Book recommendations for a November Saturday

Since I found out that the Library carries audiobooks that can loaded onto my iPod, I have been listening to lots of them lately. There never seems to be enough time to read everything that catches my fancy so choosing to listen to some while walking Energetic the labradoodle or riding in to work is a good alternative. Sometimes it is for guilty pleasures (e.g.: Grisham - The Associate was disappointing) but quite often the list includes serious books. This include Blink, Outliers and A Brief History Of Time (Rather than re-read it).

Which brings me to the recommendations. We currently live under a government determined to remake Canada overtly or by stealth. Part of Harper's dream is an absolute free market system. Laissez faire capitalism was the prevailing economic belief during the Gilded Age and led to the Great Depression. I would like to mention two books that remind me of what we have to be on guard against.

The first is The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. At the time of it's initial publication it was primarily popular for the expose of poor packing practices. But it is also relevant for the picture it paints of the immigrants forced to work under appalling conditions.

The second is Down And Out In Paris And London by George Orwell. It gives one an idea of what it would be like through a recession with all government supports taken away.

Now you have something to do today.

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If you don't like it, grow a backbone

More whining from The Jellyfish Media. This time it is the photojournalists. But I suspect they are more concerned that this will result in their rice bowl being broken than distasteful image manipulation by the PMO. Ignore the ones sent by the PMO and run ones in which he looks dorky. Should be easy enough to shoot those.Recommend this Post

Mike Duffy, Harper's picador

In a very rare occasion, The Dean of The Harper Hagiographers lays out a slight and tangential criticism of Mr. Angry (MEIB):

Congratulations Senator Mike Duffy, you've finally done it.

With his wild rant on a CBC national politics show this week, the television icon has accomplished the difficult feat of offending all those in his parliamentary orbit -- his former journalistic occupation, the Conservative party, senators, MPs and even the prime minister who appointed him.

Anyone who thinks Harper was offended by this or any of Duffy's other antics is unaware of the reason for his appointment. Mike Duffy has done nothing but discredit the Senate. That is the whole point. As with the manufactured tiff with the Governor General, the aim is to wear away at the institutions of Canada. To lower them in the eyes of the public so that there is less resistance to the abolition of the state.

In this way, Duffy is like a picador, stabbing at the Senate, weakening it so that Harper the Matador (I wouldn't be surprised if he dresses up for the part in the privacy of 24 Sussex) can deliver the coup de grace.

Those who love Canada are offended by Duffy. I doubt this is the case with Harper.

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Mike Duffy was an excellent appointment to the Senate

He perfectly encapsulates Harper and the Conservatives.Recommend this Post

Our Jellyfish media

A long time ago when Extreme and Occasional were babies, Eternal and I read the Barbara Coloroso book "Kids are worth it" A key takeaway was the three parenting types: A Brick Wall, A Jellyfish and The Oak Tree. I would like to focus on The Jellyfish (MEIB)

...But sometimes, despite our best intentions, we handle things in a way that may not have the desired outcome.

It seems there are many parents who let their children do what they want, buy them most every thing they ask for, and let them get by without any household responsibilities. The children may enjoy having parents that remind us a little of a jellyfish: parents who say no, but will give in with a little begging and pushing. These parents say, "don't do that", but do not give the child any consequences should he or she "do it" anyway. They have no firm boundaries or guidelines, causing the children to continue pushing the limits just to see what the "real" limit is.

This type of parenting may work without any serious consequences until the children become teenagers. As teens, the children often begin pushing limits in harmful ways, such as smoking, driving too fast, staying out past curfew, and having sex. If parents try to establish firmer control at this point by setting limits and consequences, the teen will likely become defiant, resulting in a stormy teen/parent relationship. The parents may wonder what they did wrong; after all, they have been good parents, giving their child everything.

No why I am referring to this on a political blog? This is why. The media enables this behaviour by these contemptible Conservatives. And just like a jellyfish parent, they get angry but then relent and let petulant Peter Van Loan and other Ministers ignore reasonable questions. A great example was Robert Fife during the last election campaign. He was pig biting made when the RCMP blocked access to Harper at a photo-op but soon forgot all about it and resumed cheerleading for Mr. Angry.

They have no one to blame but themselves. Regardless of the party, if a politician shows this kind of contempt for the public's right to know the answer to a reasonable direct question, rip him a new one and keep ripping till he does.

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