what i’m reading: frederick douglass, prophet of freedom
My biography reading continues: I finally finished Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by the historian and Douglass scholar David Blight. It is a monumental work, not an easy read, but…
July 2019
James Lovelock’s Brave New World
Did I say “brave”? Okay, leave that out – James Lovelock’s New World. Jim turned the big One Oh Oh on Friday. Happy Birthday, James. Chances are you know Lovelock…
Saturday Photo: How Concrete Built the World as We Know It
The photo was taken two years ago when we were travelling in Washington state. That’s the Columbia river near Chief Joseph dam and the green stretches are irrigated fields and…
It’s Almost Shakespearean
It could be that history is repeating itself — or at least rhyming. Susan Delacourt writes: Forty years before Justin Trudeau has been forced to contend with Trump and Johnson,…
Bollocks to Bernier.
When a politician takes a stand that he knows is counter to a majority of voters, he must have a reason. This is the question we need to ask ourselves…
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead tops Audreys Books Edmonton Bestseller List
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold in Edmonton during the week ended July 21, 2019. The lists are compiled by Audreys Books and…
Musical interlude
Elliot Middleton feat. Lynn Gunn – Begin
If I Had One Word to Describe Climate Change…
To me, one word captures the essence of climate change – faster. The onset of climate change is coming at us faster than we ever imagined even just a few…
Reward the wealthy, fail the needy
In 2011, Canada’s austerity driven federal government suspended, delayed or cancelled numerous Environment Canada programs, including the Action Plan on Clean Water. Stephen Harper’s administration made the choice even though…
A Not-So Novel Solution
As I’ve spoken about a few times now on this blog, with the rise of the Green Party so far in this election cycle, they are getting more attention paid…
Paul Fromm with Maxime Bernier: Pleased With PPC Immigration Platform
So rather than engaging in the usual long-winded lead up I engage in, let’s just get to the point on this one: Yep, white supremacist Paul Fromm, seen here with…
The Cheapest Way to Save the Planet Grows Like a Weed
Planting billions of trees across the world is by far the cheapest and most efficient way to tackle the climate crisis. So states a Guardian article, citing a new analysis…
City and Park Board ready to help residents beat the heat this summer
New measures implemented to combat hot weather and poor air quality July 25 2019 – In preparation for a long stretch of sunny weather, the City of Vancouver and Vancouver…
Facing Facts in British Columbia
The near total absence of fanfare marks the release by the BC government of a 400-page climate assessment for the province for the next 30 years. The Vancouver Sun’s Vaughn…
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – George Monbiot writes that the wealthiest few have responded to the rise of populism by funding their own killer clowns to assume power…
Trudeau government compiles media enemies list
Trump would be proud. Me, I think it’s fucking disgusting. Crown corp. compiles actual #blacklist of "negative" reporters, by name. We always knew these existed. First time we've seen thru…
Is Paris Burning?
The title question of a famous 1966 movie about the liberation of Paris from the Nazis is also an apt one to ask about the contemporary Parisian city, given the…
Too Many Bozos On This Bus
Desperate times require desperate measures. The privilege of the old stock citizens, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, is being threatened in the USA, the UK, and in Canada. It's just a question…
Too Many Bozos On This Bus
Desperate times require desperate measures. The privilege of the old stock citizens, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, is being threatened in the USA, the UK, and in Canada. It’s just a question…
Republican Fascists
The Republican Party, Arthur Haberman writes, is a fascist institution: Fascism is first characterized by a virulent nationalism, which is often either ethnic or racist. In the case of Trump,…