Carole James: Mission accomplished?
Hearing Carole James declare that the challenge to her leadership is over – because the NDP’s Provincial Council backed her – reminds me of George Bush on the US air craft carrier with the huge “Mission Accomplished” sign behind him after the initial attack in Iraq. Talk about not getting it. The NDP is now […]
Ministry’s refusal to disclose sea lice data threatens freedom of information, say environmentalists
The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands’ continued refusal to disclose sea lice infestation data could set a dangerous precedent for future public information requests, environmental groups argue in a submission filed today to B.C.’s information commissioner. In March 2010, after six years of drawn-out proceedings, the commissioner ruled that the ministry could not conceal 2002-03 fish […]
It takes a community to raise a child ... so are you in, or not?
I was one of 60 or 70 people in Castlegar who attended last week's meetings on the RCMP's Community Prevention Education Continuum (CPEC), from which I garnered information I think every community member should have. First, though, let me point out what a truly stupid name that is ...what does it even mean? The RCMP now...
Tax cuts + ensuing loss of revenue = a deliberate financial crisis…and a reason to introduce P3s to BC
I have never seen more senators express discontent with their jobs. … I think the major cause is that, deep down in our hearts, we have been accomplices to doing something terrible and unforgivable to this wonderful country. Deep down in our hearts, we know that we have bankrupted America and that we have given […]
Corporations: 'citizen' psychopaths
National governments have been back in the news over the past two years because of the financial crisis and the havoc it wreaked on the global economy. Belying the ideology that nations were obsolete in the grand new order of transnational corporations, they are now front and centre trying to save the corporations that supposedly […]
ATAMANENKO: Home heating costs: make or break
When I think of winter coming, I imagine cosy weekends filled with children’s laughter and hot chocolate shared in the warm glow of a living room. But for too many people here in the BC Southern Interior, that first snowfall may feel a little more ominous. For some of our friends and neighbours—maybe even your […]
Outposts
Whatever the Western media calls them, the illegal Jewish settlements on the West Bank are very far from being outposts. They are connected to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv by fast, Jews-only motorways. Their villas have swimming pools and lawns (a settler is allocated eight times more water than a Palestinian). Even the most recent and […]
Sea to Sky shadow toll story makes national news courtesy of Mark Hume and the Globe and Mail
Mark Hume of the Globe and Mail has done an outstanding job of taking the Sea to Sky highway shadow toll story to an entirely new level in the Monday edition of the paper, and managed to get some rather creative answers from both Macquarie and the BC government. Truly,creative doesn’t even begin to describe […]
Tick-tock: let James run out the clock
Make no mistake about it: Carole James will be gone as NDP leader well before the next provincial election. But remember: in politics, like comedy, timing is everything. And the next BC election isn’t scheduled until Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Yes, 2013. So for the NDP there’s no rush: in fact, it would be politically dumb to replace James […]
TECH TALK: Finally, an anti-virus offering Mac users will want to check out
Well, it's happened. I am now recommending anti-virus for Macs. Is there some new development? Are they more vulnerable now for some reason? No, the threat hasn't changed, just the response options. Macs run very differently from Windows. The only way to get a virus is to deliberately install it. If you check out this blog...
