PATRICK VAILLANCOURT

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu left no stone unturned when seeking a fourth term as the leader of Israel’s government, appealing to the extreme right-wing voter groups that oppose sovereignty for Palestine.

Recent approval of a mobile application in South Korea meant to be used as a student suicide-prevention tool has sparked some concerns in a country known as much for its Internet connectivity as for its high rates of suicide.

You can’t help but feel for the people of Ferguson, Missouri, now in the throes of a massive community divide. The killing of an unarmed teenager, Michael Brown, in August rocked the city, and now, the police officer, Darren Wilson, responsible for the killing will not answer for it through any kind of justice.

If there was one good thing that came out of the Jian Ghomeshi sexual assault debacle, it was that a global conversation about sexual assault and the conduct that precludes it took place.

I’m a big proponent of solid brand management. As a writer, managing the very brand of writing I bring to a publication, employers, and clients is of vital importance. While such an exercise is worthy for a company or a freelancer, I’m not convinced that the same could be applied for national governments

I’ve been somewhat hesitant to join loyalty rewards programs offered by some of my favourite shops and retailers after reading many articles that offer only scathing criticism. For the longest time, the rewards card I had in my wallet was an Air Miles Rewards card, though it isn’t so much a loyalty program since Air Miles are accepted at different retailers and online stores.

This past month, I have discovered that writing a novel is really quite difficult. I consider myself to be a decent writer, but coming up with characters and a plot through one’s own imagination is a work of the mind more so than a work of the pen.

The next national general election is scheduled for October 2015, thanks to the fixed-elections provisions Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government passed in 2007; that said, the leader of our national government has the power to request the dissolution of Parliament at any time.

I admit that if there is one flaw that will cost me success in NaNoWriMo, it’s that I am thinking too much about designing the perfect plot and getting to the end of the book. It has cost me valuable time that could have been otherwise spent on writing.