In Grade 10 I read The Chrysalids, a John Wyndham science fiction that starts out describing an agrarian culture where they talk of God-like old people who could move the Earth into walls and hills. There were enough clues in the first chapter that I soon figured out that the
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Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: More Bad Lips to Read
Last year there was a new musician made famous for singing not so well, to a professionally produced music video. Rebecca Black became an Internet sensation, for being blah. Her video, “Friday”, quite possibly has the most dislikes of any on YouTube. Why might you care? Because it’s given rise
Continue readingGeoff Campbell: Keeping in touch
Hey everyone. I just wanted to write a bit of a post for everybody at Mount Allison (and everywhere else) on how to keep in touch with me now that I’ve moved back to Boston. If we knew each other I’m sure we’re already friends on Facebook (Geoff Campbell). Anybody
Continue readingCritical Brain Candy: Pirating helps music sales? Uh huh
A new study says BitTorrent piracy found by study to boost music sales. Right. BGR even points out the obvious way this study seems suspicious. Look, everyone “pirates” stuff to some degree or another. It’s become marginally acceptable in society, and I do believe there’s a spectrum on the morality of it.
Continue readingpragmaticcanadian: Reducing Poverty by Guaranteed Annual Income
Even some conservatives support this idea, but we need to expand on it. The idea is that everyone in Canada should be provided a minimum level of income that is scaled back when people earn more, in a way that won’t discourage employment. This would provide a minimum standard of
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Federal jobs cuts: Clarity is always one year away
I’ve commented on federal job cuts many times before (here, here, here & here) and in the interests of beating this particular horse good and dead (no animals were harmed in the writing of these reports), the CCPA today is releasing my latest update on the matter: Clearing away the
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: ConCalls: Two Month Link Backlog
There’ve been so many robocall stories in a wide range of newspapers, blogs, and online magazines. It’s really hard to keep track, and I’d not so humbly claim I’m in the top 1% of Canadians who understand what went down and the impact it had. There are dozens of tabs
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The Stock Market and Canadian Economic Performance
Glancing idly at the numbers, I find to my slight surprise that the Canadian stock market (S&P/TSX) is now down about 25% from the May, 2008 peak, whereas the US stock market (S&P 500) is down by only about 10% from its peak in May, 2007. So, since the beginning
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: ConCalls: #RoboCon RoboContinues
Thx! RT @kady: Meanwhile, if you've lost the thread of the #robocalls plot, the intrepid @laura_payton has you covered: is.gd/Xzrnby— Laura Payton (@laura_payton) May 16, 2012 There’ve been a few days of no new news reported in the robocalls criminal investigation. What has been said today in CBC, while factual,
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Small Time Video
Gormley was critical of the bad language in Gunderson’s videos. I don’t care for foul language in most music either, but at least Gormley has a valid excuse for acting like a crotchety old man; I don’t know what my problem is. I do love Dirty Spaceman, however. And I
Continue readingGeoff Campbell: Yesterday
Yesterday I graduated with a B.A. Honours in International Relations at Mount Allison University. Today, I travelled from there back home to Boston. It’s tough leaving a place I’ve called home for longer than anywhere else since I a little boy. It was an incredible experience. I learned, read, and
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Why Can’t We Afford What We Used to Have?
In this age of austerity, we are constantly told by governments that we have to tighten our belts. Tuition fees have to go up; public pensions, Unemployment Insurance and social assistance benefits have to be cut; universal public health care is no longer affordable, and so on ad nauseam. But,
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: You Scratch My Back
There’s an interesting glimpse into how the Conservatives get around that pesky no-corporate donations rule. While it could be a co-incidence that people swept up in an investigation into crooked building shenanigans in Quebec just happen to be large Conservative Party donors, the cynic in me wonders why someone would
Continue readingLeft Over: Plenty of Jobs in Alberta (Alberta!!!) says Emperor Steve’s Puppet, Flaherty
Here’s good ol’ boy Flaherty warning Canadians that EI will be changed to reflect Alberta and Saskatchewan’s need for labour…as if the government was financing EI in the first place.. They aren’t – it’s financed by employers and labour…not that this has stopped any government from tinkering with the program
Continue readingGeoff Campbell: Goodbye Mount Allison University
I’m leaving Mount Allison University and Sackville, NB today. I don’t know if/when I’ll ever be back. I’ve called this place home for 1356 days now. That seems like an insane number. Four years of laughs, stress, exciting nights, restless nights, days in the sun, days in the library. At times it’s
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Regina City Council meeting – Deadblog
(Liveblog notes, but no wifi to upload in real time so this is a deadblogging instead.) First attempt at council being paperless. When we entered the chamber we were all handed a paper package. Paperless fail. Still, good an effort is being made with their ipads. City Manager Davies asked
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: ConCalls: Fraud Not all Robocalls in #RoboCon
Take a look at what also happened to swing the election in key ridings for the Conservatives. Harassing phone calls pretending to be from Liberals, and plenty of voters voting without the documentation to prove they were citizens or lived in the riding. To date, the Etobicoke case has revealed
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Andrew (Andy) Suknaski of Wood Mountain and Moose Jaw
Andy Suknaski, award winning poet and visual artist, has passed away at age 69. Andy was from my home town of Wood Mountain, and I have some memories of him as I grew up. He lived only a block away (not big odds on that, when the village is only
Continue readingSlap Upside The Head: California Moves To Ban Gay “Conversion” Therapy For Teens
Encouraging news coming out of California this week! The state senate is quickly passing some new legislation that would ban the practice of applying the unscientific and discredited practice of gay “conversion therapy” on anyone under the age of 18. The bill would also make anyone over the age
Continue readingIn This Corner: Mom’s workhouse: How one woman put 11 kids to work for the greater good.
This Mother’s Day will mark the 27th straight without a mother to celebrate. That’s almost half my life without a mother, and you’d think that the memories of her would have faded, pushed aside by all that has happened to my life since she passed away. But it hasn’t; I
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