Colbert, Kimmel, and Kneecap

Share this post:

Censorship of free speech has reached its finest moment in North American media. In the U.S.A. free speech is an endangered species. If you insult the King, or anyone or anything he likes, you are exiled because you probably  “had very bad ratings.” and “a pure lack of TALENT.” The omnipotent, narcissistic, sociopathic musings of the King determine what is allowable speech and what is not.

Stephen Colbert was taken off the air for satirizing the King’s chaotic and ridiculous behaviour. Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air for commenting on the King and his Republican enablers using the murder of Charlie Kirk to  fan the flames of their agenda.

I expected this censorship of free speech from the dictatorship south of our border. I did not expect it from our new Canadian Liberal government.

The decision to ban the Irish rap group Kneecap was based on their pro-Palestinian stance and alleged support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Reporter Mariamne Everett wrote that the band was banned from entering Canada “over accusations that it was endorsing political violence and terrorism.” There is more than a little hypocrisy at play here, as the Canada goes to the UN to support the creation of a Palestinian State.

I am not an ardent follower of the trio called Kneecap, and I am not a huge fan of rap, but I would defend to the end their right to sing songs in defence of Palestine. The greatest perpetrators of political violence and terrorism right now in the middle east are the State of Israel, the Israeli Defence Force, and the Israeli Ultra-Orthodox West Bank settlers.

Wake up! There will be no Gaza, no Gaza City, no safe haven in the West Bank because Israel is completing its ethnic cleansing of Palestine while the world fiddles with its cell phones. And the U.S.A. is complicit in this horrifying slaughter and destruction by continuing to support Israel at the UN and vote against the endorsement of a Two State Solution.

If we are going to ban terrorists from entering our country, at least make sure we get the right ones. Colbert, Kimmel, and Kneecap aren’t the problem. They are our conscience, reminding us that the dictators and mass murderers are wearing no clothes.

The way I see it.

The Dream Pave Dream Team

Share this post:

I am now the proud owner of the first fully permeable Dream Pave driveway and walkway in Bolton. There is one other in Caledon, but that belongs to an owner of the company, so it doesn’t count. I get bragging rights on this one. For pictures of the finished product go to DreamPave.ca, and under “Projects” look for the “Permeable Driveway Using Resin Bound Aggregate in Caledon” … the pictures are worth a thousand words.Bolton-permeable-driveway-with-resin-bound-aggregate - resin bound aggregate permeable driveway in bolton

Tom Cordeiro is the dreamer behind Dream Pave, and Phil Pinto is the landscaper who makes the Dream come true. The two men have been friends since boyhood and their trust in each other shows in the quality of their business partnership. As an added bonus, both  men live in Caledon – home grown entrepreneurs!

Phil’s crew from Almeida Landscaping Company worked ceaselessly through high heat and thunderstorms to complete the project right on schedule. Phil excavated an almost two foot deep bed that he later filled with tons of gravel. The team tamped and levelled the surface precisely. They removed our old curbstones without breaking one, and laid them back like they were building the Temple of the Sun. I have rarely seen such workmanship and attention to detail as the Almeida team displayed.

On the final day, Tom showed up with huge bags of granite gravel that the teams combined with the bonding resin. They meticulously poured out batches that Phil smoothed to perfection with a large concrete polishing fan. The team celebrated with a group lunch and toasts at La Bomba Taco in Bolton. We couldn’t walk on it for a while or park on it for five days, but when we could, I danced on the driveway exclaiming, “This is a work of art.” You can get away with dancing on your driveway when you’re a senior.

My son, the engineer, was sceptical about the permeability paving. At the first rainstorm, he rushed to the front door and watched the water disappear. He became a believer. I have never been so happy with a home project ever: timetable kept, costs met as per contract, finished product above excellent. Yes, more expensive than the regular re-covering of a driveway, but there’s no more assfault on my turf. Our driveway is clean, green, strong, and long lasting.. Welcome to the 21st century.

This permeable Driveway will allow stormwater to filter back into the water table and divert it from polluting our rivers, lakes and ponds. There is less carbon footprint to produce permeable pavement than using asphalt or concrete, no heavy machinery, and a truly beautiful finished product.

Now, keep reading if you’d like to know the history. Tori Newton and Andy Newton of Stone Set (offspring of Michael Newton who was one of the UK founders/directors) and the brand they have now built and partnered with Dream Pave is Stone Set.

Their website says it best: “StoneSet are the TRUE pioneers of resin-bound paving. Installing for 35+ Years, from UK to Siberia to Australia. Dream Pave now offers StoneSet in Canada! The Stoneset Premium resin delivers a permeable pavement that is 100% permeable, made with Canadian natural stone, it was developed for driveways, walkways, tree and pool surrounds. StoneSet by Dream Pave, creates a durable surface, highly suitable for vehicular traffic, while also allowing water to pass through.”

Now we have StoneSet technology right here in Caledon thanks to Tom Cordeiro of Dream Pave and Phil Pinto of Almeida Landscaping, using Canadian granite and Canadian resin. Think Global, buy Local, invest in Canadian entrepreneurs!

I started lecturing about the benefits of a permeable paved community back in 1989. It took a while but I finally put my money where my water table begins. The way I see it.

****

Note: StoneSet Australia’s tagline: “For more than a decade, we have demonstrated a sincere dedication to various projects, regardless of their size. As a result, we have gained the trust of local governments, businesses, and homeowners. We take pride in providing reliable services to our valued clients.

