest clue as to
what they want to do as a career. Working for the summer at the Mohawk
Council of Kahnawake in Quebec could influence a student or two to get
into politics, or do the complete opposite. Greg Horn writes for The Eastern Door, the weekly
newspaper of the Mohawk Nation.
The American ambassador to Canada
is mistaken (600 words) Recently, the ambassador of the
United States in Canada expressed his disappointment over our country's
refusal to back the Americans in their attack on Iraq. His well-crafted
speech to a luncheon of businesspeople was designed to make us feel bad,
very bad. Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The
West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
Is that duct tape, or duck tape?
(500 words) Are we the gunslinger of our own Western mythology,
imposing our unique sense of justice on a frontier peopled with fools
and cowards and villains? Or are we the key player in a new era of
international cooperation, where we must agree on what justice means
before we can impose it on others? Chris Braithwaite publishes the
Barton Chronicle in Vermont.
A season of disorder
Whatever we call it, the winter blues affect almost all of us. Lack
of light, lack of exercise, too much holiday food, and too many holiday
bills are reasons for our seasonal disaffection, as the doctors call it.
Not to forget colds and flus, sore throats and runny noses, slippery and
sloppy streets, sidewalks to shovel, and plain old stress, we all suffer
to varying degrees, and we had best not ignore the affliction. Whether
it's severe or mild, it's there. Fred Ryan is the publisher of
Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the Pontiac
Journal.
Get rid of truck
lineups at border (350) For years, trucks have lined for
kilometres down the autoroute waiting to be cleared at U.S. Customs for
entry into the United States. For starters, this clogs up a full lane on
a provincial highway, which makes no sense. Ross Murray is editor and
publisher of Quebec's weekly Stanstead Journal.
One vet's perspective (850) And
now we have a president with too big a focus on oil and big business,
and a willingness to strike pre-emptively -- going against generations
of tradition in this country. John Parsons was a First Lieutenant in
Viet Nam. He was awarded a Bronze Star for meritorious
service.
The era of the Patriot
Tipster (450) The Bush Administration is busily tapping into
that repressive predisposition that has been part of the American psyche
since the Puritans landed at Plymouth Rock. John Mahoney edits the
Log Cabin Chronicles.
Not a seat in the UN, but... (584
words) The opening of the United Nations Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues was a landmark occasion in international events. There
is no other body quite like it in the entire UN at such a high level. It
is the only one where Indigenous persons have equal status to other
international experts. Kenneth Deer edits The Eastern Door, the weekly
newspaper of the Mohawk Nation
Neighboring towns
being gouged Everybody knows volunteer firefighters aren't
entirely volunteers. They are paid for the time they spend fighting
fires and responding to emergency situations. And rightfully so; it's
tough, dangerous, often exhausting work that should be rewarded. Right,
too, that the neighboring municipalities that use the services of these
volunteers should pay their wages. But suddenly the Town of Stanstead is
using these volunteers as pawns in what amounts to little more than
price gouging.
Don't shoot the messenger It
is the job of the media to read between the 'the official lines',
delivered by smooth-talking spin doctors and well-coached public
officials. Even grassroots media are subjected to daily pressures from
those who subtly massage the message and mislead the public. The
approach may be as subtle as issuing gag orders preventing those in the
know from revealing the bare facts before they have gone through the
official blender. Or it could be through sanctioning whistle-blowers who
alert the media to internal problems. Sharon McCully is editor of the
daily Record in
Sherbrooke, Quebec.
The PQ and media concentration While
concern grows over the concentration of media ownership in the hands of
a few corporations, the only government in Canada responsibile enough to
grapple with the threat is our PQ government. The sole federal party to
criticize this monopolization has been the NDP--but since the corporate
media rarely cover the NDP, few know of this critique. From the Parti
Quebecois view, "the rest of Canada" has taken a big valium.
Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West
Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
What's in a name? or Let's save
Canada A poll suggests that, in these nervous times,
Quebeckers feel safer inside Canada than they would in an independent
Quebec. But, though even the IRA understands that the world changed on
September 11, we cannot count on the PQ to lay down their idea.
Canada deserves more freedom, not less
Whether the terrorists themselves manage to take away our rights or
those rights are taken away, using the threat of terrorism as a pretext,
we are nonetheless losing fundamental civil rights. Fred Ryan is the
publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West Quebec Post, and the
Pontiac Journal.
A problem with the media? The defense
used by the overweight media is that they print what people want to
read, and their success proves this. Who can argue with success?
Fred Ryan is the publisher of Quebec's Aylmer Bulletin, The West
Quebec Post, and the Pontiac Journal.
What price liberty? (475)
Curtailment of certain basic freedoms, it will be argued in
cleverest of Newspeak, is necessary -- that is the price of
freedom. Are you ready to produce upon demand to any 'authority' figure
-- cop, rent-a-cop, bus driver -- your national identification
card?
