The Vancouver Sun is actively campaigning for BC Liberals. That may not be new but this week they plumbed new depths in presenting false news to readers. As recipient of countless millions […]
Vancouver Sun shames itself and journalism
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.
Canada has loosest corruption laws of any developed nation, by design
In June of 2009, I posted A country of ugly Canadians? examining a few ideas of Ottawa law Professor Amir Attaran. His statements about Canada’s tolerance of corruption need re-emphasis in the light of the BC […]
Basi & Virk: house arrest (except absences for work, family and recreation)
This criminal paid his own legal costs: Steve Ellis, former immigration adjudicator, stood impassively in court [July 29/10] as a judge sent him to jail for 18 months. Ellis, 51, was found […]
Friends take care of friends
Ian Reid, writing in Why the BC Rail deal sucks. And why you should care: . . . The defence won the closed door argument about admissibility. The Special Prosecutor lost. That […]
What happened to ministerial accountability?
Ministerial responsibility is the notional idea that a minister takes the blame if something goes wrong in his department, even if it is not his fault. Even BC Liberals can no longer […]
Questions – An Open Letter to Bill Good, CKNW
from G to good@cknw.com date Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 9:32 AM subject Public Inquiry Basi/Virk mailed-by telus.net hide details 9:32 AM (1 hour ago) Bill, In the first half hour of your […]
He’s back . . . and almost ready for business
Well, now I understand what Thorstein Veblen meant when he wrote that serious research makes two questions grow where only one grew before. Gwen and I returned yesterday from 5 weeks traveling […]
Disgrace rooted in greed
No person acquainted with the young Gordon Campbell is surprised that his political career is ending in disgrace rooted in greed. Without a patriarch, the Campbell family struggled, not in abject poverty, […]
Ferry service in Bolivia
If you get frustrated waiting for a ferry ride in British Columbia, take a look at the service we used in 2010 for a short crossing of the Strait of Tiquina on Lake Titicaca in the Andes between Bolivia and Peru.
The blossom and the fading flower
Land of opportunities, or land of entitlements?
Paul Willcocks again writes a piece that should outrage each one of us. Yet, how can we be surprised? It was probably just a sideshow in terms of the B.C. Rail trial. […]
Dying in increments, okay with that…
The article about Roger Ebert repeated here was first published in 2010. It came to mind when I was reading through old emails exchanged with an acquaintance who was facing a serious life challenge. None of us know how we will respond when facing the final threat to survival. Ebert was only 70 years old when he died in 2013. Despite years of serious illness, he was able to keep his life meaningful until the end.
A land where people care for each other
Piling on
From Michael Smyth in The Province: Colin Hansen revealed to reporters this week that the government spent $780,000 on pro-HST brochures that will now be fed into a paper shredder instead of […]
Porn for old folks
Tony Bourdain, exuding uncontrived deference atypical of New Yorkers, shared a table with Korean-American food superstar David Chang. They were at Chang’s momofuku ssam bar, one of the most in-demand pleasure houses in Gotham. […]
An HST scenario
Georgia Straight’s Charlie Smith poses the possibility that Colin Hansen was excluded from HST decision making and unaware the Premier had set the policy in motion through Graham Whitmarsh, Campbell’s 2009 appointee as […]
Another uncensored briefing for citizens
Doing political analysis, Rafe Mair swings a hammer. Paul Willcocks, on the other hand, prefers a scalpel. His blog Thursday at Paying Attention, HST saga gets still worse for the Liberals, quietly […]
HST was not on Hansen’s radar, it was on his desk!
Rafe Mair has a voice that makes higher purpose people nervous because he articulates uncomfortable truths with brutal honesty and little regard for the comfort of former friends. His experience as a […]
Still smokin’
I did write earlier that my hiatus might be interrupted if the good ship BC Liberal, foundering in the sea of inveracity, appeared finally ready to go under with all hands aboard. […]
Would an inquiry tell us things we don’t wish to hear?
I think – or maybe hope – Vancouver Police leadership, taking an uncommon path, is trying to be forthright in its public dealing. Improvement in training and supervision is still needed as proved by […]
in-sights.ca 
Given his track record with promises to end homelessness, it would be understandable if Canada's current Minister of Housing and…