Parisians have a reputation for rudeness. Tourists have tales of insolent waiters, horn tooting boors who won’t yield an inch, service people who feign ignorance when accosted with English, haughty hotel staff.At least this is part of the cultural legend and many Americans need no convincing. In the movie European Vacation, the Griswald family find [...]

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As Ireland prepares for a referendum on the Lisbon treaty in June of 2008, polling indicates that some 60% of the Irish are undecided. Opposition to this treaty doesn’t imply opposition to Europe, so much as opposition to a Brussels elite and a mammoth European institution that is out-of-touch with realities on the ground.Unlike other [...]

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From a distance, I have followed the shenanigans at the Stratford Festival (Stratford, Ontario) over the last year with more than my customary irritation. Let us review the chain of events:1. In late 2006, Richard Monette retires as the Festival’s Artistic Director after 14 extraordinarily successful years, during which the Festival remained true to its [...]

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According to statistics from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), smugglers attempting to traffic radioactive material have been apprehended more than 300 times since 2002. Most of these incidents have occurred in Europe. The smugglers have mainly been from Eastern European countries and their motivation appears to have been monetary – the prospect of making [...]

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John Dowding and I first met a few days ago at Spiaggia Trattoria where I was doing an interview with the owner, Mary Lee. Right in the restaurant she connected me with John who was quietly enjoying a plate of mussels. I sat down with John for about twenty minutes, and as we talked I [...]

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Canadas economy (Gross Domestic Product) increased at an annual rate of 2.7 % in 2005.The Yukon Territory takes the top spot for Economic Growth with an increase of 5.2 % in 2005.Government expenditures account for almost half the territorial GDP. Infrastructure investment has helped bolster the territory, and exploration of resource assets continues.Alberta saw the [...]

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