A work by Vancouver-based writer and political cartoonist Geoff Olson. His work has appeared in The Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, Adbusters, The National Post, This Magazine, The Vancouver Courier, Common […]
Norm Farrell
Gwen and I raised three adult children in North Vancouver. Each lives in this community, as do our seven grandchildren. Before retirement, I worked in accounting and small business management. Since 2009, I have published commentary about public issues at IN-SIGHTS.CA.
Public land with full access now privatized
Liberals have been bulldozing barriers and slashing red tape for more than a decade. Who can forget: “Red Tape Reduction Task Force” of 2001 to recommend priorities for the elimination of regulations […]
Bob Mackin’s tasseography
“Could the fumbling of the renaming of B.C. Place be the undoing for Clark? “The shocking resignation of Peter Brown from the board of the B.C. Pavilion Corporation could be the beginning […]
VIHA CEO Howard Waldner in the news again
After Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times about the affluent exercising self-interest to make gains over the rest of us, Pamela Fayerman published a local illustration in the Times Colonist. […]
From the ‘Rules Don’t Apply to Us’ department
REPLAY, first published Nov. 28, 2011 According to Finance Minister Kevin Falcon’s first quarterly report for the current year, As well, the fiscal plan assumes the current public sector compensation negotiating mandate […]
Believing stuff about equal opportunity
Nobel winning American economist Paul Krugman, Professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton, writes frequently for the New York Times. This week, he offers Ignorance Is Strength, a timely piece that may […]
A No Era for British Columbia
The British Columbia Liberals promised a number of things when they aimed to form government in 2001. This is from page three of their 36-page campaign document A New Era for British […]
Dishonourable and unscrupulous – but consistent
Currently, the internet is alive with discussion of public education in British Columbia and I’ve gathered a few elements from different sites to create a composite of opinions that reflect my view […]
Adventures in not net zero land
Unprecedented readership of this article first posted March 4 causes me to bring it back to the top. I encourage people among the thousands of new readers to return and look through […]
A very good year, for a few
The Rich Get Richer: 2010 Was a Very Good Year to Be in the 1%, Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic “This recovery has been a luxury item. For the bottom […]
Requiescat in pace
Today in British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly, Leonard Krog, Opposition Critic For The Attorney General, said this: I rise today to ask the House to pay its respects to the passing of one […]
What do YOU want from education?
A young woman, for whom I have unlimited regard, sent this message to me. She is a very experienced school teacher with a Masters degree in education. She knows more about teaching […]
Vancouver Sun – shilling for dollars
REPLAY: First published Jan 2, 2012 Gordon Hoekstra and Postmedia’s Vancouver Sun present another episode in the ongoing series, Shilling for Corporate Canada: Enbridge is a Canadian success story: “Patrick Daniel, its […]
Elsewhere, the world of news reporting evolves
Guardian open journalism: Three Little Pigs advert – video “This advert for the Guardian’s open journalism, screened for the first time on 29 February 2012, imagines how we might cover the story […]
Calling a spade a spade
CBC Legislative Bureau Chief Stephen Smart reports fully and fairly when his wife’s employer deserves to be in the news. Well, at least that is what CBC says. As intelligent skeptics, we […]
Rivers: "Run of" or "Ruin of" – a choice
Message from Gwen Barlee, one of this province’s most honourable preservationists: “The Kokish is a wild river on Vancouver Island that is home to Dolly Varden, cutthroat trout, 5 species of wild […]
CPC: Deceivers, deluders, dissimulators
“Losers lose, winners win, cheaters cheat, and sinners sin; Dreamers dream, cryers cry, fools believe, and Liars Lie.” Conservative MPs used U.S.-based telemarketers, Greg Weston, CBC News The prime minister and his […]
Neighbours should help neighbors
MSNBC reported on U.S. gas prices Sunday morning, discussing, “a growing fear among Americans that gas could soon reach $5 per gallon.” My first thought was perhaps we can help our friends […]
Harper’s now in a hurry
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” ~ Winston Churchill Harper denies Conservative link to fraudulent election ‘robocalls‘, […]
BC Liberals reward friends
When Kevin Falcon presented his budget, corporate media cheerleaders turned immediately to the reliables for comment — people like John Winter (BC Chamber of Commerce), Jock Finlayson (BC Business Council) and Phil […]
in-sights.ca 
Historians have not been kind to elites who opposed scientific innovation. For centuries Belief among guardians of executive authority rarely…