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A “gangrenous limb” speaks

One-time media tycoon, British Lord and American convict Conrad Black generated controversy recently when the Calgary Public Library Foundation named him the recipient of the Bob Edwards Award. The honour is bestowed annually in the Alberta city on an outspoken Canadian author. Black achieved special notoriety amongst journalists in the city during a bitter strike in 2000 at the Calgary Herald — not least for calling striking journalists “gangrenous limbs.” Black was then chairman of a company called Hollinger, which had accumulated a large number of Canadian newspapers, including the Herald. One of those “gangrenous limbs” was historian, author and Facts and Opinions founding

Brennan remembers Kennedy, Ireland’s murdered king

In June of 1963, when American president John F. Kennedy came “home” to Ireland, Brian Brennan lined up with thousands of his fellow Irishmen on O’Connell Street in the centre of Dublin. They waited for hours to catch a glimpse of a famous descendant of Irish immigrants, to welcome home a long-lost son of Ireland. Finally they were rewarded. “As was the custom in those innocent times, the president rode in an open car through the streets of Dublin, hatless, smiling and waving. When the motorcade passed Nelson’s Pillar, people in the offices above tossed rolls of toilet paper and bus tickets

Book review: A Crowbar in the Buddhist Garden

Joyce Thierry Llewellyn first encountered author and convict Stephen Reid in 1988 when, as a university student, she interviewed him for an academic project. Back then  Reid had been out on parole for just a year, having spent 20 years in jail for robbing banks and prison escapes, during which he featured on the FBI’s most-wanted list. Reid’s 1986 book, Jackrabbit Parole, had been well-received and, writes Thierry Llewellyn, “he was the poster boy for redemption.” Flash forward. Thierry Llewellyn is today a screenwriter, story editor and instructor at the Vancouver Film School. Reid is back in jail, having lapsed, and is still

Promises to aid development are empty

Pledges by “have” countries to help the “have-nots” are almost all talk and no action, new research shows.  Since 2003, when a Washington-based think tank started an index to measure development policies by wealthier countries, “the scores for aid, migration, trade and technology transfer are about the same,” said the Center for Global Development in a report today.  “Rich country policies to support global security are distinctly worse,” said the centre, because international peacekeeping has fallen as arms exports to undemocratic regimes have increased. Only the environmental index showed improvement, because of a reduction in chemical emissions harmful to the

New Liberal leader in Newfoundland

ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland – The Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party elected Dwight Ball as their new leader following an election designed to make it easier for more people to participate. Ball had been interim leader since Yvonne Jones quit to run and win in a federal by-election last year. The sitting member of the house of assembly, from rural Newfoundland, fought off four other candidates, two sitting MHAs, also from rural Newfoundland, and two high-profile business persons from St. John’s. In a broad reaching attempt to open up the party, attract new members and extend the democratic process, the party

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