It seems unfathomable he wouldn’t want to address Good Friday and its significance. In fact, he should be relishing the opportunity
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent out a Twitter thread on April 2 that started off, “It’s the start of a long weekend, and I know that means you’d normally be getting together with your entire family for a few days of fun. But with the number of COVID-19 cases rising across the country, we’re all…
Two explosive military investigations mean the dark clouds of controversy won't soon fade for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government are dealing with two major controversies involving our military. Both situations went from bad to worse in 24 hours. So did the possible fate of a minister of the Crown. The first controversy involves Gen. Jonathan Vance. He served as chief of the defence staff for the…
Last weekend marked the 700th episode of The Simpsons. My first thought upon hearing this news? D’oh! Which led to my second thought: While that’s an impressive run, has the show overstayed its welcome? The Simpsons premiered on Dec. 17, 1989. A three-year stint on Fox’s The Tracey Ullman Show from 1987 to 1989 as…
Questions again swirling around the fed's hiring processes, this time in the military
After conducting job interviews for prospective employees, private-sector employers go through a vetting process before hiring someone. Vetting an applicant involves (hopefully) a thorough background check to ensure the information provided was accurate and complete. This includes validating previous work experience, contacting references, and perhaps doing criminal record checks and requesting credit history, among other…
Ignoring, desensitizing or eliminating history is the wrong approach. Learning, engaging and explaining will have a more positive effect
Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel was one of the world’s most influential authors of children’s literature. The talented political cartoonist, illustrator and poet released over 60 memorable and beloved tales. Those tales included The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, Green Eggs and…
His triumphant keynote address to the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday opened up some doors, and closed others
Donald Trump left the White House on the morning of Jan. 20. Since then, many columnists, reporters and political commentators have speculated whether the former president will run in 2024. It’s an unusual hill to climb in United States politics. The only president to serve two non-consecutive terms was Grover Cleveland. He won the popular…
Canadian talk radio show hosts like Dave Rutherford, Lowell Green, Jerry Agar, Brian Lilley and Charles Adler were all influenced by him
Rush Limbaugh died on Feb. 17 due to complications from lung cancer. This permanent state of radio silence has caused many U.S. conservatives to mourn his passing. The 70-year-old Limbaugh was a bombastic, outspoken, articulate, controversial and larger-than-life radio personality. He was the father of U.S. conservative talk radio and one of the most influential…
The upcoming battle within the GOP could tear it apart
Former U.S. president Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial was held from Feb. 9 to 13. He was acquitted on the one article of impeachment (incitement of insurrection) by a vote of 57-43, which was below the two-thirds majority required for a conviction. While this fast-paced impeachment trial is over, there could be long-lasting effects. Congress’s…
It’s time to bring back Hee Haw and its successful brand of comedy and country music to a whole new generation of TV viewers
“SAA-LUTE!” Does that ring a bell? If not, maybe a quick “Howdy!,” “Pfft! You was gone!,” “Uh-huh, oh yeah!” or “Hey Grandpa! What’s for supper?” will bring back fond memories. Perhaps a short visit to Kornfield Kounty and Archie’s Barber Shop would help. Or we could grab a guitar and banjo and start pickin’ and…
If we’re all in this together, what on Earth are the feds doing when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccines?
“We are all in this together and we are there for you.” Does this ring a bell? It should. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it during a March 18, 2020, press conference – the week after the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 had become a global pandemic. In the days that followed, Canadian businesses…
Fortunately, some writers and thinkers still believe in healthy debate and intellectual discourse on the environment. One of them is Peter Foster
U.S. President Joe Biden’s first day in the White House included signing 17 executive orders. Three of them related directly to the environment: rejoining the Paris agreement on climate change, revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and reviewing regulatory measures pertaining to industries with high emissions. These executive orders were expected to materialize…
What does his future hold?
