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Political Activism and the Hero Complex

By on January 26, 2013 in Montreal-1, My life, Social Commentary

As many of you know, I am a teacher at Dawson College in Montreal, Quebec. However, I have not been privy to the negotiations between the college and Hamed Al-Khabaz. I know as much as the general public and my observations here are strictly my own. I’ve been watching with interest this week as events [...]

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Art Review: Donato Damiano at Gallerie Luz

By on January 17, 2013 in Art and other show reviews

I’m starting a new feature. I’m going to be doing some arts reporting for WATS — Where are the shows? – a new Montreal-based website that is looking to provide information on upcoming arts and entertainment events. I’ll be announcing vernissages and reviewing local exhibits. If you know of any gallery openings and would like [...]

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TED, Amanda Todd, and the Politics of Division

By on January 5, 2013 in Social Commentary, Technology

Information Wants To Be Free. Information also wants to be expensive. …That tension will not go away. – Stewart Brand There was an interesting thread on Quora the other day. It was prompted by the question: Why do so many people hate TED? TED of course is the conference franchise that holds yearly global events, [...]

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Response from Diana Ford, daughter of Gustav Spindler

By on January 2, 2013 in My life, Social Commentary

Hello everyone, The response to my latest three-part series, “The Right to die…To Live…and To Choose” has been gratifying. Apparently, there are a lot of concerned people out there, both in Canada and the UK. I’m printing Diana’s letter as a post because I believe the information in it is important. It is written as [...]

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The Right to Choose: Life or Death?

By on December 28, 2012 in My life, Social Commentary

I’ve written two articles now about the right to die and the right to live. The experiences I had taking care of my mother are what inspired me. I’ve also touched on the controversy surrounding the Liverpool Care Pathway. It’s a care-withdrawal protocol used with terminally ill patients in the UK. At the moment, Canada’s [...]

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The Right to Live

By on December 27, 2012 in My life, Social Commentary

Yesterday I wrote about how I signed a DNR order for my mother and then experienced some difficulty getting doctors to respect its reversal. Today I’m going to continue that discussion and take a look at the Liverpool Care Pathway. The LCP is an eponymous care-withdrawal protocol; doctors in the UK use it with terminally [...]

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The Right to Die

By on December 26, 2012 in My life, Social Commentary

As I write this, a very important decision is being made by the Supreme Court of Canada. The court is deciding if doctors should have the right to withdraw care in cases where patients are unlikely to recover. The Right to Die Movement is one that is quite active in Canada, particularly in British Columbia. [...]

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