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 readingTag: my stoopid life
Montreal Simon: David Bowie and the Lighthouse of the Different
It was amazing to see so many people all over the world saying the same thing yesterday.Oh no. I didn't even know he was ill. Not the soundtrack of my life.Not Ziggy Stardust. Read more »
Continue readingMontreal Simon: My Full, Frank, and Totally Sober Defence of Elizabeth May
I didn't think I'd have to ride to the defence of Elizabeth May again. I thought one post was enough. But since she has been mercilessly pilloried, and some are actually suggesting she should resign, and you know how I hate bullies.I thought I better write another one, and restate the obvious.Read more
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Violence Against Women: Why We All Need to Look in the Mirror
I'm ashamed to admit that when the stories about the ghastly harassment of women in this country began to emerge, first at the CBC and then on Parliament Hill, I was shocked and horrified.But because I'm a gay guy, and I've never harassed anyone let alone a woman, and sex for me means love
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Scottish Independence and the Search for the New Left
OK. So it's probably not the best time to leave Canada. Not in the middle of that tragically short warm period we call summer in the Great White North.But politically it's the dead season here, or even deader than usual.While in Scotland where I'm going, it's very much alive. Read more »
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Rob Ford and the Lost Animals of Far Enough Farm
Well although he personally believes that crack addicts should be jailed not pampered, I see Rob Ford is finally in rehab.His monstrous Fordzillamobile is in the pound.Earlier this week, Ford's Cadillac Escalade was impounded after a 36-year-old woman, Lee Anne McRobb, was charged with impaired driving in Bracebridge while behind the
Continue readingMontreal Simon: What Christmas Means to Me. Again.
I wrote this post a few years ago, after somebody questioned how an atheist like me, could celebrate Christmas. And I've run it every year since then on this day, because with some minor revisions to accommodate the passage of time, it still sums up how I feel about this day. It's Christmas Day, and
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Lou Reed, My Dad, and the Tennis Racquet Guitar
There aren't too many artists who can bridge the generational divide, or the straight/gay divide, but one of them was Lou Reed. Lou Reed, the singer-songwriter whose darkly poetic recordings as frontman for the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist provided indispensable blueprints for punk, glam, noise rock and
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Harperland and the Progressive Journey to Victory
It's been pretty grey and wet where I live. It gets dark before you know it. Soon it will be winter in Harperland. In all its grim horror.But on the positive side I have a few days off, so I can take a short break from blogging, recharge my batteries, and
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Wonderful Saving of Far Enough Farm
Two years ago I first told you the story of Far Enough Farm, the beautiful little hobby farm on the Toronto Islands. A gentle story book place if ever there was one. I told you how the brutish Con ogre Rob Ford was trying to destroy it for no good reason.
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Disastrous Decline of the Con Regime
It was such a beautiful day, the first real day of Spring, that I spent hours pedalling around my magic island, out of touch with the rest of the world.So it wasn't until I met the three four bears at the little vintage amusement park, that I heard the stunning news. Little
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Valentine’s Day in Harperland
Well today was Valentine's Day and I didn't really feel like writing about it this year.For starters, if I saw another cellophane rose, tacky card, or other pinky thing coming at me I'd probably scream eh?And secondly, how can you celebrate love in a country as grim and grey and
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Ikea Monkey and the Harper Kong
Gawd. If my protest calendar for December wasn't booked solid. And if I hadn't got plastered at the office Christmas party.I might have been walking around today with a sign reading "Free Darwin Now."Read more »
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Mourning the Death of an Old Friend
It's been almost a week since I last blogged, and since I left so abruptly some of you have been wondering where I went.And no doubt some may have feared that I had reread my last post, taken a second look at the burning horror of Harperland.And decided to get
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Felix, Joe, and the Big Jump
I'm too tired to blog tonight, but I just want to say that I thought this big jump was awesome.Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner became the first man to break the sound barrier in a record-shattering freefall jump from the edge of space Sunday, organizers said. The 43-year-old jumped from a
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Beating the Doggie Called Depression
I went for a walk the other day through the leafy lanes of The Shire, with a friend of mine who has suffered from severe depression from about this time last year.It was such a beautiful fall day. He was so happy, at having made so much progress on the
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Coping With the Horror of Harperland
Sometimes when I stare at the horror of Harperland, like Simon in the Lord of the Flies stared at the head of the pig, I get a bit depressed eh? I don't know how I'm going to make it to the next election. Three years seems such a long time.
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Me, Vic, and the Internet Snooping Bill
Oh boy. Sometimes it’s not easy to be a blogger in the growing darkness of Stephen Harper’s Canada. You can feel the fear in the air. My computer is humming like a toaster, and I don’t know whether it’s the sinister operatives from the PMO, or the Russian hackers. Or
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Me, SOPA, and the Internet Revolution
This graphic speaks for itself eh? The day before and the day after the internet revolution. Then Wednesday happened, and suddenly everyone seemed to understand how serious this was. Wikipedia went dark, and the country wailed; we realized how much we have come to depend on the crowdsourced encyclopedia. Google
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Why Dogs Are Better Than Cats…Sometimes
(1) What could match the grateful look of a faithful hound for taking him to his favourite place, the beach? Especially when it’s 40 degrees on the humidex scale, and he knows how to keep cool. But you don’t dare swim in the lake after i…
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