Making sense out of public opinion polling nonsense

Nobody asked me. But among those 605 Nova Scotians who are not me but who were asked in a Narrative Research telephone survey conducted between November 2 and November 28, 2002 — it apparently takes a long time these days to find 605 people who still have phones and will not only pick up their […]

Anyone but me. The crypto blame game plays on

“There’s a sucker born every minute.” — Phineas Taylor BarnumThe Prince of Humbugs I confess I don’t understand cryptocurrency. That’s not entirely true. When I was working with Jennifer Robertson to help write her 2022 memoir, Bitcoin Widow, I wasted far more hours than I will ever see again trying to understand this odd, ethereal, […]

Internal RCMP report raises questions about officers’ actions — but SIRT too

Last week’s seemingly out-of-sync release of an internal RCMP report into the shooting at the Onslow Firehall during April 2020’s mass shooting raises troubling questions. Some are more easily and satisfactorily answered than others. Let’s start with what happened on April 19, 2020, shortly after 10:20 a.m. outside the firehall located about 35 kilometres from […]

Union-chief spat just the tip of the troubles at Halifax Regional Police

“I have confidence in Chief Daniel Kinsella’s ability to lead the Halifax Regional Police…” Yes: 3.4 percent. No: 96.6 percent of the 83.7 percent of the Halifax Regional Police Association’s more than 600 members who voted in a recent union-organized poll answered “an overwhelming” no to the statement. No matter how you count, that’s a […]

Did the Mounties charge Lisa Banfield to distract from their own failures? Probably

There are still too many unanswered questions about what prompted the RCMP to charge Lisa Banfield, the common-law spouse of the Nova Scotia mass killer, for supplying him with ammunition a month before the deadly rampage. That’s one reason why Banfield’s decision to sue the federal and provincial governments for “malicious prosecution” — she says […]

The new Tim Houston sounds like the old Stephen McNeil

When Tim Houston was first elected premier, says our columnist, his willingness to acknowledge mistakes was refreshing. Today, it’s, ‘Who me? I don’t make mistakes.’ Absolute power may — or may not — corrupt absolutely, but it sure works its dark magic swiftly. Exhibit A for the prosecution: Timothy Jerome Houston. Almost exactly a year ago, […]

What if Monday disappeared and no one noticed?

The Chronicle Herald has announced it will no longer publish a Monday print newspaper. The “saddest truth,” notes our columnist, is how little that decision seems to matter anymore. The saddest truth about last week’s announcement that Saltwire (née the Chronicle Herald) had decided to stop publishing its Halifax Monday print edition (and those of […]

Waiting for your telco to really fix what ails our telecommunications system?

Don’t hold your breath. The telcos only care about profit, the CRTC only cares about the telcos and Ottawa only cares about sounding like it cares. “TV Providers Ask Regulator to Raise Basic Cable Cost by 12%” September 28, 2022 It was not a good public relations moment for Canada’s telecommunications companies. It was Wednesday, […]

Tim Houston is ‘absolutely disappointed’ with the Yarmouth ferry

The question is what will he do with his — and our — disappointment? I certainly am absolutely disappointed with the numbers. Nova Scotians have invested a significant amount in an operation over the last number of years and I think every Nova Scotian should be disappointed with the uptake on the service… I think […]

Prologue

From What Lies Across the Water: The Real Story of the Cuban Five by Stephen Kimber. Published by Fernwood Publishing, 2013. This is both a tribute and a thank you to Alejandro Trelles, the Cuban guide who introduced me to the story of the Cuban Five. I will be forever grateful. Alejandro died on August […]