Not long after the Defend Our Coast rallies, a pollster phones, wanting to know who I plan to vote for in the provincial election.  The first party to unequivocally say NO to tar sands oil in pipelines and tankers through BC land and waters, I tell her. This causes a bit of confusion, as it clearly isn’t one of the options ...

I’m writing a column further to Christine’s column (http://castlegarsource.com/news/oped-looks-werent-deceiving-you-deceived-yourself-21868#.UJw81m80WSo), not because I disagree with her, but because I totally agree and don’t think she takes it far enough. Christine is a fundamentally nice person. I am not. The issue of stifling people’s self-expression through rigid social more is, to me, one requiring a less nice, […]

Personal appearance has become a common theme in my discussions over the past week, from online debates about teenage style to chats over coffee about what women do to feel beautiful, and it has made me realize how focused we are on self-expression/style/appearance. It all started when I asked my fellow Facebookers what their thoughts […]

Just out of Jericho, Bartimaeus sits by the road. Hearing Jesus and the crowd he cries, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. ”Many in the crowd tell him to shut up, but he raises his voice and Jesus, standing still, says: “Call him here.” Changing their tone, the voices in the crowd tell Bartimaeus to “Take heart; get up,...

There is a fair amount of debate today about Canada's role in the world and the role that our military continues to play.  Many feel that Canada should be returning to a peacekeeping role, while others feel that the current direction is more appropriate in today's world.  Regardless of how we feel about this issue, I firmly...

Every Remembrance Day for the past six years I have gone to the Nelson Cenotaph at city hall and stood with anti-war protest placards, and been the target of much anger and some abuse. Last year, a threat too came my way. I will go there again this year and upset many in attendance. But […]

There is a class of people and corporations in this country whose illicit financial practices have an enormous negative impact on the country and its citizens. Yet the law and order regime of Stephen Harper barely plays lip service to the issue of tax evasion through tax havens. While Harper cuts billions from government...

It’s almost Halloween! Yay! I have always been a Halloween fan; I love the decorations, the pumpkin carving, and the plethora of bite-sized chocolates, but there is one thing that really gets my goat when it comes to this spooky season – it is impossible to find a women’s costume that isn’t oozing with sex. […]

It couldn’t have been clearer in a recent interview for Maclean’s magazine, that International Trade Minister Ed Fast viewed maintaining sovereign control over our public services, investments, intellectual property, environmental protection, government procurement and labour mobility as completely irrelevant in sweeping...

Often, when reviewing my scars, I wonder why I have them at all. If cells replicate every seven years or so, where do scars come from? Shouldn't they disappear with the next round of shedding? Maybe it's good they don't. Good to see that patch of skin burned white by molten zinc - remember to tuck the gloves in next time....