Curley Cues Index

Author: Dennis

  • Are Exported Emissions Really So Bad?

    On June 20th, CBC News featured a story on what they called Canada’s exported emissions. The gist of the story is captured nicely in the first sentence of their story – “While Canada claims to be a climate leader, the oil and gas we export to other countries have the potential to produce more emissions…

  • De-Bunking Anti-Vax Myths

    In my first article on vaccination, I tried to convince you that a population-wide adoption of vaccinations is the best shield we have against a number of dangerous diseases. In the second, I showed that while there are a number of somewhat rational excuses for not getting vaccinated, (or more importantly getting your child vaccinated),…

  • Anti-Vax Ideas – Rational but Wrong

    I have tried to convince you that data shows that vaccines work, and that maintaining a whole-population vaccine coverage shield protects us all. It follows that those who actively oppose vaccination – anti-vaxxers – are in fact sabotaging the public health programs that are designed to protect their own children…and yours. So, why would people…

  • Refusing Measles Vaccine Is A Rash Decision

    If, like me, you were a child in the late 50’s, you were probably not terribly concerned by the recent stories about an uptick in measles cases in Canada and other rich-world countries. Health Canada reports that as of May 4th, there have been 75 reported cases of measles in Canada this year. There were…

  • Student Protestors – Emotion vs Rationale

    Prompted by the recent student demonstrations against Israel, I re-read the article I wrote on October 27th, just three weeks after Hamas let slip the dogs of war. Rarely have I felt as prescient as I did upon reading what I wrote in October. It’s probably self-congratulatory, but allow me to quote from my own…

  • Maple Leaf Problems with Defence

    No, this is not an article about hockey. That was just a teaser to suck in readers who thought they were going to see a life-long Leafs fan losing his mind about the fact that they can’t ever seem to protect a lead and close a game out. Sorry gang, not happening. Instead, this article…

  • Stop this Carbon Tax BS Already!

    It is March 31st today as I start writing this. I still have a lot of reading to do before I finish it. I fearlessly predict that before I finish this, April 1st will have come and gone and we will all have survived the increase in the carbon tax which will add 3 or 4 cents…

  • Sport Irritations

    I like watching sports on TV, and I do it a lot. But although I love my sports shows, there are a number of things that irritate me.  Mostly when I write my articles, I spend a fair bit of time on them doing enough research to feel I can justify why I adopted whatever…

  • Fusion or Fission – Pick a Horse

    In 1920, physicist Arthur Eddington proposed the basis for nuclear fusion power. Referring to the energy contained in nuclear reactions, he said “we sometimes dream that man will one day learn how to release it and use it for his service. The store is well nigh inexhaustible, if only it could be tapped.” In 1955…

  • Resist That Click Bait

    Every now and then my friends like to wind me up by sending me a provocative bit of right-wing propaganda. It’s like chumming the waters for fish – they just chuck it out there and then watch the fish rising to the bait. One of my golfing buddies sent me a document recently. And in…

  • To Infinity and Beyond! …Well Maybe Not

    A couple of weeks ago I saw a tv news report on a launch of a space probe of some sort – I forget which one it was. At the end of the news item, the anchor closed with the cheerful statement that it was one more step in gaining the expertise “we are going…

  • The Future for Hydrogen Powered EVs

    The vehicle pictured above is the $2M+, 2000 hp, 1000 mile range Hyperion XP1 sports car. It has absolutely no relevance to this article or to average Canadians except to offer visual proof that exciting things are starting to happen in the world of hydrogen powered electric vehicles. Ok, so back to reality for average…

  • The UN – Missing In Action

    The United Nations – It Kinda Works (cartoon movement.com) I told you back in October that the mess in Gaza was going to be ugly. I told you so! It is brutal stuff to watch. And it could be stopped if only the UN had the impact on world affairs that we always thought it…

  • Ukraine, We’re Behind You – Waaaay Behind You.

    (Great cartoon by Graeme MacKay harpoons both Trudeau and Polievre) Hamilton Spectator When Russia invaded Ukraine, there was great concern that this was the opening phase of World War 3 and that it had potential to become a nuclear war. Vladimir Putin played on those fears immediately after the invasion with his assurance that that…

  • Why Christian Heritage Month is a Bad Idea

    Image from Brampton Christian Heritage Facebook page On December 5th, CBC news reported that Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu had introduced Bill C-369 which simply proposes that, since the country is approximately 50% Christian and since December is an important month in the Christian calendar of feasts, we should designate December as Christian Heritage Month across…

  • Elon Musk – Locomotive, or Train Wreck?

    What do you think of Elon Musk? I see him as  a compelling figure in today’s world, but,  like many of his billionaire caste, he appears to be both brilliant and deeply flawed. His fortune goes up and down depending on the latest quoted value of various stocks that he owns. In November of 2021, he was…

  • The Wrong Place for God

    Way back in March of 2022, I wrote an article advocating for secularism in government. Quoting from my own works might be rather egotistic, but here’s a little of what I said then: “I think if people only did things for which they could articulate a rational and morally defensible reason, we’d all be better…

  • Will Israel Survive?

    (Photo from Associated Press – bombardment in Gaza) October 7, 2023 is a date that will live in infamy. Killers from Hamas crossed borders from Gaza into Israel and attacked defenceless civilians, murdering over 1400 people, and taking some 225 people hostage. The attack wasn’t anticipated by Israeli intelligence or police services, and carnage ensued.…

  • The Changing Shape of Conservatism

    What is a conservative in Canada? There was a time when I would have answered that question in economic, financial terms, and I think many others might have agreed with that. Conservatives are wary of increasing the Federal debt, and insistent on prudently balancing the budget. My father used to inveigh against “spending our children’s…

  • Fair Competition – How and Why?

    My article on the need for a good balance between fair competition and inclusivity for the LGBTQ community has raised a question about the need for fair competition. Why, I was asked? Why is fair competition important? Is it good for us? Is it good for our kids? The questions were posed by a parent…