tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380135482012-02-16T06:21:57.391-05:00Page, Stage & RageA place for personal reflection and political/social commentary from Greg "Ritallin" Frankson, a poet/writer based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.comBlogger591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-16561308393328127332011-09-27T09:15:00.001-04:002011-09-27T09:16:01.012-04:00Grieving Through a Disordered MoodI haven't posted for a while because last week I lost someone very important to my life. My aunt passed away after a short battle with liver cancer and I have been struggling a bit with it.
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document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-21425919306160609312011-09-14T15:31:00.001-04:002011-09-14T15:31:49.840-04:00A Brief Break From PS&R Blogging ...I've been very happy about the increased readership for PS&R the last few weeks, so thank you to all the new readers and welcome to the blog! I encourage you to subscribe to it -- simply click on "Follow" on the top menu bar and receive notifications when a posting has been added.
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document.write(unescape("Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-32232516462924811362011-09-12T20:51:00.000-04:002011-09-12T20:51:22.550-04:00The Canadian Winter of Youth UnemploymentIn today's Globe and Mail, Gwyn Morgan argued the most dangerous force in the world is the large number of unemployed youth across the globe. In making his argument, Morgan wrote the main protesters driving the Arab Spring revolts in the Middle East and North Africa are disaffected, jobless young people who live in societies where youth unemployment runs as high as 40 percent.
var gaJsHost = (("Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-44490302432366089812011-09-11T23:20:00.000-04:002011-09-12T01:54:56.555-04:00A Quick Comment on 9/11I've been in transit this weekend and have mostly been off the internet. I haven't seen any television. I have only read a few things in the newspaper, courtesy of my BlackBerry data plan (thanks Fido!). But I'm sure discussion and coverage of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 has been all over the place.
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Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-63200684528309054672011-09-09T22:40:00.000-04:002011-09-09T22:40:49.159-04:00Why Two Years of Teachers' College Is Not Better Than OneThe McGuinty government is proposing the extension of teacher's college from one year to two years in an attempt to look hardcore on education. This election promise is perhaps the dumbest education-related proposal the "Education Premier" has yet come up with since first winning office.
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document.write(Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-14517403885866001442011-09-08T16:15:00.000-04:002011-09-08T16:20:00.934-04:00Vancouver, San Francisco, and International Mental Health
Tomorrow morning I will board an airplane bound for Vancouver. After a weekend of spending time with good friends and reacquainting myself with the west coast, I will attend events related to the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership.
My leadership exchange is in Vancouver,
then I'm off to San Francisco for the main
gathering (source: http://www.iimhl.com)
Roughly every Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-43711152308516476202011-09-06T16:12:00.000-04:002011-09-06T17:55:29.151-04:00Building the Tribe: An Ode to Teachers on the First Day of SchoolIn the crucible that forged us all
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That stood at most three stories Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-55989069346884914352011-09-05T12:11:00.000-04:002011-09-05T12:11:06.153-04:00The Canadian Inferiority Complex, as Expressed Through Hockey by Boogaard, Rypien and BelakThis has been a horrible summer for the National Hockey League. Three of its players known primarily for their pugilistic talents -- Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak -- died over the last few months under circumstances that call into question the continued need for fighting in the NHL. The howls from certain people in the public have grown only louder for rules to be changed to ban Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-50304633239917351382011-09-04T14:46:00.000-04:002011-09-04T18:35:00.078-04:00Whither Labour?Tomorrow is Labour Day, the annual celebration and reflection on the role of workers who, over the decades, have contributed to building Canadian society. I plan to participate in the parade in downtown Toronto. This will be the first time I will participate, even though for most of my adult working life I have been a member of a union.
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-11692073822114156292011-09-03T12:04:00.000-04:002011-09-04T18:44:11.184-04:00The NDP: Aftermath and The Way Forward
I have been thinking of writing a blog post about the passing of Jack Layton for some time now. There were many things I wanted to say about him, but I felt they were being said far more eloquently than I ever could in the actions and the genuine outpouring of grief by everyday Canadians of all political persuasions from coast to coast. From the chalk covering Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto,Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-73689845702074897622011-07-21T14:39:00.000-04:002011-07-21T14:39:42.100-04:00A Reflection on My Twitter Account, McLuhan & the Art (?) of Poetry Slam(as originally posted on my Facebook account)
Today at 11:42 a.m., @TOPoetrySlam tweeted: "Wow, just found out poetry slam as an art form turns 25 on July 30...the same night as our slam at The Drake. Kismet!"
