Author: Maurice Tougas

With ‘cancel culture’ taking hold across the world, it’s just a matter of time before St. Patrick’s Day comes under attack. By this time next year, we may be reading stories like this…  There is a growing backlash against St. Patrick’s Day, with many organizations advocating for the termination of

So, did you hear the explosions going off on Sunday night? According to news reports, a number of ‘bombshells’ went off that night. I slept through them, but I sure heard about them on Monday. And Tuesday. And Wednesday. Turns out, bombshells tend to echo for days. Unless you live

Happy Coronaversary, everyone! Yes, it has been one full year since the Coronavirus – eventually renamed the much catchier COVID-19 – first landed in Alberta. The Edmonton Sun welcomed our new disease overlord with the headline: IT’S HERE! Hi! I’m COVID-19. I’m here to make your life miserable. Oh, it’s

There was important news coming out of Australia lately that has nothing to do with wildfires, kangaroos or Foster’s Lager. The Australian government was locked in a stare-down with social media behemoths Facebook and Google over payment for content they distribute. A bill before the Aussie parliament would require both

In life, there are a number of milestone birthdays. When you turn 13, you’re no longer a child, but you can continue to be childish for a few years. Turning 30 (as my youngest son does next week) sounds monumental at the time, but in hindsight it really just makes

We all have little things that irk us. It might be when music is too loud at a restaurant, or when drivers don’t use their signal lights, or when bloggers feel obligated to use three examples when making their point. Guess what? I have little things that irk me. And

In the unlikely event that there is someone outside of Edmonton reading this blog (except for you, Bill) a gentle suggestion: stop reading now. This is for Edmonton eyes only. All others may be bored. So, let’s talk names. Edmonton, like big cities everywhere, is divided into wards. For as

When news broke this week that two well-paid government staffers – government flacks, no less – had vacationed in Hawaii during the pandemic, I thought this was an easy call for Premier Jason Kenney. The only thing to do was to fire them, immediately. It’s not as if it would

By popular consensus, 2020 was The Worst Year Ever. But there was one person who had a banner year – the Grim Reaper. Along with taking hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 deaths, the Angel of Death was busy cutting a swath through the world of the celebrated. The list of

Bloggers note: This is a reprint – or whatever you call this – of a column I wrote a couple of years back for Edmonton Prime Times. I liked it, so I thought I would share it with both of my regular readers. Also, it means I don’t have to

The year 2020 will go down in history as one like no other. I mean, that must be true, because I’ve heard the expression ‘like no other’ countless times in this wretched year. Worst. Year. Ever. I’m sure there is some lexicography nerd somewhere who will do a study of

It is entirely fitting that Charlie Brown’s 70th birthday this year went almost totally unacknowledged. In another year, the 70th anniversary of the most successful comic strip of all time would have been occasion for much media celebration. But with everything from Black Lives Matter to Donald Trump to COVID-19

It is entirely fitting that Charlie Brown’s 70th birthday this year went almost totally unacknowledged. In another year, the 70th anniversary of the most successful comic strip of all time would have been occasion for much media celebration. But with everything from Black Lives Matter to Donald Trump to COVID-19

Once upon a time, there was a comic strip called Pogo, which was famous for its detailed comic strip art and its sly commentary on contemporary life. From Pogo came a semi-familiar phrase that I think applies to our current Coronacrazy conundrum: “We have met the enemy, and he is

Back in the day, whatever that means, everybody subscribed to magazines. At various times when I was a kid we subscribed to Reader’s Digest, Life, Look, Newsweek, Chatelaine, Macleans, Sports Illustrated, MAD magazine (that was me), Saturday Evening Post … the list goes on. Today, finding a magazine subscriber is