The solution we offer is not one dimensional. Our permeable paving is the product for those who want a solution that survives the test of time as much as they want stunning visual appeal that Australian sourced stone provides. All of StoneSet’s eco-friendly resin bound products are fully backed by Governments, schools, businesses & homeowners since 2008. We take pride delivering our Australian-made products to clients with customer service excellence & 10-year guarantee. Our extensive Australian wide approved installer network allows for us to ensure a high quality experience & result from start to finish.”

Mis-Leading Once Again

Share this post:

Our Mayor of Caledon is nothing if not consistent. Consistently misleading, misinforming, and misdirecting.

Consider the public promise to hold a vote on the controversial 12 zoning by-laws at a certain date, and then moving the date back without a warning  to her constituents,

Consider the controversial 0 Shaw’s Creek infill by-law motion, where she changed the times of the public meeting three time over three days, cancelling any delegations and shortening time for questions by the hundreds of concerned citizens.

Consider the admission, along with Premier Ford, that “developer influenced” decisions just make “common sense” to them.

Consider this report in the Caledon Enterprise, Friday, September 12, 2025 regarding the mayor’s controversial “Destroy Swan lake” motion:  “According to the mayor, the motion was to grant the developer a bylaw ‘exception’ so a more-than-usual limit of 10,000 cubic metres fill could be brought to the site. This procedural step must be approved by council because staff do not have the authority to amend a bylaw, she explained.”

‘It was just to authorize an exception to the fill bylaw not to approve the permit,’ she said. ‘A month before, Councillor Early tabled a motion to amend the fill bylaw to allow them to be able to bring fill over in that Alloa-Mayfield West area, so it’s not unusual.’ Groves also said that she was not approached by the developer and had not been part of initial discussions. She agreed to present the motion, when asked by town staff, as part of normal procedure. This just starts the process for the proposal to be considered, she said.”

Whoa! Back that one up Mayor Groves! First, the motion by Councillor Early to ask for an exception to the fill by-law was to allow excavation fill from a residential site in an Alloa Mayfield West  project to be moved across the street to the adjacent commercial property so that it could be infilled and graded to safely complete the approved projects. Yes, not unusual at all.

What is unusual is for a motion to be tabled for a yet unapproved project that would allow a developer to bring tons of GTA construction waste soil and dump it in a freshwater lake in the middle of a fully rehabilitated greenspace. That is really unusual.

Secondly, with whom did the developer have his initial discussions? Who on the Town staff asked the Mayor to present the motion?

Misleading, misinforming and misdirecting. And yet, oh so photogenic, You spin things so well, I get dizzy just reading your media releases. It’s beginning to remind me of a line in a speech by Juliet in Shakespeare’s classic teenage love tragedy. Are you the “Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical. Dove-feathered raven, Wolfish devouring lamb. Despised substance of divinest show, Just opposite of what thou justly seem’st?”Can You Spot the Wolves in Sheep's Clothing?

All that glisters is not gold, the way I see it.

***

*Image from Covenant Caswell, Substack

 

Flags at Half Mast, Upside Down

Share this post:

When a political figure who has been a positive role model and inspirational change agent in their communities and countries, dies naturally, or is assassinated,   our local and national flags should fly at half mast in honour of their contributions to the betterment of society.

When a political figure who has been a racist, misogynist,  homophobic and transphobic ideologue amplifying support for gun ownership and denying the tragedy of school shootings, dies naturally or by assassination, there should only be condolences to surviving family members.

If the leader of a country mourns such a death and wants to celebrate the life of such a person, then the flags of that country should be flown at half mast, upside down. For it surely indicates the death of intelligent governance for that country and chaos for the world order.

The way I see it.

The Swan and The Developer

Share this post:

Many of us will remember one of the most riveting short stories we read in high school, “The Lady or the Tiger” written by Frank R, Stockton in 1882, but published in almost every collection of short stories read by students in the coming decades. Why?

Because …Summary, Review and Reflection: The Lady or the Tiger by Frank Stockton – THINK . WRITE . INSPIRE

… the ending created such a quandary for students that we debated it for months. The story basically centres around a King who held absolute authority over his lands. He had a way of determining justice by placing the accused in an arena filled with an engaged and excited public. The arena had two doors on the side opposite the King, Behind one door stood a beautiful youth, behind the other a starving tiger. One either became wed or devoured depending on their choice,

The King discovers that the Queen has been visited by a handsome youth, and hears rumours that they are in love. The King has the young man arrested and taken to the arena.

Bear with me now because this story affects the future of Swan Lake.

Once upon a time there was a Strong Mayor who dealt out decisions in their Council Chambers with a public audience. The decision facing their Council this month was to choose between two doors. Behind one was a Swan living in a beautiful lake and lush ecosystem; behind the other was  a Developer with trucks and construction fill to destroy the lake.

Now, in the original story, the Queen knows behind which door they both are waiting, the lady and the tiger. She is torn between her desire to see her loved one live and her jealousy that he will wed another. On the other hand, she is horrified by the thought of seeing him torn apart by the tiger. Her lover glances up at her and with the slightest gesture she indicates the door to her right.

Without hesitation he walks to the door and opens it. So, what door did she choose, the Lady or the Tiger? And the story ends. WTF? We debated her decision for weeks.

Caledon Council will soon walk into an arena filled with an engaged and excited public. Behind one door awaits The Swan. Behind the other door awaits a hungry Developer. The Swan represents the promises the Mayor made to protect the communities greenspaces, The Developer represents destruction and greed.

So which door will the Council choose? For which door will the Mayor cast a Strong Vote? The Mayor glanced to the door of their choice, The Councillors all saw the glance. Now they each had to make a choice.

And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door,  — The Swan, or The Developer?