That tweet got me thinking about the art that I have been practicing for the past eight years. You see, though I am heavily identified with the Canadian slam poetry community (likely due Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-43537579649684112142011-06-24T14:09:00.000-04:002011-06-24T14:09:17.962-04:00Bon Fete, Quebec!Today is St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec. Partygoers across the province will celebrate their "national holiday" through parades, commemorative events and social gatherings. This is a big deal to our French Canadian brethren -- this tradition can be traced all the way back to ancient France. The first-ever celebration of the day on Canadian soil was in 1636, during the earliest days of the Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-79502229980630743572011-06-22T11:47:00.003-04:002011-06-22T11:55:00.076-04:00Is There A (Spin) Doctor in the House?Man, these guys are good.
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In the Globe today, the Tories go after Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-29301902488802028822011-05-28T09:20:00.000-04:002011-05-28T09:20:06.032-04:00On Public Subsidies for Political PartiesIn the upcoming federal budget, the newly-minted Conservative majority will initiate the phasing out of public subsidies for political parties.
This move has been coming for some time. Ever since the Tories first tried to do it in 2008, and in the process spurred a crisis that almost cost them government, they have been waiting for the chance to chop the transfers to the opposition parties. Of Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-38925689702879732492011-05-06T11:15:00.005-04:002011-05-06T13:22:43.377-04:00The U of T, or the Usefulness of Thought
Douglas Library, Queen's University
Today I will be travelling to Kingston, Ontario to attend the annual meeting of the Queen's University Council. I was elected to serve a six-year term on the body last year. Unique among the nation's universities, the Council brings together members of the Board of Trustees and the Senate, along with elected alumni representatives, to provide advice and Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-71583638585862437242011-05-06T07:01:00.002-04:002011-05-06T07:01:03.835-04:00Change to the Look of PS&RI decided the site was in need of a refresh, so I flipped up the design and changed a few small aspects of the layout. I hope you like the new look!
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- The Liberal Party must go back to the drawing board and figure themselves out. Whatever they've been peddling since the retirement of Jean Chretien simply hasn't cut it, and with Michael Ignatieff's resignation, they enter yet Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-38830526775908228172011-05-03T09:50:00.002-04:002011-05-03T11:35:49.046-04:00Practical Reasons Why the Bloc is DeadThe Bloc Quebecois is in its final death throes. Here's why:
1. Leadership
Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe went down to defeat in his riding, along with nearly everyone else in his caucus. The disastrous BQ campaign can be attributed to a lack of energy, purpose and cohesion, and the person who has to take the lion's share of the blame is Duceppe. There was no way he could have remained as leader, Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-71019122391203757682011-05-03T01:08:00.000-04:002011-05-03T01:08:32.771-04:00A Quick Comment on Election 2011As the votes continue to be counted, the seat count at this exact moment is 166 Conservatives, 103 NDP, 34 Liberals, 4 Bloc Quebecois and 1 Green Party MP.
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Despite this reality, there are only two results actually possible on May 2, to my mind: a Tory Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-78841030116280246392011-04-29T15:46:00.001-04:002011-04-29T15:48:38.292-04:00And Just to Reiterate ...I was chatting with a friend of mine this afternoon, and the subject of Bob Rae's NDP premiership came up in our election talk. I asked her: how old were you when Bob Rae was elected Ontario premier in October 1990? She said she was four years old.
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document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-1837764749309223732011-04-29T10:58:00.002-04:002011-04-29T11:12:50.821-04:00When Life (or the Liberal Party) Hands You Oranges ...Michael Ignatieff is feeling the squeeze.
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Here's a man who knows his Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-53692685926067651532011-04-28T13:46:00.007-04:002011-04-28T13:57:46.110-04:00The Mercer Effect"If you look at these numbers, that would represent potentially a pretty interesting shift in the balance of power, certainly on the opposition benches. That balance of power is kind of in the hands of the youth vote right now."
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document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-60334726580440868962011-04-27T07:56:00.002-04:002011-04-27T09:16:00.656-04:00The Rae EffectAlright already. I've come to have enough of this foolishness.
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Bob Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-56940417597496088942011-04-26T16:17:00.001-04:002011-04-28T14:03:41.024-04:00The Layton EffectLeave it to the good people of Quebec to figure out how to break the logjam our federal politics had become.
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var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-91903665885004890632011-04-19T14:33:00.001-04:002011-04-19T21:04:45.774-04:00A Minority Report on Stephen HarperToday, John Ibbitson wrote on his blog about Stephen Harper's future after the next election. While trying to convince Canadians that his government will surely be replaced by a "reckless coalition" if the Tories win anything less than a majority mandate, history, parliamentary precedent and common sense argue otherwise.
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-38364709954777744122011-04-05T09:39:00.002-04:002011-04-05T09:44:49.905-04:00Afghan Detainees & The Principle of Public AccountabilityIn the Globe and Mail this morning, columnist Lawrence Martin reminds us of the difficulties Stephen Harper and the Tories may face if the Afghan detainee issue rears its head in the coming weeks.
