One of my fondest memories from my time at Dal is the brief candle that was the band of which I was a member during the winter and spring of 2017. The band was called Build It and They Will Come -- a name I came up with after other suggestions such as The Obfuscators … Continue reading Build It and They Will Come →

An introduction to my Honours research project at Dalhousie University The goal of my honours research project is to study the irreducibility (factoring properties) of a sequence of polynomials, called Stern polynomials, which are a polynomial analogue of the Stern integer sequence. The integer sequence was extended in 2007 by Klavžar, Milutinović, and Petr, a … Continue reading On the irreducibility of generalized Stern polynomials →

With Liam Hunt Since the day he took office, Dalhousie University’s newest president, Peter MacKinnon, and the university itself, have been under fire—MacKinnon for his book University Commons Dividedpublished last year, and Dalhousie for hiring him despite the book.  In the book, MacKinnon claims that freedom of expression is under threat on campuses across the country, … Continue reading “Safety Culture” Is Stoking Fear, Fragility, and Mental Health Issues on Canadian Campuses →

2018 was a tumultuous year for Justin Trudeau’s government.  Some notable events were the NAFTA negotiations, the Federal Court of Appeals’ blocking of the Trans Mountain Pipeline purchase, the ongoing debate about the carbon tax, and the diplomatic rift with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, all happening in a climate of increasing political polarization.  2019 … Continue reading Two key Canadian policies for 2019 →

He is pale and thin, he wears a thin and ragged linen shirt. Welcome to my new blog. This is a work in progress. Here you'll find personal essays, notes, and photos, as well as published work, and probably other stuff. There is no such joy in the tavern as upon the road thereto. — … Continue reading See the child →

With Liam Hunt Last week, at a welcoming reception for Dalhousie’s incoming interim president, Peter Mackinnon, a contingent of Dalhousie and King’s student activists held a silent protest of Mackinnon’s hiring. They claimed that Mackinnon threatens their safety, that his hiring had caused them harm, and that he must be fired. Among their list of … Continue reading A culture of safetyism has overtaken the Canadian university →

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was tasked with picking a new Nova Scotian MP to replace Scott Brison in his cabinet following last Monday’s cabinet shuffle, but veteran MPs Mark Eyking of Sydney-Victoria and Rodger Cuzner of Cape Breton-Canso were once again passed over. Both Eyking and Cuzner have been in office since 2000, each now … Continue reading Time for a change, says Sydney Mines man →

With his latest tweet about Omar Khadr — and his obsession with him — federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer shows his true colours. On Tuesday, after discovering that Omar Khadr appeared in his Google search results for Canadian soldier, Scheer tweeted, “Omar Khadr is a convicted terrorist who murdered a medic and blinded another. He … Continue reading Pushing buttons →

Anyone who has ever walked through a cloud of cigarette smoke knows that it’s unpleasant, to say the least. It throws off the “vibe” of many passersby simply going about their day. Perhaps you’re walking to class or leaving a building — then boom, it hits you, and before you’ve had a chance to hold … Continue reading HRM’s “Designated Smoking Areas”: Right time, wrong place →

Meat has been taking a lot of flak lately. Veganism and vegetarianism are more popular than ever. People are more aware and more concerned about meat’s adverse effects on the environment, on our health, and on the ethical treatment of animals. Governments occasionally impose what is known as a “sin tax” on undesirable or harmful … Continue reading The merits of taxing meat →