At a conference of the Ontario Society for the Study of Argumentation, I was fascinated to discover that there are Philosophers who do not believe that advertisements can be arguments. I then attended a conference in Amsterdam of the International Society for the Study of Argumentation, where I presented a paper titled "The Ad as Argument" using Michael Gilbert's Multi-Modal Argumentation Model, and a number of other models and theories from the fields of Argumentation and Philosophy to make the argument that an advertisement is indeed an argument, knowing these same Philosophers would be there. It was well received and eventually I published it in one of Philosophy's top journals, Argumentation. I continue to use Gilbert's model to examine ads which I consider to be on the edge of unethical.

One of my favourite papers came out of another conference, where a colleague challenged me to include humour in my analysis of logical, emotional, visceral, and kisceral argumentation. This paper was my final conference paper as a full-time professor at York University. You can read it here: Humour in the Analysis of Humour in Dog Ads

Other Recent Works

I recently have had a chapter published in a book, Psychology of Persuasion, using Michael Gilbert's work. I also had a chapter called "Online Teaching: The Joys of Joining the Discussion", published in The Dynamic Classroom: Engaging Students in Higher Education.

My most recent article in refereed conference publications is "Argument, Advertising, Ethics, and Dogs: Multimodal Argumentation Once More With Humour".

Click on Link to My C.V. to read more.

In 2006/07, I experienced some of my most exciting writing, working for my Union, YUFA - the York University Faculty Association. We spent 7 1/2 months in bargaining with the Employer and managed to bring in a good settlement. As YUFA's Communications Officer, and a member of the Bargaining Team, I was responsible for producing Bargaining Updates, written in what is still for me the most exciting way to write - last minute to a deadline, and with what was new for me - with help from a team, where I produce a first draft, the Team helps work it further into what we want to say, it then goes to YUFA President Arthur Hilliker, The Voice of YUFA, with bargaining and negotiating all along the way for what each of us wants to get into print. Exciting times!

I have completed a book about the YUFA Strike of 1997. My agent asked me to cut it by 20%, which I did but she has not found a publisher for it. In retirement, it will be one of my projects to get it published onlinet.

For many years, each year I attended an annual conference on Emerging Issues in Business and Technology, held at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sadly, the conference is no longer being held due to low attendance. One recent paper there dealt with the necessity, in my opinion, for the business professor to be an active member of Discussion Groups in online courses: TALK TO ME!: THE CASE FOR BEING THERE IN ONLINE BUSINESS COURSES.

I now present at other conferences, often on Internet teaching, but also on the effects of technology on our lives, and ethics in advertising.

I have found a great conference to replace Emerging Issues. It is the annual conference in Orlando Florida of Social and Organizational Informatics and Cybernetics: SOIC.

Here are some of my previous papers:

My hero, by the way, owned no slaves and was deeply opposed to slavery. I myself grew up as a Yankee,  despite many years living in Virginia in the U.S.