Monthly Archives: December 2009

A Dismal Decade

As we say farewell to this rather dismal decade, which opened with Millennial celebrations of a New World Order and The End of History, and has been thoroughly disfigured by terrorism, economic stupidity, inept political leadership and untrammeled vulgarity of … Continue reading

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Goodbye to paper, death and faxes

Goodbye, the Zeroes; hello, the Teens. Here’s to three things that are becoming obsolete in 2010: paper, death and the facsimile. I sent my first fax in 1985. I was filing a story from Tokyo, Japan, getting ready to telex … Continue reading

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Put Ottawa on a diet

Ah, Boxing Day. A time to look at the excesses of the past year and begin drawing up some resolutions of the coming one. Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has resolved to make Ottawa trimmer in 2010, which is a … Continue reading

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Detroit: British student in al-Qaeda airline bomb attempt (2)

A Nigerian engineering student at a British university, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, tried to blow up a transatlantic aircraft in a suspected al-Qaeda plot, it is claimed. The 23-year-old attempted to ignite an explosive device strapped to his leg as … Continue reading

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Christmas has its crown again

It’s a mildly encouraging sign of more temperate times that Christmas has taken less of a mauling this year. For a number of years, there was a predictable harvest of news stories featuring a school board, a municipality, some hypersensitive … Continue reading

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World Dec. 26th, 2009 (10)

#1 — BBC | Six Palestinians killed in West Bank, Gaza attacks Israeli troops have killed six Palestinians – three in the Gaza Strip and three in the West Bank. [...] #2 — BBC | Greece votes for big budget … Continue reading

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Canada Dec. 26th, 2009 (10)

#1 — CBC | Graham would go to polls over NB Power deal New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham says he’s ready to fight the next election on his controversial plan to sell NB Power to Hydro-Québec. [...] #2 — CBC … Continue reading

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Storm clouds ahead for America (2)

Just two and a half weeks after he was elected and before he even set foot in the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama was presented with a 120-page report that was supposed to help him to peer into the … Continue reading

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States Seek Bailout to Replenish Empty Jobless Funds (1)

WASHINGTON — With the front line of defense for unemployed Americans crumbling, the jobless are facing potentially reduced benefits, and businesses — possibly higher taxes. So far, 25 states, including California, New York, Texas and Michigan, have run out of … Continue reading

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The Batboat takes on the whalers

Sleek, black and bristling with technology, this stealth yacht is animal conservationists’ latest weapon in their ongoing battle with Japanese whalers. The New Zealand-registered ship called Ady Gil came within 66 feet of colliding with the bow of Japanese harpoon … Continue reading

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Steyn: Why climate change is hot hot hot

According to the CIA’s analysis, “detrimental global climatic change” threatens “the stability of most nations.” And, alas, for a global phenomenon, Canada will be hardest hit. The entire Dominion from the Arctic to the 49th parallel will be under 150 … Continue reading

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Steam train's snow rescue 'glory'

Passengers were rescued by a steam locomotive after modern rail services were brought to a halt by the snowy conditions in south-east England. Trains between Ashford and Dover were suspended on Monday when cold weather disabled the electric rail. Some … Continue reading

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