Oct

2023

The plot against human interaction

Sunday May 7, 2023

David Byrne suggested, in an article in The Rotarian magazine, that in reality automation has a long-term goal of reducing human interactions.
I doubt if anyone would ever admit to having that goal. They would cite increased speed, fewer mistakes, greater choice, improved productivity.
But as the saying goes, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If the only tool you have is electronic technology, every problem looks like a software solution.

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14

Oct

2023

The greatest achievement in public health

Author: Jim Taylor

Sunday April 30, 2023

“April 24- April 30 is World Immunization Week,” declares an email that just arrived in my inbox .
Generally speaking, I resent being told what my priorities should be. I tell you all that so that you can understand that I’m not writing about Immunization Week just because someone else thought it was a good thing.
It IS a good thing. And I support it 100%.
Immunization may be the most important medical development in history. Instead of waiting until people get sick and then attempting to treat them, we can ban the disease before it takes hold.
Essentially, we give our bodies their own private security system

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14

Oct

2023

The little publisher that changed the church

Author: Jim Taylor

Sunday April 16, 2023

Forty years ago, I joined in a great adventure.
You see, the United Church of Canada used to have an active and influential publishing company called Ryerson Press. For a variety of reasons, too many to detail here, Ryerson Press folded in 1971. And for ten years, Canada’s biggest Protestant denomination had no printed materials of its own. No Bible studies. No theological texts. And no Sunday school curricula -- at a time when churches had to rent space in nearby schools to house the number of children involved.
Then in 1981, Ralph Milton and I decided we would each publish a book. In our spare time. For the sake of our egos, mostly.
We called it Wood Lake Press, because from the back deck of his home, Ralph could see Wood Lake in the distance.
We thought it would be a hobby. It was more like getting sucked into a vacuum.

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14

Oct

2023

Time to ban violence against children

Author: Jim Taylor

Sunday April 23, 2023

A kid was acting up o the grocery store. He wanted to push the cart. He didn’t want to push the cart. He wanted to ride in the cart. He didn’t want to ride in the cart.
If that had been my child, 60 years ago, I would probably have swatted his bum to make him behave. Or at least been tempted to.
Those days are gone, fortunately. Times have changed

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14

Oct

2023

Sittin’ on a dock by the lake

Author: Jim Taylor

Sunday April 9, 2023

With Easter weekend heralding warmer weather – except in Winnipeg, I gather – and with nothing important to say about Easter, I decided to emulate Otis Redding: “Sitting on a dock in the bay…”
I enjoy watching waves. But let’s be clear – a wave itself is not a moving mass of water rushing along like a river. If it were, waves blowing up from the south would combine to bury the marshes at the head of the lake hundreds of metres underwater.

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Categories: Sharp Edges

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Jim Taylor's Columns - 'Soft Edges' and 'Sharp Edges'

The plot against human interaction

The greatest achievement in public health

The little publisher that changed the church

Time to ban violence against children

Sittin’ on a dock by the lake

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