Riding the rails again (1600 words) In
May, I took the opportunity to ride the AMTRAK system from Rutland,
Vermont, to South Bend, Indiana, on the occasion of my daughter's
college graduation...the price was right and I had the time. I hadn't
ridden a real train since I was a kid, an adventure. It was a long ride,
although no worse than driving, and considerably more interesting and
restful. Michael J. Badamo, the Old Woodchuck, writes in Montpelier,
Vermont.
Quebec's Wired Family Program
Our separatist Quebec government has just spent $170 million dollars
to lure 200,000 families onto the Information Highway. I wonder if the
Pequistes realize that in cyberspace, most of the traffic signs are in
English. And wherever did they find the money?
Sticking it to us with free stick-on
patches (422 words) If smokers can afford $5 or so for a
pack of smokes a day (and that's small potatoes for anyone needing a
patch to quit), they can cough up the dough for their own goods to kick
it. Ross Murray edits and publishes Quebec's award-winning Stanstead
Journal.
Objectivity and independence (1100
words) Put yourself between two bitterly opposed groups of people
and write a story. If both sides like it, that's ok. If neither side
likes it, that's better. But if one side likes it and the other hates
it, you've got something fundamentally wrong. Chris Braithwaite
publishes the Barton Chronicle in Vermont.
A case for public
executions Satisfy public blood lust, raise money, and
everybody wins. Well, almost everybody. John Mahoney, editor, Log
Cabin Chronicles.
We have a dream, too (1400 words)
The Canadian government can learn from the U.S. civil-rights era
when it comes to our treatment of First Nations Matthew Coon Come is
AFN National Chief in Canada. This opinion piece was first posted in the
The Eastern Door, the weekly
newspaper of the Mohawk Nation
To Nancy with Love, ENINEM (750)
Nancy Sheltra, R-Derby, is the lead sponsor on a bill that would
"make it illegal to encourage, promote or sanction homosexual or
bisexual conduct" in schools. Jim Austin writes in southern
Vermont.
Mohawks pass into another
millennium (750 words) They thought it would never happen.
The colonizers that is. They thought that we would fade away, assimilate
or just die out before the end of the last century. But we fooled them.
We're still here, as feisty as ever. Kenneth Deer edits The Eastern Door, the weekly
newspaper of the Mohawk Nation
George Goodwin has a beef with
Immigration Canada (450 words) They charge too much, and
make it too hard for wives to come to Canada. George Goodwin
Quebec ID cards: a bad idea whose time has
come (350 words) First voluntary, then mandatory, then what?
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.
'Net to crush newspapers (1300
words) Then, who will watch the city council? Joe Burns, Ph.D.
is a university teacher and founder of HTML Goodies, a website.
Quebec budget includes family surfing
subsidies (500 words) The family that surfs together, stays
together. John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.
Big guy versus little guy
National food corporation tries to squash small Vermont maple
producer. John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.
Teaching English in Quebec
In the French school system, you really don't have to speak it to
teach it, it seems. John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.
Truly, 1 in a million (400 words)
This chiropractor maintains that chiropractic is safer than any
medical alternativer, including over the counter pain killers. Dr.
Keith Mahoney practices in Kanata, Ontario.
Bilingual Quebecers have the edge and they
want to keep it Forget the sign law bickering, work on
creating a bilingual province. Robert Desautels writes from Hatley,
Quebec.
Is digital photography the new expressive
visual art? A veteran photographer makes his case. Rick
Doble makes pictures and writes in North Carolina.
Journalism II How not to make
friends, influence people, get rich, or win ~ be a journalist. John
Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.
Can a free press survive in the
U.S.? An inquiry into the question that, given the
conflicting interests of the people, business interests, politicians,
government agencies and the courts, is it possible to strike a socially
acceptable balance and still have a fair and vigorous free press whose
right to function is fully protected by the First Amendment? John
Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.
Low water, deep time (1460 words)
Deep musings while looking over the waters of Lake Champlain.
Michael J. Badamo, the Old Woodchuck, writes in Montpelier, Vermont.
Why John Kennedy died (1200 words)
Letter from a pilot to his teenaged son who thinks he wants to fly.
Christopher Goodfellow is editor of the Laurentian Web.
Quebec's in trouble (800 words)
Get your priorities straight, then do the right thing.
Christopher Goodfellow is editor of the Laurentian Web.
Too Much Secrecy (450 words) Trend
to "work sessions" in local government violates the public's
trust. John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.
KEEPERS
A Child's Primer On Kosovo. (600
words) A veteran journalist has a fabulous go at the Balkans
conflict. Charles Paparella edits The Shore Journal in Maryland.
Milosevic is the new Hitler. (600
words) A report from the Balkans. Drazen Polic lives in Croatia.
Death, Mud, Shit & Tears (1000
words) Eyewitness report from Albania refugee camp. Nina Ziegler
is a nurse from British Columbia.
This is not lunch at the Ritz (1000
words) Canada has abandoned its tradional neutrality in taking part
in the NATO war with Yugoslavia. Christopher Goodfellow is editor of
the < a href="http://www.laurentian.com">Laurentian Web.
