Banishing the Stay at Home Blues
If you judge by the comments of many of my acquaintances, I have the personality of a pea. If you’re a stay at home...
Musical Pollution
Last week I had to take my daughters shopping for bathing suits. We walked into Sears, prepared for a depressing shopping experience, as most...
Retiring from Retirement
A few weeks ago, in a column about people’s pathetic lack of financial planning, I stated that if everybody had a little more forethought...
O Canada, Who are You?
I have been increasingly forlorn as I read about the culture wars erupting in Europe. Unassimilated Muslim youths in France torch cars. Cartoons of...
FAMILY VALUES: Following the Plan
Did you follow The Plan? You know the one; our parents drilled it into us. Get an education, get a job, get married, have...
My Friday Nights
Belinda Stronach is in the news again. Her lack of attention span, as demonstrated in both her political and romantic escapades, has again reared...
Doing a Parent’s Job
I love the Ontario Catholic School Boards. We all owe them a debt of gratitude, whether we’re Catholic or not. They took one look...
A Hard Day’s Work
Over a century ago, Mark Twain summed up the teenage mindset when he quipped: “At 18 I thought my father was an idiot. By...
A Graduation Speech
We are not preparing children well for the real world. Want proof? Here’s Exhibit A, the children’s soccer league in Ottawa, which made headlines...
Wishful Economics 101
Modern economic practice involves a lot of wishful thinking. Many politicians believe that you can spend billions bailing out car companies and auto unions,...
A Teacher or a Jailer?
Earning a high school diploma is key to ensuring one’s future economic well-being. Incomes for people without high school diplomas have been shrinking over...
Teaching Disabilities
When a child in grade three can’t read, we normally assume that child has a learning disability. But is it always the child’s fault?...
Fatherhood
In the recently released movie Knocked Up, professional journalist Alison discovers she is pregnant from a drunken one-night stand with loser Ben. She doesn’t...
Unaccompanied Parents
A few years ago, while flying to Vancouver from Toronto, I had a case of déjà vu. Seated in the row in front of...
Too “busy” for family?
The answer to that age-old question, “How are you?” has traditionally been “I’m fine.” Over the last few years, though, I’ve noticed a new...
