Tag: politics

A long, in-depth interview with…moi! (Trigger warning: includes questions about religion and politics)

By Edward Willett in Blog, Writing and Editing
December 5, 2016
25 mins to read
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Recently Everitt Foster over the blog A Natural Reaction asked me to answer some questions for an online interview, one of a series he’s been conducting with authors who have been early adopters of the new social media platform Gab, a would-be Twitter rival. (My handle over there is ewillett.) You can read the interview …

A modest proposal (for the complete overhaul of the legislative process)

By Edward Willett in Blog
December 5, 2012
4 mins to read
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Back in high school, I was a debater…kind of. I say kind of, because like football, debate was something I did for only one year. (What, you don’t think football players usually end up on the debate team? Then you didn’t go to a small enough school.) I don’t know that I was a very …

A bit about bias: the encore

By Edward Willett in Blog, Columns, Science Columns
April 8, 2011
4 mins to read
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I don’t usually repeat columns quite as soon as I’m repeating this one on bias, but my big brother Jim recently suggested this might be a good time, with the Canadian election on, and I always do what my big brother tells me to. (Right, Jim?) Also, I’m swamped with editorial revisions on two novels …

Political irrationality

By Edward Willett in Blog, Columns, Science Columns
April 1, 2011
4 mins to read
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[podcast]https://edwardwillett.com/wp-content/upLoads//2011/04/Political-Irrationality.mp3[/podcast] This week, in honour of the Canadian federal election coming up May 2, I’m revisiting a column from a few years ago that seems apropos. It’s all about political irrationality, and if you read that phrase and immediately assume it’s referring to the obvious irrationality of the political beliefs of those who plan to …

The case for accidental politicians

By Edward Willett in Blog, Columns, Science Columns
March 25, 2011
5 mins to read
1 comments

[podcast]https://edwardwillett.com/wp-content/upLoads//2011/03/Accidental-Politicians.mp3[/podcast] Canada is about to enter a federal election campaign, and you know what that means. Platforms, proclamations, partisanship, preening, pretending, pandering and pestering, not to mention politicians on your porch. It’s enough to make you tired, but at least here that knock on the door is a smiling politician and not the secret police. …

And we’re off! 2011 and beyond…

By Edward Willett in Blog
January 5, 2011
5 mins to read
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So…Happy New Year! If you’re going to build readership on a blog, you have to post regularly. Everyone knows that. I know it; you know it. And periodically I’ve attempted it, never with any great success. But you know what? Hope springs eternal, and with the start of a new year, I’ve got another chance …

The uselessness of celebrity endorsements

By Edward Willett in Blog, Columns, Science Columns
May 3, 2010
4 mins to read
2 comments

[podcast]https://edwardwillett.com/wp-content/upLoads//2010/05/Celebrity-Endorsements.mp3[/podcast] I don’t have much use for celebrity endorsements of, well, anything. Oh, sure, it’s conceivable you could be a talented entertainer and also have an informed, thoughtful opinion that adds more light than heat to the debate surrounding a contentious issue, but just because something is possible it doesn’t mean it’s likely. And let’s …

The World in the Satin Bag picks Terra Insegura’s cover as best of 2009

By Edward Willett in Blog
January 1, 2010
3 mins to read
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Blogger Shaun M. Duke, who really liked Terra Insegura, has chosen its cover, by Stephan Martiniere, as the winner of his award for best cover of 2009. I agree with him, of course. It really is a terrific cover. Shaun writes: The artwork for Terra Insegura is stunning, as are all of Martiniere’s paintings. A big plus …

The silent majority

By Edward Willett in Blog, Columns, Science Columns
October 22, 2009
4 mins to read
1 comments

[podcast]https://edwardwillett.com/wp-content/upLoads//2009/10/The-Silent-Majority.mp3[/podcast] It’s probably happened to you. It’s certainly happened to me. You’re at some social gathering or public event when someone says something so outrageously extreme that you can’t believe it. The thrower of this verbal bombshell seems to assume everyone agrees with him…and since no one speaks up, except for a couple of people …

A bit about bias

By Edward Willett in Blog, Science Columns
November 10, 2008
4 mins to read
1 comments

A Bit About Bias Now that both the Canadian and the American elections are over, it’s time to ask ourselves a serious question: How on Earth could so many people be so pig-headed and blind as to have disagreed with you and me (I’m assuming, of course, that you agree with me) about the best …

I found this amusing…

By Edward Willett in Blog
November 6, 2008
1 mins to read
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Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Election thoughts

By Edward Willett in Blog
November 5, 2008
2 mins to read
1 comments

Well, I’m glad that’s over. Congratulations to President-Elect Obama. He seems like a smart guy, so I hope he’s smart enough to govern from a more centrist position than some of his background might indicate. (Remember, I’m as centrist as they come, according to those I’m-sure-entirely-accurate quizzes you can take.) We’ll see. It’d be nice …