The Constant of Change on James Street North
With Dave Kuruc's Mixed Media moving to Westdale, Joey sits on a street patio and writes his musing on the changing James Street North....
Kathleen Wynne is Saving the Liberal Party Itself by Electing a NDP Majority
Do not miss the chess pieces for the checkers board. Kathleen Wynne is sacrificing the Ontario Liberal Party of today to save it's future....
The Undesirables
I attended a public meeting tonight on the John/Rebecca Park, I said silent when one person expressed that they wanted the City of Hamilton to install gates on the park to keep out the homeless and prevent people from sleeping in the park. They referred to the gates at the Ferguson and King "Ferguson Station" park as being very effective at keeping out the "undesirables". I sat there, waiting for someone to say something. This was an official City of Hamilton meeting, two City staff were leading the discussion, Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr was the official host of the meeting. Nothing. I served my term on the Beasley Neighbourhood Association executive and am no...
Statement on End of Canadian Association of Journalists Directors Election
Thank you to everyone who voted for me in my nomination to be a director of the Canadian Association of Journalists; I congratulate Karyn Pugliese, Dale Bass, and Zane Schwartz on their election as National Directors, and thank fellow candidates Ken Partridge and Brent Jolly on standing for election alongside me. The results were closer for third place, and the final seat than what I expected. I gained 25 votes, just short of the the 31 votes for third place. In the coming year, I'll make The Public Record sustainable and become more involved in advancing journalism nationally. I hope to run for National Director in 2019....
Officially Done My Term on the Beasley NA Executive
Thank you to everyone who allowed me the privilege of serving our neighbourhood as the Minor Variances Coordinator for the past year. I remain a member of the BNA, and will be available to assist our new executive as a neighbour. UPDATE: I missed the first portion of the meeting (due to City Council being at the same time), and learned a few days later the membership voted to postpone our AGM until November seeking continuity during the upcoming municipal election. Other members, aware that I wished to leave the executive at the end of my one year term, moved that the association accept my "resignation". So, on a technically, I've "resigned"....
Gresham College Lecture on Military Hazing and How Military Training Has Changed Since 1914
An interesting academic discussion of why hazing continues to exist within militaries, despite efforts and regulations designed to remove this rituals among modern Western professional armed forces....
Defining East and Central Hamilton: One Conversation
In my 2015 column looking at localisms I tried to define the boundary between Central and East Hamilton; stating that I look at the boundary as being a cultural marker....
Thoughts on Facebook's Local News Initiative from a Local Independent Journalist
We don't need to grovel in front of Facebook asking them to do fix our problems. We need to double our efforts to build local news that our neighbours read and value funding....
8°C - As a Kid, I Defined It As Being Cold
Each time I see a forecast high of 8°C, I'm drawn back to a childhood memory of defining that as being cold. Why? Association. I was eight years of age, just learning about temperatures, and reading the newspaper. It was the beginning of a short obsession with weather. It was a typical fall day, sunny with a bit of wind. I lived in the Lisgar neighbourhood at the time. Playing outside on Lockheed Drive, for some reason, probably a gust of wind, I felt really cold, and decided I was going back inside. To this day, I continue to have the image of the house I was looking at during that moment....
My Beasley Neighbourhood Association Involvement, and Why I'm Not Remaining on Executive for 2018/19
As a journalist, I regularly encourage people to be engaged citizens, and lament when people do not engage. It is hypocritical to sit on my butt, not engage, and claim being a journalist as the reason for non-engagement. Be the example is one of my mottos. I'm involved in my neighbourhood association, the Beasley Neighbourhood Association, and am pleased to serve in my current role reviewing minor planning and variance applications in the neighbourhood. Due to the nature of this role, it is position on the BNA executive. No volunteer role comes without entanglements and difficulties; there have been applications which abuse the minor variance process, and which I should be covering as a journalist but I'm sucked into due...