On Wednesday, Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. That means the White House’s 45th occupant, Donald Trump, has only one more day in office. What will happen during his final few hours? Several phone calls of either a personal or political nature seem likely. Brief chats with White House staff…
Things could get far more violent than what we just witnessed if Trump was actually tossed out of office
The United States Capitol was built in 1800 as the political home for members of Congress. It’s a magnificent piece of neoclassical architecture, and a popular destination for historians and tourists. The Capitol has only been attacked on two occasions. The first was during the War of 1812. British forces initiated the burning of Washington…
There's that little matter of actually rolling out the vaccines on a much wider scale in Canada
Sad to see 2020 go? You’re in the minority … of one. Everyone else was quite ecstatic to roll out the welcome mat for 2021. The biggest issue we faced in 2020 was obviously the coronavirus pandemic. More than 85 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 worldwide, leading to nearly 1.85 million deaths as…
A controversial new book maintains that the North may have won the war, but the South won the battle of ideas
This month’s holiday celebration, much like the year in general, is one that the annals of history will always remember. For my last column of 2020, let’s explore some historical analysis that few would ever recall. Who won the American Civil War? The correct response would be: the North, Union, Union Army and/or Army of…
If he can’t figure out that his family’s involvement with the WE Charity was a conflict of interest, then he really does have an ethical blind spot
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been criticized for his seemingly cavalier attitude with respect to parliamentary procedure and taking ethical stands. The running joke has been that either he doesn’t know, doesn’t care or experiences things differently than others. Here’s yet another example and it’s one of the strangest to date. Trudeau, like many of…
Audiences took a while to warm up to a black country musician. He wasn’t promoted in this fashion and photos didn’t accompany his early singles
I didn’t grow up listening to country music. Nevertheless, there were country musicians I always liked. Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Roy Clark (who was also a bluegrass legend), Kenny Rogers, Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama come to mind. Then there was Charley Pride. He was in a class of his…
Let’s take the high road, skip the blame game, stop the juvenile finger pointing and find some solutions to Canada’s lack of vaccine production
When Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca announced successful drug trials with their respective COVID-19 vaccine candidates, many people were euphoric. It wouldn’t signal the end of the coronavirus pandemic but it would be a positive sign that we’re gradually getting to this stage. Many countries around the world pre-purchased millions of vaccine vials or doses. Some…
U.S. President Donald Trump’s legal team has launched over 40 lawsuits to contest the Nov. 3 election results. With some exceptions, most have either been withdrawn or dismissed. The exceptions include victories in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, a filed case in Michigan’s U.S. District Court and Eastern District. Several other cases remain active. As the…
If our leaders don’t learn any lessons and create better safeguards during a lockdown period, people will keep lashing out
Many governments imposed short-lived lockdowns during the first wave of COVID-19 to help stop the spread of the virus in their countries. As we head deeper into the second wave, that dreaded battle cry has been ringing across the lands once more. Several European nations, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and the United…
Politicians are avoiding talking about what to do if some people turn a thumbs down to being forced to vaccinate
Will there be a vaccine for COVID-19? Pharmaceutical companies have been working around the clock to find either a cure or a preventive measure. The medical community has been hopeful in some instances and cautious in others when discussing this possibility. Many people around the world have waited with anticipation for even the smallest glimmer…
Joe Biden may have won the U.S. presidential election but he’s not the president-elect. Too many ballots must still be counted
The results of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3 were much closer than most opinion polls, media reports and political pundits predicted. Several states were (and are) still counting ballots and it appeared early on that either Republican President Donald Trump or Democratic candidate Joe Biden would win by a razor-thin margin. Millions of…
Five U.S. presidents – including Trump in 2016 – have lost the popular vote but won the all-important electoral college
Who’s going to win the United States presidential election today? It’s a mug’s game to make a definitive prediction. Major party presidential candidates often experience short-lived highs and lows. Shifts in the electoral narrative, political controversies and (more rarely) debate performances can move the needle in different directions. Third-party candidates, independents/fence sitters, disgruntled ex-party supporters…
Ottawa’s political scene has been relatively tame as of late. It unexpectedly became a bit rambunctious last week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals attempted to engineer their own defeat in Parliament. This occurred after the Conservatives proposed a motion to create a parliamentary committee to investigate pandemic spending and, one assumes, multiple…
Trudeau needs to explain why a possible 9-11 skeptic is his chosen candidate in Toronto Centre
Two federal by-elections, in Toronto Centre and York Centre, will be held on Oct. 26. These are both safe, urban Toronto seats for the Liberal Party and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It would be surprising if the Liberals lost either one or both of them. Even if they did, their minority government wouldn’t come crashing…
Bringing back wonderful memories of laughing, learning and engaging with TV shows that people have gradually forgotten
Most of us have been busy during COVID-19 with work and family. Fortunately, I recently found some spare time to revisit a few TV shows of my youth. The inspiration came from three social media posts crafted by Ed Conroy. He’s a cultural historian who founded Retrontario in 2006 to “celebrate the neglected corners of…
His short battle with COVID-19 could lead to either added sympathy or further frustration
On Oct. 1, the news broke that U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, had tested positive for COVID-19. This was only three days after the first presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden had been conducted. (If that’s what you want to call what happened in front of a televised audience of reportedly…
Presidential debates rarely sway voters, but Biden-Trump will make for an entertaining, if vicious, spectacle
The first U.S. presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be held this evening. Two more debates are scheduled on Oct. 15 and 22. Here are some thoughts on what can we expect to happen tonight: Presidential debates, like any leaders’ debates, lack spontaneity and leave almost nothing to chance. Scripts are created…
Politicians like the late prime minister are sources of inspiration for public service, intelligent discourse and common decency
John Turner, Canada’s 17th prime minister, passed away on Sept. 19 at the age of 91. A lawyer by trade, he had a serious relationship with Princess Margaret and was an Olympic-calibre athlete in track and field. He served as a Liberal MP from 1962 to 1976 in two ridings, St. Lawrence-St. George and Ottawa-Carleton,…
There’s a good chance the global shift from skepticism to possibility about extraterrestrial life is about to extend even further
Is there life on other planets? That question has intrigued man for generations. Most people used to scoff at the suggestion of the existence of UFOs and tales of little green men from Mars (or worse). Societal attitudes have shifted due to our increased fascination with Roswell/UFO sightings, Phoenix Lights, Lubbock Lights, and depictions of…