Well, I did it. And I’m sure you’re thrilled. When I started writing this blog, I vowed to write a weekly review of events as I saw them. I did it mostly as a personal challenge, a way to instil a little discipline in my undisciplined life, and to boost my memory of the events […]
Author: mauricetougas
In This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 50: Trump goes lower, rises higher
A very, very quiet week in the world. Hey, if it weren’t for Donald Trump, there would be no news at all, so I guess we should be thankful for that. Donald Trump just keeps going lower and lower. This week, the Republican frontrunner decided to take a run at the guaranteed Democratic candidate Hillary […]
In This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 49: Killings stun the city; New Democrats look like Old Conservatives
Well, it has been a fairly sleepy week in the Stuff Happens world as we spend most of our time shopping and getting ready for Christmas and obsessing over Star Wars. But, we still had a little news … Edmonton was shocked by an utterly senseless, brutal pair of killings early Friday morning. Two Mac’s […]
In This Corner: Why I’ll be last in line for the new Star Wars movie
You may or may not have heard this, but a new Star Wars movie comes out this week. It seems like its kind of a big deal, just a little less anticipated than the second coming of Christ (Jesus Christ II: The Rapturing, coming soon to a planet near you). Typically when a much anticipated […]
In This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 48: Schools are run by idiots … and speaking of idiots, it’s Trump again
The Edmonton Catholic School District is run by idiots. A little harsh? Not at all. Too kind, if anything. Let me explain. This week, Edmonton Catholic (and Calgary Catholic) banned all international travel by its students. Why? Well, what with the events in Paris and San Bernardino, Ca. recently, the world is just too danged […]
In This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 47: Farmers raising hell; this week’s gun atrocity
I have to say I am greatly enjoying watching the NDP government squirm over Bill 6, their farm safety bill. The bill would force farms to apply the same safety regulations that apply in other industries, something that is commonplace across the country. I don’t disagree with this at all; in fact, I think it […]
In This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 46: The NDP saves the world; Grey Cup CIII
The big story of the week was the announcement of the NDP government’s ‘Climate Leadership Plan’, which is one part save-the-planet stuff, and two parts public relations move. The plan includes a carbon tax, oil sands emission limits and a quicker phase-out of coal-fired electricity (which will kill coal in Alberta and possibly whole towns, […]
In This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 45: Everybody loves France.
The world is still coming to grips with the Paris attacks of last week. From late night talk shows to international soccer (a.k.a. football) matches to Facebook postings, the world is showing solidarity with the French. This might be the one good thing to come of this horrendous event; next to Americans, the French are […]
In This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 44: Dark night in the City of Light
Way back at the beginning of the year, when I first started writing Stuff Happens, the first topic was the attack on the satirical publication Charlie Hebdo. That was an atrocity, but at least it was a predictable atrocity: as terrible and unforgivable as it was, at least there was
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 43: ‘Trudeau II: The son also rises’ makes its debut; pipeline politics
It’s now official — Prime Minister Trudeau. For those of us of a certain age, that has a familiar ring. Now, I’m not a naturally optimistic person. I see myself as more of a realist. However, I’m strangely optimistic about our new government. Maybe it’s just the residual joy of
Continue readingIn This Corner: The supplement conundrum
As an OMIT (Old Man in Training is an acronym I just now made up. I think it’s pretty cool, but then, I’m an Old Man in Training), I am increasingly concerned about my health. Overall, I’m pretty healthy, at least I think so. My health care plan is quite
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 42: Red is the new orange; attack of the killer bacon
The orange wave that swept across Alberta earlier this year has turned to a decidedly darker hue. The NDP government released its first budget this week, and boy, are their faces red! The government will run up a deficit of $6 billion this year, which is not entirely unexpected. The
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 41: World notices Canada, enjoy it while you can.
Canadians, forever the neglected middle child in the family of nations, are always weirdly excited when the world pays us any attention. So worldwide reaction to the election of Justin Trudeau got media play this week, as the world is briefly paying attention to Canada in a way not seen
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 41: World notices Canada, enjoy it while you can.
Canadians, forever the neglected middle child in the family of nations, are always weirdly excited when the world pays us any attention. So worldwide reaction to the election of Justin Trudeau got media play this week, as the world is briefly paying attention to Canada in a way not seen
Continue readingIn This Corner: Why the sunny son eclipsed the prince of darkness.
On my way back from voting Monday, I chanced upon a bit of election literature that had been tossed on the ground next to one of those damnable supermailboxes. Being the good citizen that I am — hey, I just spend 10 minutes of my day voting — I picked
Continue readingIn This Corner: Why the sunny son eclipsed the prince of darkness.
On my way back from voting Monday, I chanced upon a bit of election literature that had been tossed on the ground next to one of those damnable supermailboxes. Being the good citizen that I am — hey, I just spend 10 minutes of my day voting — I picked
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 40: Relax, people, it’s almost over.
It’s finally almost over … the longest, ugliest election campaign in recent Canadian history. In the dying days of the campaign, a couple of distractions tripped up the frontrunners. Put these under the category of With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies? First, Justin Trudeau was bushwacked by his campaign
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 40: Relax, people, it’s almost over.
It’s finally almost over … the longest, ugliest election campaign in recent Canadian history. In the dying days of the campaign, a couple of distractions tripped up the frontrunners. Put these under the category of With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies? First, Justin Trudeau was bushwacked by his campaign
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stephen Harper must go: a plea
Last week, I was talking to a young guy at work who was pondering who to vote for in this election. He doesn’t want to vote (he “doesn’t have the time”), but his mother told him he must. Knowing my antipathy towards Stephen Harper, he asked: “Things are pretty good,
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stephen Harper must go: a plea
Last week, I was talking to a young guy at work who was pondering who to vote for in this election. He doesn’t want to vote (he “doesn’t have the time”), but his mother told him he must. Knowing my antipathy towards Stephen Harper, he asked: “Things are pretty good,
Continue reading