Author: Joseph

Business, Global Politics

Does this look infected to you (redux)?

I wrote this article on LinkedIN, and although I started it last March (and subsequently forgot about it), it has taken on a new meaning in recent months. It’s largely about how diversity is important in running a business, but it is no less true of governments… Everything from someone’s race, religion, country of birth, …

Business, Global Politics

Oil Oil Everywhere, and not a Barrel to Burn

Oil Wells Burning

There has been a lot of hand-wringing over the recent crash in crude oil prices. Ironically, both environmentalists who want people to stop buying oil and many of the producers who need people to buy more are both challenged by the current price point. To be honest, I couldn’t give a tinker’s damn about the …

Literature, Music

NYE Resolution Update 1: January

Lucky Chops

As I mentioned in my very recent post, I’ve committed to reading a new book and buying a new album each month. Why am I doing this? I want to hold on to what limited brain plasticity I have, and this seems like a good way to do it. So, January is wrapping up and …

Personal

New Years Resolutions, the easy way

Every year I set a few New Years resolutions that are both achievable and usually more ‘administrative’ than personal. This year is no exception, however I’ve also committed myself to a couple of more leisurely ones. Now, as most of you know, I’ve been an old man since long before I was even a young …

Toronto Politics

The Man Who Said Too Little

Ok, I need to make a confession. There was once a time where I would say without too much reservation that, “I would be comfortable voting for John Tory as Mayor of Toronto.” I won’t specify how long ago that time was, but it was well before his campaign officially got under way. Back then …

Global Politics

Crimea and Misdemeanours

Bad puns aside, the recent intrigue in Crimea has been responsible for more nonsensical political blustering than any single international incident in the past decade. It has been a curious exercise to sit back and watch everyone work themselves up and deliver half-baked analyses based on laughably outdated assumptions. Please note that all of my …

Canadian Politics

Oh yeah, torture…

I’m not sure why this wasn’t more of a story during the election, but the Afghan Detainee issue has once again made the papers. Afghanistan’s internal security service and police use torture and other abusive methods to extract confessions from suspected insurgents held in a number of detention centres around the country, according to a …