Scapegoat or No, Torres Should Be Put Out to Pasture

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By Jason Menard

It takes a lot to besmirch the name Raffi. The Vancouver Canucks’ version is not only managing to do that, but he’s also shown that he may not even be as smart as the original Raffi’s target audience.

Raffi Number One is a global troubadour! The Egyptian-born Canadian has had a career out of entertaining children, mixing in social and environmental messaging and world music. Raffi Number Two, Canucks’ winger Raffi Torres, is also a Canadian. But that’s where the similarities end. Continue reading →

Day of Silence Reminds Us of Need to Speak Up

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By Jason Menard

As powerful as today’s National Day of Silence has the potential to be, to affect real change we need to use the other 364 day to speak up against name-calling, bullying, and harassment not just in schools, but everywhere.

The National Day of Silence is an event led by the U.S.-based Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. It’s intent is to get students to take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered name-calling, bullying, and harassment. Continue reading →

Sports Enjoyment Heightened by Taking the Fanatic Out of Fan

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By Jason Menard,

If you could watch me watch a sporting event, you might be struck at how little passion I display. But I’ll tell you right now that I appreciate and enjoy sports more than I ever did in my youth.

The main reason? I’ve become less of a fanatic and more of a fan.

Despite the fact that the word fan is derived from fanatic, there are significant differences between the two terms. And the clearest distinction is that fanatics live and die with their teams; fans love the sport unconditionally. Continue reading →

My Wardrobe Doesn’t Colour My Opinions

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By Jason Menard

When it comes to clothing-related support of issues, it’s clear that words speak much louder than actions.

As my wife can attest, I have a hard enough time matching my wardrobe to itself, much less having to match it to my beliefs. So today, on the Day of Pink, I wore black and khaki (or green or beige* pants). But that doesn’t mean I don’t support the cause wholeheartedly. I just pulled a shirt out of my closet to match my pants – not my mood. Continue reading →

Nuclear Tragedies Show Power, Influence of Information

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By Jason Menard,

If there’s any question about the value of our Internet-dominated, 24-hour news cycle, look no further than the experiences surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and a similar event a quarter of a century previous.

For many of us, Fukushima provides us with an eerie reminder of our youth — and an opportunity to reflect upon how greatly the world has changed for the better in terms of sharing knowledge. Continue reading →