Samuel de Champlain (850 words)
"Vermont Was a Pretty Nice Place in 1609 But It Has Been
Downhill Ever Since the European Riff-Raff Started Moving In"
Michael J. Badamo, the Old Woodchuck, writes in Montpelier, Vermont.
PART TWO "Samuel de
Champlain: A poor linguist, a rigid Roman Catholic, as alien to the
Indian as a man from Mars. Perhaps they liked his style..."
Michael J. Badamo, the Old Woodchuck, writes in Montpelier, Vermont.
Health Spat (700 words) Feds,
Quebec still at it. Peter Black, a CBC radio reporter, writes in
Quebec City.
Why I Won't Buy Altoid Mints It's
the bad advertising/bad karma... John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin
Chronicles
Quebeckers Spoke (500 words) The
government had better listen. Christopher Goodfellow is editor of LaurentianWeb.
Charest, the accidental tourist (720
words) It looks like four years in opposition for him. Peter
Black, a CBC radio reporter, writes in Quebec City.
Hucksterism and accumulated debt (750
words) Quebec's Alice in Wonderland politics. Christopher
Goodfellow is editor of LaurentianWeb.
Premier tears strip off reporter (700
words) Quebec separatist very sensitive about separation. Peter
Black, a CBC radio reporter, writes in Quebec City.
Dumont looks not bad (1000 words)
Minority party leader offers sound vision of Quebec's future.
Christopher Goodfellow is editor of LaurentianWeb.
Doing the Quebec numbers (700 words)
Just how many seats do Quebec Liberals need? Peter Black, a CBC
radio reporter, writes in Quebec City.
Bike path compromise needed (700
words) Veteran cyclist travels Quebec's Tomifobia Nature Trail and
sees both sides of the controversy. Barbara Verity is a free-lance
writer based in Lennoxville, Quebec.
Confidence, man (630 words)
Something for everyone to believe in. Peter Black, a CBC radio
reporter, writes in Quebec City.
Is Jean Charest Ready? II (900
words) Part Two of the Quebec Lib's not-ready web site.
Christopher Goodfellow is editor of LaurentianWeb.
Is Jean Charest Ready? (950 words)
Not if you look at his website, he's not. Christopher Goodfellow
is editor of LaurentianWeb.
Animal Chiropractic (1000 words) This
vet adjusts horses and dogs, too. Dr. Alison Seely is a veterinarian
based in Pembroke, Ontario.
Nailing a liar (1000 words) Feeling
good about one of them feeling bad. Peter Scowen is a Toronto-based
newspaperman.
Here's some beef (600 words) Jean
Charest wants to do the tax cut thing. Peter Black, a CBC radio
reporter, writes in Quebec City. Letter
from Norway (800 words) A Canadian ex-pat looks at home from
afar. Berit Lundh works for
the Canadian Embassy in Norway.
The referendum myth (960 words) How
many times do we have to do it? Peter Scowen is a Montreal writer.
A bike trail doesn't run through
it. Bad feelings in Fool's Hollow. John Mahoney, Editor,
Log Cabin Chronicles.
A Dream Dying (450 words) The death
of the bilingual Canadian dream. Karen MacDonald publishes the
Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. The
Interim Saviour (900 words) Taking bets on another
Bourassa. Peter Scowen edits Montreal's Hour magazine. Trade with Cuba? Never... The U.S. has
it's favorite dictators. Peter Scowen edits Montreal's Hour
magazine. Modern Vermont
Governors The Old Woodchuck examines six of them. Some are
found wanting. Michael J. Badamo edits The Watchmanin
Montpelier, Vermont. Who gets to
immigrate to Canada? (600 words) Surely not just the young
and educated. Leo Gervais edits the Monitor and Westmount Examiner,
weekly newspapers published in Montreal. Wrong scapegoat, guys French cops
absolve photographers in Di's demise. By John Mahoney, Editor, Log
Cabin Chronicles. Bubba seeks
Bambi The Quebec roadhunter on the move, slowly. By John
Mahoney. Quebec moves
against English-only web sites Separatists claim web pages
violate the law. By John Mahoney.
Quebec cracks down on business
cards Don't hand out English cards unless specifically
asked. Pequistes say that's a no-no. By John Mahoney.
Bring on the clones (450
words) Separation delayed is not necessarily separation denied. In
which the editor sees hope for Quebec's separatists in the Cloning Game.
Baaa, baaa... By John Mahoney.
Call a cop? Naaah. Call the garbageman
(600 words) Quebec's Tiny Brains have doubled the cost of so-called
police protection and you still never see them when you need them. The
garbageman, however, is always on time. By John Mahoney.
Remembering Chicago 1968
It's been 28 years since I returned from the last Democratic
convention in Chicago but I still remember the heat and the hate. By
John Mahoney.
Health & Health Care from a Chiropractic
Perspective A series of
thoughtful and informative articles.
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