Harry Shannon
I was looking for information on electric vehicles (EVs). Through our local library, I saw the May 2022 edition of BBC Top Gear magazine. The front page promised ‘THE ELECTRIC AWARDS.’
The table of contents included ‘Reader’s Choice’ and went on: ‘Did you choose your favourite in the poll to end all polls. TG reader…
Britons live miserable lives – even right-wing tabloids acknowledge it …
… although they do so unwittingly and indirectly
Harry Shannon
On March 1, The Guardian published an opinion piece by Gordon Brown, the former UK Prime Minister. It was sad reading. The title was: “First food banks, now bedding banks: in my time in politics, this is the worst poverty I’ve seen.” Brown reported that families that coul…
Israeli apartheid?
Harry Shannon
A few weeks ago, Amnesty International (AI) issued a report that concluded that Israel is guilty of apartheid in its treatment of Palestinians. Of course, the term apartheid is loaded, and you can agree or disagree with AI’s conclusion. Notably, Human Rights Watch and the Israeli NGO B’Tselem have also accused Israel of aparth…
Whose freedom?
Harry Shannon
Unless you've been hiding under the proverbial rock, you'll know about the protests in Canada that are occupying Ottawa after two and a half weeks. The convoy of trucks started in the west of the country and reached Ottawa on Friday January 28. That day, there was an article in the Toronto Star. I wrote a letter to the paper. It's…
Can you trust Wikipedia? It depends when you read it.
Harry Shannon
My wife Eileen and I were watching an English Premier League football (soccer) match the other day. Liverpool were leading Crystal Palace 2-1 late in the game. Palace were pressing hard for a tying goal and looking quite likely to score. But Liverpool managed an attack and were awarded a penalty. (For those who don’t know, a pen…
News Flash: Bank call centre tells truth
Harry Shannon
We’ve all heard it far too many times: “Your call is important to us.” Indeed, that’s the name of a book by Laura Penny. Most, if not all, of us probably view that in the manner of the book’s subtitle, “The truth about bullshit.”
So I was surprised when I phoned the CIBC Visa call centre (CIBC is one of the bigges…
No, I don’t have all the answers
Harry Shannon
My cousin Henry told me about an online talk last week by David Rooney, a British historian. Rooney has just written a book called “About time: A history of civilization in twelve clocks.” The talk was very nicely done; I enjoyed it a lot. Rooney used each clock to illustrate a one-word theme – e.g., order, virtue, empires, …
Evidence-based?
Harry Shannon
This comes from the Hamilton Spectator. The two extracts are shown exactly as they appeared side-by-side in the printed version. No comment needed.
…
Secrecy at City Hall
My latest letter in the Hamilton Spectator
Background
There are two prominent local issues I refer to in the letter. The Red Hill Valley Parkway (controversial from its conception for its impact on the environment) was opened in 2007. A report submitted in 2014 to the City of Hamilton raised concerns about the asphalt surface, particularly i…
A better instrument for fighting antisemitism
Background:
This is my OpEd that the Hamilton Spectator published on April 20. I was responding to an article written by Mike Fegelman, described as Executive Director of HonestReporting Canada, a non-profit organization ensuring fair and accurate Canadian media coverage of Israel. Of course, if you have to describe yourself as honest, …
F…