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document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3ERitallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-26443308600040381372011-04-02T15:08:00.000-04:002011-04-02T15:08:42.539-04:00Whither Quebec, Mr. Harper?At the end of a very weird first week of the election campaign, a few cracks are showing in the Conservative juggernaut. When the election writs were dropped, the general consensus was that the Liberals were way behind, and were perhaps a little deluded for pushing for the fall of the Harper government in the first place. After all, the leader was seen as being something of a dud, the Tories wereRitallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-17950871996318742292011-03-25T15:03:00.001-04:002011-03-25T15:47:38.610-04:00The Coalition: Tory Manna from HeavenSo it's on.
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Prime Minister Stephen Harper has historically been Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-24943745265084932112011-03-09T14:04:00.001-05:002011-03-09T14:13:27.953-05:00What is the True Cost of Government?It now appears the opposition may be maneuvering to bring down the "Harper Government" on ethics before the federal budget is introduced in the House of Commons on March 22. The triple-bill of: allegations of improper conduct against Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, the ongoing issues surrounding Bev Oda and her handling of the CIDA Kairos affair, and the charges from Elections Canada in the "Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-43774686160737707662011-03-04T11:55:00.001-05:002011-03-04T11:59:20.480-05:00In and Out ... of Office?I swear to every thinking person who reads this blog -- the "in and out" scheme the federal Tories used for its national advertising during the 2006 election campaign is going to be the undoing of the Harper government.
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document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-30034565043562863422011-02-11T11:00:00.003-05:002011-02-11T12:29:03.907-05:00On the Kirpan & Canadian MulticulturalismI have been thinking about the best way to respond to the news of Quebec's provincial legislature passing a resolution banning the kirpan from the building. I've shared links on the subject with friends through my Twitter and Facebook accounts, but I also have been dedicating some deeper thinking to the larger issue.
The Globe and Mail published an article today that says we in Canada may be Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-63777511660928694612010-12-27T14:29:00.000-05:002010-12-27T14:29:50.477-05:00Regarding Poetry and Slam in OttawaI am thankful for the work of Ottawa Citizen arts journalist/blogger Peter Simpson. I had a chance to have a conversation with him at the 2010 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, held in Ottawa. He was sitting directly behind me in the second row at Finals Night inside the Dominion-Chalmers United Church. When he wrote about the ten best things he saw all year, he listed the Ottawa Capital Slam Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-66813229709410511942010-09-30T08:03:00.001-04:002010-09-30T08:04:58.062-04:00The Challenge of Organizing Arts Events in Ottawa: The Nomadic Bill Brown
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As much as it pains me to say it, the next edition of Bill Brown's 1-2-3 Slam originally scheduled for Thursday, October 7 may not take place. This is because The Cajun Attic, the venue where the BB123 Collective has been hosting the show for the past year, closed its doors for good Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-21322235104882303162010-09-29T07:17:00.002-04:002010-09-29T07:28:23.581-04:00Why Micheal Ignatieff Should Cheer for Tim HudakThe Ontario government led by Dalton McGuinty is in trouble.
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Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-42554363418542286292008-03-25T22:53:00.002-04:002008-03-25T22:59:38.015-04:00More snow. Yay.I'mvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));As I sit here tapping out this short entry, the skies have opened up and yet more snow is falling to the ground. It's accumulating on the vehicles parked out front. It was gettingRitallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-54029011098501337112008-03-21T08:26:00.004-04:002008-03-21T10:31:31.384-04:00March 21 and the politics of racenliUvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));Unless you've been under a rock in the Rockies listening to rock, you probably know that some dude named Obama (pictured) made a speech about race in the U.S. Democratic primary Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-41979752364136919522008-03-18T15:53:00.002-04:002008-03-18T16:29:56.108-04:00An election is coming -- soonI AmaAvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));Amazingly, my prediction came true.Bob Rae and Martha Hall Findlay are in the House of Commons.And Stéphane Dion's days as leader of the Liberal Party are numbered.There's Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-68957076939757320902008-03-17T14:53:00.004-04:002008-03-17T15:31:03.251-04:00By the by(elections) ...var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();Today, Canadians in four ridings are voting for new Members of Parliament in Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-766825451883507132008-03-13T10:57:00.012-04:002008-03-17T15:30:10.443-04:00The travails of ex-govenor Client 9var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();Since (soon-to-be-former) New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was such an Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-45764415872897498052008-03-12T09:58:00.011-04:002008-03-17T15:29:39.286-04:00Obama needs to hammer Hillaryvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();Barack Obama has lost only two of the last seventeen contests. Unfortunately Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-61162311651427839462008-03-11T12:05:00.009-04:002008-03-17T15:29:04.376-04:00Ethical dilemma: flashing other drivers about speed traps?var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();On