As I travel further into retirement and have more time to devote to newspaper reading, it occurs to me that I have now lived long enough to see through the majority of attempts by the media and by government to manipulate the public. The latest case in point which I would like to address should be obvious even to the most casual thinker; I refer to the ongoing testimony of Richard Colvin, who was Canada’s second-highest diplomat stationed in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, to a House of Common... Read Full Story

I have written blog postings in the past on organizational behaviour and the tendency to conceal unpalatable facts that may affect the public's view of the organization. My years in teaching yielded many examples of such conduct. There is a story in today’s Globe and Mail of malfeasance concealed within Revenue Canada, uncovered only after a freedom of information request by a researcher.Apparently, in 2008, two employees created fictitious tax returns, one netting $300,000, the other $100,... Read Full Story

A report released yesterday, entitled Cellphone and Brain Tumors - 15 Reasons for Concern, concludes that there is a significant risk of brain tumors arising from cellphone use. Compiled by doctors and scientists, its conclusions are derived from scientific findings from a variety of studies that have been conducted, including one funded by the telecommunications industry which, to no one's surprise, found no elevated risk. As this report points out, the telecom-funded study has design flaw... Read Full Story

The other day a friend of mine alerted me to the fact that Shona Holmes was going to be making an appearance on the Michael Coren Show, and despite the fact that I tried to view it with an open mind, I can honestly say that it had very little impact on my overall impressions of the woman and her mission.Ms. Holmes insists that her life was indeed threatened by her condition, explaining that an abridged version of her “complex medical issues” appeared on the Mayo Clinic website because of some... Read Full Story

The Hamilton Spectator had a well-considered article in yesterday's edition written by a Canadian resident who has lived in the United States and experienced their healthcare system. His comparison between our system and the American one makes for some fascinating reading:Beware the right in health-care fightIs movement to privatize Ontario's system behind Holmes' battle?August 19, 2009 John KneelandTHE HAMILTON SPECTATOR(Aug 19, 2009) In 1996, through my employer in Sarasota, Fla., I had me... Read Full Story

I just read in the Toronto Star that as a result of one parent complaining about language, the principal of St Edmund Campion Secondary School, Kevin McGuire, is removing To Kill a Mockingbird from its Grade 10 curriculum.Having taught the novel many times, I can certainly attest to the fact that the ‘n’ word is used several times. Does that mean it is not fit to be in our schools? Of course not, given that the word, indeed the entire novel, is a lesson in the evil of racism and the ignora... Read Full Story

John Ibbitson had an interesting piece in today's Globe on the tactics being used by foes of healthcare reform to inspire terror in the ignorant:Opponents of health-care reform stoking fearsCitizens argue healthcare reform proposals on August 8, 2009 in Brighton, Colorado.Shock jock Rush Limbaugh compares the White House's health office logo to a swastika and President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler John IbbitsonLast updated on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 02:41AM EDTBarack Obama and the congressiona... Read Full Story

Our local paper printed an article written by a Canadian currently living in Nevada, offering some of the facts about a system where people's care is decided by the level of their insurance coverage and the company's cost calculations. While the American right-wing is trying to terrorize the public with fantasies about government bureaucrats deciding who will live or die, the fact is that health insurance companies are making those decisions on a daily basis. Insurance firms run U.S. health ... Read Full Story

I just read an interesting article in the N.Y. Times about the so-called debate that is going on in the United States over reform to their healthcare system. Unfortunately, it seems that the word 'debate' is a misnomer as many Americans allow themselves to be whipped up into a frenzy by the right wing to disrupt town hall meetings being hosted by Democrats. I have always found it ironic that in many situations, the very people who would most benefit from a progressive measure are, with the ri... Read Full Story

Sorry folks. Everytime I read a story about this benighted soul, I can't resist posting as long as the comments are not defamatory. The C.B.C website had an interesting article that suggests Waterdown's indefatigable foe of public health care may be being less than completely accurate in reciting her tale of woe. I have put in bold certain parts for emphasis.Anti-medicare ad an exaggeration: expertsLast Updated: Friday, July 31, 2009 | 8:20 AM ET Comments414Recommend142CBC NewsA U.S. ad fe... Read Full Story