I was feeling rather brain-dead one afternoon last week, (editing will do that to you) and I opened Facebook, hoping for some mindless entertainment. Actually, many of my Facebook friends are quite intelligent, and perhaps I was hoping someone would stimulate me out of my somnolesence. However, the first post that caught my lame…
Month: October 2017
Social Commentary
A is for Arrogance
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
Once again the news is full of the story of a politician who thinks the rules don’t apply to him. Literally. Every politician elected to Parliament is expected to put his business in a blind trust, in at least an attempt to keep conflict of interest to a minimum. But not Bill Morneau, who…
Social Commentary
Adam Gopnik: the Outsider on Tribalism
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
Perhaps I’m falling prey to confirmation bias (When our beliefs are challenged by some of the facts, we emphasize the value of the data that support our belief, and ignore data that disagree.) but I was riveted by writer Adam Gopnik’s interview on CBC last week. Human psychological aberrations aside, it’s very pleasant for me…
Social Commentary
Thoughts on Peru
by renaissanceadmin • • 1 Comment
Before you visit any foreign country, it is a good idea to check out its history. And I don’t mean the Ancient Incas. More likely the Shining Path. Tourists are often the last to realize the political realities in Third World countries, but sometimes the first to find out when it all boils over. My…
Politics, Social Commentary
Tax Breaks, Loopholes, and Outright Fraud
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
I was talking to a friend of mine lately, someone who is not a big fan of government, and his opinion on tax breaks and loopholes was this: “Taxation is a way of raising money for the services we need.” I don’t think anyone will disagree with that. Well, anyone except anarcho-capitalists, the most rampant…