SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 2:28PM

Mother love

My 20-month-old daughter ran into a door frame the other night. Forehead first and hard. The screaming gave proof that at least she hadn’t knocked herself out. But the instantaneous appearance of a massive hard bump and angry looking bruise sent a bolt of mortal terror into my heart. The worst… Read full post »

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2011 11:24AM

Wikileaks: China says U.S. suppresses price of gold

From the latest Wikileaks document dump, US embassy cable – 09BEIJING1134:

“According to China’s National Foreign Exchanges Administration China ‘s gold reserves have recently increased. Currently, the majority of its gold reserves have been located in the U.S. and European co

… Read full post »
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SEPTEMBER 2, 2011 10:43PM

Libyan rebels save the US dollar

 

Maybe you saw yesterday's news about £140 million (US$234 million) of  freshly printed currency - paper, fiat currency - being flown bythe Royal Air Force from England to Libya. Another US$1.5 billion will arrive by sea next week.

You may… Read full post »

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Editor’s Pick
SEPTEMBER 2, 2011 12:15AM

Are British conservatives coming to their senses?

In the wake of the London riots, there were no shortage of ”I told you so” editorials aimed at the Left. “You see what the nanny state and the destruction of traditional values has wrought?” Leftie fingers pointed back. “This is what you get… Read full post »

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AUGUST 23, 2011 11:06PM

Chavez and the price of gold

Hugo Chavez’s decision to repatriate Venezuela’s gold reserves may be the most underreported story of the summer. I’ve been wanting to write about it for days, but dealing with a cranky toddler in the throes of the 18-month sleep regression and overripe bananas on the kit

… Read full post »
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AUGUST 22, 2011 10:50PM

Courage my friends

Jack Layton achieved what no one else before him did. This spring he led Canada’s New Democratic Party to Official Opposition status, wresting Stornoway out of the  hands of the Liberals and Conservatives for the first time in the nation’s 144-year history and made 24 Suss

… Read full post »
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AUGUST 20, 2011 11:23PM

The aliens are coming!

So, Paul Krugman this week suggested, apparently in all seriousness, that the United States government stage an alien invasion to whip up support for new fiscal stimulus thereby ending the recession in 18 months. Meanwhile, a scientist affiliated with NASA released a report suggesting… Read full post »

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AUGUST 20, 2011 10:10PM

End times

See this week’s cover of TIME Magazine? I guess pointing the finger at Europe when your own house is not in order is only to be expected. Or perhaps the small print refers to the United States? Who else outside of Europe carries the mantle of leadership for the West? Canada-Austr… Read full post »

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JULY 23, 2011 9:10PM

The Van Dusens of New Amsterdam

Fascinating family history from today's NYT:

"As with the Old Testament patriarch who gave birth to a nation, it all began with Abraham, whose forebears were from the town of Duersen in northern Brabant. Known in official documents as “Abraham the miller,” or “Abraham Pietersze… Read full post »

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JULY 18, 2011 12:40PM

But we're English, aren't we?

Like most Canadians (and Americans) I grew up knowing that 'we' came from somewhere else. 'We' would be my grandparents' parents. 'Somewhere else' would be England. Or maybe Scotland. Somewhere where they spoke English anyway.

How ironic then that the branch of my family tree easiest to trace turns… Read full post »

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JULY 14, 2011 1:53PM

October 17, 1749

On this day, the first of my ancestors to set foot in the New World arrived aboard the ship Fane at Philadelphia. It's where my story, as far back as I can reliably trace, begins.

Arndt Althaus, my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, was 29 years old. Upon disembarking, as a forei… Read full post »

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JULY 6, 2011 10:35PM

Picking up where I left off in 2005

Soon.

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