GUEST: Salim Mansur, Toronto Sun Columnist,
Professor of Political Science, University of Western Ontario
GUEST: Ezra Levant, Author, Journalist, Political Activist
SHAKEDOWN: The Book, by Ezra Levant; SHAKEDOWN: Censorship, by The Human Rights Commissions
The Vulnerability Of Democracies
Shakedown: The Trials Of Ezra Levant – And His Book By The Same Name
Human Rights Commissions: The Kangaroo Courts Of Canada
Free Speech: A Canadian Tradition? Or A New Idea?
It’s Not Funny! Comedy, That Is.
‘A’ Channel Is Just A Channel
Local News – Provided By Corporate Subsidy
The CRTC: Source Of The Broadcasting Problem
Real And Spectacular – What’s Real About Actors?
TV Shows To Check Out: Terminator; Chuck; Doll House; Castle
Speaking Out Against Canada’s Human Rights Commissions
Censorship In The 451st Degree – Injustice In The 1st Degree
Not Funny – A Stand Up Guy And Other Victims Of Human Rights Commissions
Comments Off on 033 – Falling in love with robots?
Nov292007
Emotional bonds form between humans and machines in ways once confined to science fiction. Robotic vacuum cleaners known as Roombas now receive names, personalities, and even family-like affection from owners. Researchers add cartoon expressions to these devices, triggering reactions that blur lines between tool and companion. Consumer products gain human traits—smiling car grills or friendly cell phones—to boost sales and attachment. Such developments signal a future where robots integrate deeply into daily life, raising profound questions about humanity itself.
Scientific frontiers expand alongside these trends. Astronomers uncover a vast empty region in space, a billion light-years wide, devoid of galaxies or stars—dismissed by some as mere accident, yet challenging assumptions about cosmic order. At CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, delays mount in the quest for the Higgs boson, the so-called “God particle” that explains mass itself. Einstein’s relativity receives further confirmation through precise atomic experiments, affirming time dilation at high speeds.
Current controversies demand scrutiny too. Tasers, promoted as life-saving alternatives to firearms, instead enable expedient avoidance of physical confrontation, with accountability evaded when victims’ conditions bear blame. Canada’s infrastructure crumbles—bridges, roads, and water systems past service life—while political deflection and misplaced priorities exacerbate the crisis. The eternal left-right divide clarifies: involuntary collectivism versus voluntary freedom, force versus persuasion.
Television offerings provide lighter escape, from the fast-paced comedy of Chuck to the moral depths of Moonlight. All these threads weave a tapestry of insight that lands just right.
Comments Off on 032 – TV Dead? Writers Strike Laughs
Nov222007
Technology transforms how audiences experience television, yet the medium itself endures as a vital force in entertainment and ideas. Viewers now record shows on DVDs, skip commercials, and watch entire seasons at their convenience—practices that challenge old broadcast models while proving television’s adaptability. Scripted dramas and comedies face disruption from the ongoing writers’ strike, but reality programming and reruns cannot replace the depth of well-crafted stories.
Ayn Rand’s defense of television as a democratizing invention rings truer than ever, bringing drama, news, and shared cultural moments to millions. From timeless Star Trek reflections to current hits like Heroes and surprising gems like Moonlight, quality programming stimulates thought and emotion in ways passive scrolling never matches. The strike highlights tensions over digital royalties and fair compensation, raising questions about who benefits from evolving distribution.
Tune in to hear sharp insights on these shifts, from personal viewing habits to industry trends, all underscoring television’s resilience against predictions of obsolescence. Entertainment this engaging and relevant hits the mark just right.
Comments Off on 031 – Philosophy: Who Needs It? Who Hates It? Who Cares?
Nov152007
Philosophy remains the unseen foundation beneath every decision, conflict, and cultural trend, yet countless individuals dismiss it as abstract, irrelevant, or even dangerous. Avoidance often stems from its association with defeat—witness how athletes and politicians turn “philosophical” only after losing—or from the proliferation of destructive ideologies that overshadow the valid ones.
Origins trace back to ancient Greece, where Socrates pioneered dialectic, Plato championed timeless ideals in a dualistic reality, and Aristotle grounded forms within the material world, embracing objective existence and the golden mean. Modern thought finds its sharpest defender in Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, which elevates reason and reality above all. Her analogy of the mind as a computer proves particularly illuminating: garbage in, garbage out. Default on conscious programming, and random or alien ideas seize control, manifesting as unpredictable emotions.
Contemporary trends fare poorly under scrutiny. Pragmatism discards fixed standards for fleeting practicality. Linguistic analysis reduces truth to arbitrary words. Existentialism plunges into nihilistic despair, portraying a hostile universe devoid of purpose.
True freedom emerges not from anarchy’s chaotic faith in voluntary order—which crumbles without enforcement—but from the absence of coercion, safeguarded by objective laws and limited government. Anarchy invites gang warfare; freedom demands protection of individual rights.
These distinctions clarify why philosophy cannot be ignored—it programs the subconscious and directs human action. Approaching these ideas with reason and evidence feels just right.
