Obviously, a sweeping generalization, but in totality I would argue Conservatives tend to be a paranoid bunch. The rest of the world is an enemy, a host of motivations comes from an “us vs them” mentality, it provides inspiration and resolve. Fundraisi…
Continue readingwmtc: the half-century mark
I was born on June 13, 1961. I’ve been alive on this planet for 50 years today. And I’m pretty fucking happy about it.
In my belief system, we only get one shot. When we die, our bodies go the way of all organic matter, and that’s all there is. Prete…
Continue readingThe Skwib: Monday scotch blogging: a proposal
This series of short videos (and extremely annoying ads) at the Esquire website feature the actor Brian Cox demonstrating how to pronounce a large variety of scotch names. My modest proposal is that we should recreate this useful series and actually consume a dram for each scotch in the list. Perhaps when a scotch’s name […]
Continue readinggay persons of color: Hate, violence at Croatian Pride event in Split
Just 24 hours after the European Commission announced that Croatia would be able to join the European Union, violence marred the first Gay Pride Parade to be staged in the port city of Split on Sunday. UK Gay News reports that shouts of “kill the fags”…
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: I Stand Corrected on Tony Clement
I’m still unable to leave comments on my blog, or even respond to them, but several of my readers provided some vital insight into Clement’s spending orgy.One dealt with bicycle racks, which are indeed part of infrastructure spending. However, they sho…
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: Tories Raise The Spectre Of A Same-Sex Marriage Ban
Well, that didn’t take very long, did it? Just weeks after Canada’s federal election, delegates at the Conservative Party Convention have raised a dead social issue over the weekend, discussing and voting on a resolution to ban same-sex marriage in Canada. While a same-sex marriage ban had already been official Conservative Party policy, delegates readily […]
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: 15 ideas (and more) for a stronger Newfoundland and Labrador – Introduction
In her first speech to the House of Assembly as Premier – which she and her staff erroneously and arrogantly like to call her inaugural speech – Kathy Dunderdale claimed that, since 2003, she and her party had “demonstrated an unwavering commitme…
Continue readingHeroes of their own stories
Former Liberal MP Michelle Simpson says she’s writing a book about backbenchers in Ottawa. She says that they have little power, are pressured by their parties to toe the line, and they have given up their oversight rol…
Continue readingWeiner’s wiener gets more attention than U.S. economic ails
The fact that Americans are more interested in a man’s genitalia than in the problems that plague their society comes as no surprise to many Canadians.
I for one think that Anthony Weiner shouldn’t resign his post in Congress.
Why is that?…
Continue readingFacing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism and Environmental Pollution: Review Shows Serious Study Needed
EPA, United States Environmental Protection Agency
Judith Pinborough-Zimmerman, research assistant professor in the University of Utah’s Department of Psychiatry, has called for more serious study of links between toxic pollution and autism spectr…
Montreal Simon: The Gay Girl in Damascus Who Wasn’t
It was a compelling story. A young Syrian-American lesbian blogging about life and love in the darkness of a police state, only to be kidnapped.
Arraf wrote a blog called “A Gay Girl in Damascus,” a mixture of erotic prose and updates abou…
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: politicos march in edmonton’s 2011 pride parade.
Tens of thousands of Edmontonians packed the streets of downtown on Saturday for the first major festival event of the summer – Edmonton’s Pride Parade. Held the same day as the City Centre Market and the Al Fresco Block Party on 104 Street, our city’s downtown core into a vibrant and very fun day-long party. […]
Continue readingOpposing the #HarperRegime: thinking strategically over the next four years
Sorry, dear friends. This is going to be one of those times when I try to get cerebral, but not too cerebral, and end up sounding like a wanker. Business as usual, in other words.
In the context of last week’s Twitter exchange with @thekeenanwire over…
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Alison Redford’s ‘high-risk as it gets’ Tory campaign: two outta three ain’t bad!
Alison Redford at the Legislature earlier this year. Does this look like a risk-taker? (Photo by Dave Cournoyer. Used with permission.)In the past few days, Alberta Conservative leadership candidate Alison Redford has dared to stake out different posit…
Continue readingAll Politics Is Local: The Canadian Economy’s Strange Success
On Friday, Statscan reported that the Canadian economy added another 22,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate fell to 7.4%. The economy grew in the first quarter at a healthy annualized clip of 3.9% and according again to statscan it did so in all the right way. Huge
Continue readingAll Politics Is Local: The Canadian Economy’s Strange Success
On Friday, Statscan reported that the Canadian economy added another 22,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate fell to 7.4%. The economy grew in the first quarter at a healthy annualized clip of 3.9% and according again to statscan it did so i…
Continue readingAll Politics Is Local: The Canadian Economy’s Strange Success
On Friday, Statscan reported that the Canadian economy added another 22,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate fell to 7.4%. The economy grew in the first quarter at a healthy annualized clip of 3.9% and according again to statscan it did so in all the right way. Huge
Continue readingExcited Delirium: How Canada Can Cut About $3 Billion – The Easy Way
Funding to the IMF should be cut off.
Continue readingCanada: persistently 2nd worst in class
During the last election much was made about Canada’s relatively good performance during the last recession. What was conveniently left out of the discussion by all political parties is just how dismal Canada’s macroeconomic performance h…
Continue reading