The Deep North

The Protective Role of Community Attachment Against Self‑Harm Introduction A friend recently shared an inspirational Anthony Bourdain quote about living life to the fullest—striking, yet jarring given Bourdain’s death by suicide. Reports suggested a painful breakup may have precipitated his final crisis, highlighting how disruptions in close relationships can deepen despair. This prompts a critical question: to what extent do our ties to family, friends, and broader communities buffer against self‑harm? Drawing on classical sociology, contemporary psychology, and epidemiological research, this article examines how social integration reduces self‑harm risk and offers practical steps to cultivate and sustain meaningful connections. Theoretical Foundations Durkheim’s Social Integration Émile Durkheim (1897) first theorized that suicide rates mirror levels of social integration : individuals enmeshed in supportive networks enjoy shared norms and mutual regulation, lowering alienatio...

TL;DR; Join forces to remove Trump.  I grew up in challenging neighborhoods - places where economic hardship was common. Yet my experience has consistently shown that most people, regardless of circumstance, are fundamentally good. The truly harmful actors exist in every socioeconomic level but remain a small minority everywhere. What we face today is ultimately a conflict between those who would undermine our shared rights and the rest of us who want to protect them. Many good people across the political spectrum have been led to support positions that, I believe, work against their own interests and core values. If we hope to create positive change, we must reach across divides and engage respectfully with those who see things differently. Starting with Shared Values Reaching out effectively means approaching others with respect and kindness. It requires examining our own assumptions as well as helping others reconsider theirs. We all share certain fundamental truths: You don't n...

Reimagining Writing in the Age of AI: A Thoughtful Response to Skepticism By: Bob Trower & Genna (AI assistant) The recent chorus of voices expressing concern about the encroachment of generative AI into writing studies is not without merit. There are legitimate worries about authorship, authenticity, corporate influence, and environmental cost. But these are not reasons to reject AI outright. Rather, they invite a deeper, more nuanced conversation about how best to shape its role within education and society. This piece seeks to offer a reasoned response to critiques such as those raised in a recent essay questioning AI's place in creative writing and composition pedagogy. Our goal is not to confront, but to engage—with respect, reflection, and a commitment to shared values: the cultivation of imagination, ethical integrity, and human flourishing. 1. Creativity and the Role of Machines A common objection is that writing is a uniquely human, imaginative act, and...

The Crisis at Hand Something has gone terribly wrong in the United States. A coup has taken place , and the country is being run by a corrupt cabal. This is not speculation. It is happening. The government is ignoring the rule of law. Dissent is being crushed. Federal agencies are being used as weapons against civilians. Constitutional protections are being dismantled piece by piece. The entirety of the U.S. Federal Government apparatus is being dismantled. Foreign adversaries are becoming allies and allies are being alienated, betrayed, attacked.  The endgame is to eliminate the Constitution and its checks and balances, shatter the system of governance, replace it with an autocratic regime under a dictator, and ultimately to replace the United States of a America with a fractured checkerboard of autocratic fiefdoms under tyrannical petty feudal lords.  Russia's Putin seems to be intent on reducing the United States to a puppet vassal state under the thumb of a new Soviet ...

Below is the text of a note sent to the PM's office via the Prime Minister's contact page. The note was prompted by the fact that I was/am unable to link to an important article about the abduction of a Canadian citizen by ICE in the United States -- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/canadian-detained-us-immigration-jasmine-mooney --  Although I was aware of the event and others would be too, it is important to read the article to get the whole picture. As I was aware of it prior to reading the article I thought it was an aberrant case that would not apply to my family and myself. Having read the article, my opinion is entirely different. The more comprehensive description indicates to me that for the time being travel in the United States is positively unsafe.  I wrote specifically at length about Bill C-18 here: https://blog.bobtrower.com/2023/08/repeal-canadas-online-news-act.html Letter to the Prime Minister Subject: Urgent Call to Revoke Bill C-18 As a prof...

Here are some graphics that I put together as a response to the many obvious Russian inspired posts in favor of Donald Trump in the United States and Pierre Poilievre here at (my) home in Canada. The images below, where you might think "I can't read that. It might as well be in another language." -- they are in another language -- Russian. They are all Russian colloquial ways of expressing agreement. So, someone posts something boosting MAGA or Maple MAGA empty talking points, you reply with something to the effect that "That's What The Kremlin Says".  I engaged someone on LinkedIn who was pushing MAGA talking points and with three back and forth comments dismantling their arguments for the Russian talking points they were, my correspondent deleted their account. I was not unkind, just addressed the arguments. I didn't bully them off the platform, just let them know that their propaganda push was not working so they took their show elsewhere. Huge amount...