As regular readers of AlbertaPolitics.ca know, there are a lot of posts on this blog, generally divided into three general topic areas: Alberta politics, Canadian politics, and geopolitics. It’s my blog, and I always said that I’d write about topics that interested me, and I wouldn’t necessarily write about topics
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Alberta Politics: AlbertaPolitics.ca marks its 13th anniversary today as 2020, annus horribilis, nears its end
Today marks the 13th anniversary of the first post published on this blog, known at the time as St. Albert Diary, and later, for a spell, as Alberta Diary. So, by the standards of the Internet, this makes AlbertaPolitics.ca an institution. Premier Jason Kenney, striking an avuncular pose himself (Photo:
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Mother Mushroom, blogging and freedom of speech
As I post pearls of wisdom on my blog, including righteous criticism about this country’s follies, I rarely stop to think how fortunate I am to be able to do so freely and fearlessly. How fortunate I am to be doing it in this country. Every once in a while
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Why We Are Winning The War Against Covid-19
I haven't felt much like blogging recently. The greyness of these Covid times, and worrying about my friends risking their lives on the front lines of the pandemic, has practically paralyzed me.When the bug first struck I thought about keeping a Plague Journal, like Daniel Defoe did during the Black
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Do The Liberals Have The Wind In Their Sails Again?
If any of you have been wondering why I haven't been blogging as often as I usually do, well wonder no longer.For as you can see it is the sailing season, and after a long winter of fake scandals, Doug Ford, and bleak polls suggesting that Andrew Scheer could win
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: On Personal Hypocrisy
“The price of admission to the climate-change battle is hypocrisy.” I interpret those words, as best as I remember them from a book on climate change I recently read, as the stark admission that we all fall short in the battle against climate change. They are offered, however, not as
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: On Internet Haters
Here’s how I see it: If two people who are equally matched have a fight, the loser can still save face. It was a fair fight and someone had to lose. He might win next time. But if two people unequally matched have a fight, and the weaker of the
Continue readingScripturient: A farewell to 2017
Twenty seventeen has a special significance for me, beyond merely another year in the ever-lengthening calendar of my life. I find it difficult, sometimes, to believe I am as old as I am – who, after all, lives this long? I used to think that. Back then, back in my
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Today marks the 10th anniversary of AlbertaPolitics.ca – which presumably makes this blog an Internet institution!
PHOTOS: Part of the original header on this blog, back in its St. Albert Diary days, which ran from the last week of 2007 to mid-2009. The blog, of course, has continued under slightly different names to the present. Below: The first post, and my picture with Alberta’s two best
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Slow Death of the Canadian Political Blogosphere
I must admit that when I flew to Scotland a few weeks ago to attend a friend's wedding, I had no idea that it would lead to my longest break from blogging in almost twelve years. But then who knew that after a few wild days in Edinburgh, I would
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A Happy New Year to all – seriously, to all of you – as AlbertaPolitics.ca begins its 10th year of publication
PHOTOS: Some of the high points … This one was taken about the time I broke the story that Danielle Smith would be running for the leadership of the “upstart” Wildrose Party. Below: chats, and photos, with Ed Stelmach, Alison Redford, Jim Prentice and Rachel Notley. Dear Readers, On this
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Welcome to the Beltline
After blogging for over ten years as Bill Longstaff and before that as the Matriarchist, I decided to take a short break. It seems the short break has turned into a long break, so I am starting afresh and here I am as Views from the Beltline. A new blog
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Welcome to the Beltline
After blogging for over ten years as Bill Longstaff and before that as the Matriarchist, I decided to take a short break. It seems the short break has turned into a long break, so I am starting afresh and here I am as Views from the Beltline. A new blog
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: On Being Useful: a Necessary Shift in Radicalism
“Oh, what can we do in a case like that? Nothing to do but sit on your hat, or your toothbrush, or your grandmother, or anything else that’s useless.“ Those are the butchered words of a Burl Ives song I sang as a kid until my sister corrected me. The last
Continue readingAlberta Politics: AlbertaPolitics.ca is taking a short break, with possible interruptions, staring now
PHOTO: Don’t be fooled. The plan is for this blog to be closed for the virtual equivalent of overnight, not forever. AlbertaPolitics.ca will be back soon. There hasn’t been a dull moment in Alberta politics for about four years now. Which makes it …
Continue readingPolitics – Toronto Lawyer | Omar Ha-Redeye: Developments in Applying Assisted Dying
Omar Ha-Redeye commented on Slaw on the new Alberta Court of Appeal decision on assisted dying in Canada (Attorney General) v E.F. The decision raises important constitutional issues in light of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Carter v. Canada. The Federal government is currently drafting Bill C-14, containing amendments to the law in light of the
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Politics and its Discontents: To All Would-Be Bloggers
I’m feeling a bit stale these days in my blogging, and so would like to step back a little bit from daily posts. For those of you who do not have your own blog but like writing informed commentary, such as I often receive from some regular contributors…
Continue readingknitnut.net: Hello, goodbye
It snowed yesterday: 20 cm. I think we broke the record for the most snow ever on April 6th, which was previously held by 1958.
Here are some of the Spring snowmen which sprung briefly to life yesterday:
Help me! I’m melting!
Zombie Spring Snowman will never die!
By the way, I miss you guys. I never […]
Continue readingA Grumpy Hobbit: A Belated Merry Yuletide and Happy New Year Post
It has been nothing but work work, sleep, work, work, sleep, work work workYEAH CHRISTMAS BREAK,… sleep sleep sleep sleep,…That is what it has felt like for the last few weeks, and thus my absence from blogging. Do not fear, the Grumpy Hobbit w…
Continue readingA Grumpy Hobbit: A Belated Merry Yuletide and Happy New Year Post
It has been nothing but work work, sleep, work, work, sleep, work work workYEAH CHRISTMAS BREAK,… sleep sleep sleep sleep,…That is what it has felt like for the last few weeks, and thus my absence from blogging. Do not fear, the Grumpy Hobbit will return in the New Year, the
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