my way to making a quick stop-off to purchase a few items this morning, I Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-79420271039639525642008-03-10T12:19:00.010-04:002008-03-17T15:28:32.790-04:00Hillary Clinton: The Big Dreamervar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();The Hillary Clinton campaign has been floating the trial balloon of her as Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-68023019048120418342008-03-09T14:11:00.005-04:002008-03-17T15:27:54.514-04:00A feeling of communityvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();After waking up this morning to 36 fresh centimetres of snow on the ground, Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-5404481442179468592008-03-08T08:28:00.004-05:002008-03-17T15:27:15.691-04:00Snow is getting to mevar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();Okay, so it snowed last night. For those of you who live in Ottawa, snow Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-43036548810870771222008-03-07T13:17:00.004-05:002008-03-17T15:26:36.972-04:00Barrhaven Bluesvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();I attended the public consultation for the new transit plans for the city of Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-66844424770509232622008-03-05T06:43:00.008-05:002008-03-17T15:25:33.865-04:00What's the logic of Obama trouble winning big states in November?var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();Hillary Rodham Clinton won the Rhode Island and Ohio Democratic primaries lastRitallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-52161433574840259462008-03-04T16:16:00.007-05:002008-03-17T15:24:55.542-04:00They vote today, and the Tories watch with bated breath ...var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();Today the voters make their choices in Vermont, Rhode Island, Texas and Ohio Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-26374640286246282182008-03-04T09:39:00.010-05:002008-03-17T15:24:25.954-04:00Politics, Stephen Harper stylevar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3896130-1");pageTracker._initData();pageTracker._trackPageview();Stephen Harper is in a lot of trouble.He refuses to deny that "financial Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-85600315036033073272007-06-01T11:25:00.000-04:002007-06-01T11:36:39.642-04:00Emery makes me proud, but plan that parade for Anaheim, will you?Ottawa is crazy for its Senators.The only problem is that fanatic support for a lost cause has become an annual pastime in Canada's capital.After steamrolling their way through the first three rounds of the playoffs, the Sens are finally playing a team that is actually playing well. Ottawa polished off the inexperienced Pittsburgh Penguins, the tired and spent New Jersey Devils, and the Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-69682253553002151972007-05-31T13:08:00.000-04:002007-05-31T13:13:49.644-04:00Charest is not that smart (and neither am I)This is a reprint of an article I wrote May 26 and posted in the wrong spot. I was wondering why it wasn't coming up when I was searching for it ...So now I'm diving back into the world of political commentary on my blog. And I'm diving back into my blog. It's been a while since I've written in it, and I keep telling myself that I'll write more extensively in it. Let's see if I can keep it going Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-14121005221265499552007-01-09T23:16:00.000-05:002007-01-09T23:42:04.546-05:00The Rigour of WritingSo after a very busy day I finally have the opportunity to sit down and write. This is a habit I want to get into -- setting aside a period of time every Tuesday to write a blog entry and practice my craft, while offering something to the world to take in and think about.But you know, the lives we lead sometimes get in the way of doing what we want to do. And the necessity to do the things we Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-74670111096587939262007-01-02T09:41:00.000-05:002007-01-02T13:39:12.586-05:00New YearsAs the second day of 2007 proceeds at the same pace as every day before it, now seems as good a time as any to reflect on time.It's funny because time is partially a construct and partially a crutch. Though clearly we move from one moment to another, the creation of seconds, minutes and hours was made somewhat arbitrarily. The decision that there would be twenty-four hours in a day isn't based onRitallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-1167147246628933522006-12-26T10:09:00.000-05:002007-01-02T13:35:44.165-05:00Shadowboxing with Boxing DayChristmas has passed and many of you will go out today to partake in that great capitalist hoarding known as Boxing Day. Starting today and continuing for the rest of this week, most large retailers will mark down their wares in the hopes of sucking out whatever dollars might be left in the pockets of shoppers everywhere. With the crush to get everything they could for everyone on their ChristmasRitallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-1166587771540578522006-12-19T18:32:00.000-05:002006-12-19T23:09:31.576-05:00Some thoughts a week before Christmas ...It snowed today in Ottawa for the first time in weeks. The snow lasted about four hours. Remember as kids that when the week before Christmas rolled around, you already had cracks worn into your boots from the ice, snow and cold? ...If Ottawa-Gatineau is the fourth-largest urban area in Canada, why is it so bloomin' impossible for municipal Capital politicians to do the right thing -- build a Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38013548.post-1165966386684394022006-12-12T18:22:00.000-05:002006-12-12T18:33:06.693-05:00A new beginning ...Hello everyone! Here is a new place for me to write out my thoughts and share my opinions with the world.For those who don't know, I am Greg Frankson, a.k.a. spoken word artist Ritallin. I am based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and I am a columnist for the Black community newspaper The Spectrum. I also have a bi-weekly arts and entertainment column in City Journal, Ottawa's urban newsweekly. I am a Ritallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333593445878896320noreply@blogger.com0