I am a Canadian writer and blogger, and a former MP. This site reflects my interest in politics, social justice, rhetoric and books. You will see on the sidebar that I write two Blogs which I invite you to follow. I have written or edited eight Books, which I would be delighted to have you read. Some of my Journalism is posted on the site as well. Please check out the selections below to see what I am following and writing in recent days. I refresh this page regularly. You can follow it, but if you prefer to receive an email when I post, please Contact Me and I will add you to the list.
Pre-term babies are dying
Fewer than one in 10 babies born before the 28-week mark survive in low-income countries, compared to nine out of 10 in high-income countries. A new report for the World Health Organization says these preterm births have become the leading cause of child mortality worldwide, responsible for the deaths of over one in five children who die before their fifth birthday. And no gains have been made in reducing premature births in the past decade. The report posits some ideas for what can be done about this.
Obnoxious sports betting ads
Obnoxious sports betting ads
If you are watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, you may, like me, be sick of wall-to-wall ads promoting sports betting. This is a new development, and it is more than annoying. Karl Subban, the father of three NHL players, says it is also destructive, especially to vulnerable young people.
You might ask then why hockey superstars and millionaires like Wayne Gretzky, Connor McDavid and Austen Matthews are appearing in the obnoxious ads. Surely, they don’t need the money.
Poems of the Camino
Suzanne Doerge is a poet and activist who lives in Ottawa. She and her partner walked the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain in 2016. She developed painful problems with her feet, but used her rest time, interspersed with walking, to ponder on the meaning of pilgrimage and life. The result is her book, Footfalls: Poems of the Camino.
Quotable quote
“What we desire for ourselves, we wish for all. To this end, may we take our share in the world’s work and the world’s struggles” -J.S. Woodsworth
Dennis Gruending 