Well, they’re not NEW, exactly. The original lovebirds – Oboe’s parents, Billie and Lester – have moved from GC’s house to mine. It’s really nice to have them here, and they’re adapting very well. At first they squawked like crazy, and their arrival happened to coincide with the arrival of
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: The Census And Your Privacy: The Courts Speak
When Sandra Finely received her long-form census papers in 2006, she refused to fill it out because she felt that the requirement violated her right to privacy, and was therefore unconstitutional She was taken to court for violating the Statistics Act, lost, and requested an appeal Her arguments were heard by the Saskatchewan
Continue readingeaves.ca: Thoughts on the White House Executive Order on Open Data
As those steeped in the policy wonk geekery of open data are likely already aware, last Thursday the President of the United States issued an Executive Order Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information. This is, quite frankly, a big deal. Further down in the post
Continue reading350 or bust: We’re All Passengers on The Titanic Now
* Dr. Richard Alley, climatologist, commenting on atmospheric CO2 levels passing an historic 400ppm last week.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Where was Fairity’s contract chopper? #nlpoli
In the wake of the tragic death last week of Joseph Riche, it shouldn’t be surprising that some people, including some politicians, are blaming the tragedy on the Department of National Defence. That’s what politicians do in this province. Blame Ottawa is a time-honoured political strategy even if it is
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Ugliness of Harperland and the Great Chris Hadfield
Sometimes, especially on a cold spring day like today, I can't help feeling depressed about living in a country like Harperland. I can't help thinking about how great we might have been, and what the Cons have made of us. How once we were admired by the rest of the world, as a cool young country
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Canada Has Never Been Cooler. Never, Ever.
It’s a fighter pilot, natch. Did I mention he’s a fighter pilot? What’s with those guys anyway? Oh wait, I remember, they’re Fighter Pilots – the coolest variant of humans ever to exist. Vocals by some guy named Chris Hadfield. Oh wait, that’s right, the Fighter Pilot guy. I’ll be
Continue readingNorthern Insight: But now the days grow short
And only one will say, “It was a very good year.”
Continue readingMind of Dan: A Space Oddity
A, sadly, earthbound Commander Chris Hadfield in what is definitely the most awesome and extraordinary version of David Bowie’s classic song:
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Athabasca University board to Athabasca University Faculty Association: Drop dead
The Athabasca University board meets to discuss its vision for the future of the distance-learning institution. Actual visioning board members may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: History Professor Alvin Finkel, AU Faculty Association President Mark McCutcheon. It took Athabasca University’s rubber-stamp board less than 48 hours to tell the
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Martyn Brown – Gordon Cambell’s Chief of Staff Disses Christy Clark
Martyn Brown-’Think Twice-Vote Once’ Just as Christy Clark is in high gear doing her version of the Socialist Hordes are at the Gates, along comes former Premier Gordon Campbell’s ’Chief of Staff’ Martyn Brown with this commentary was published in the Georgia Straight.
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Will Downtown Arena funding be issue #1 in Edmonton’s municipal elections?
TweetScrambling to fill $55 million in missing funding for the proposed Katz Group downtown arena, City Councillors voted last week to postpone any final vote on financing the project. Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel won the support of enough Capital Region politicians last week to potentially secure an extra $25 million
Continue readingBryan Crockett: Thank you Commander Hadfield
Commander Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut spending his last night aboard the International Space Station tonight, is a Canadian hero, a brilliant role model, and a representation of Canada on the international stage of which we should all be proud. And not just because he’s a Canadian astronaut in space.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Rafe Mair Video: Liberals Bankrupting BC with $171 Billion Debt Legacy
Watch Rafe Mair’s powerhouse speech on the upcoming BC election: “Christy Clark has on the side of her bus,’Debt Free BC’. We owe $171 Billion dollars! Since the Liberals came to power, our per capita share of debt has gone from a little over $5,000 to $40,000 – every man,
Continue readingB.C. Policy Perspectives: The Tilted Pendulum
After last week’s speculation about an “ideal” election result, it is perhaps time to come down to Earth and realize that after a week of Christy Clark doing what she does best (hysterical economic drum-beating and mugging in front of cameras) the polls have narrowed to single-digit numbers and that we
Continue readingRecreating Eden: Saturday Photo: Say No to Fees at the Jardin botanique
Once upon a time you could get into Montreal’s Jardin botanique for nothing, anytime. Then fees were added for the greenhouses, and for non-Montrealers who wanted to visit the outside gardens. Until this year, residents of the city had the option of buying a $8 Accès Montréal card which gave
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: A Spin-Able Victory
Upshot: the anti-Justin Trudeau attack ads, which debuted in the Maritimes so as to get Peter Penashue his seat back, did not work. In fact, given that this is a Forum poll, they probably didn’t work even worse than their top line number suggests.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian home page: Can Political Polls be Trusted?
Following a polling debacle in last year’s Alberta election and troubling signs in BC as voters prepare to cast their ballots, John King questions the motives and methods of pollsters and the corporate media who publish them. “Suddenly, obscure pollsters, often funded by unknown sources, are constructing the narrative that
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Liberal campaign based on falsehoods
From Kevin Logan, contributor to The Common Sense Canadian click here to read The New West Partnership Trade Agreement Part I states operating principles, including: ESTABLISH a comprehensive agreement on trade, investment and labour mobility that applies to all sectors of the economy; ELIMINATE barriers that restrict or impair trade,
Continue readingwmtc: barcelona, day two
Barcelona is amazing. Some people suggested that five days here were too many, but we can barely fit in all the things we want to do – even though we are omitting one major tourist attraction and the most popular day-trip in Spain. (More on that later.) I managed to
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