May 2023
Revolution in Our Lifetime A Review of “Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune 2052-2072” [Spectre Journal]
Everything For Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune 2052-2072 by M.E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi Common Notions 2022 Review by Phil Kaplan Unless you’re rich, it’s fairly…
Never Content: On Don Hamerquist’s “A Brilliant Red Thread” [Jarrod Shanahan in the LA Review of Books]
A Brilliant Red Thread: Revolutionary Writings from Don Hamerquist (Kersplebedeb, 2023) “TODAY WE FACE a bewildering conundrum,” writes Luis Brennan. “illions of people are ready to engage in active combat…
Frankl’s Phases of Life in the Camps
My lovely friend and former colleague recently passed away unexpectedly. The kindest people go far too soon. We also went to teacher’s college together over 30 years ago, and his…
The Wicked Witch of the West.
There is no yellow brick road to the legislature in Edmonton but if Calgary votes right (far right), they get a new arena. And the witch gets to keep her…
New poll by Abacus Data shows Alberta NDP breaking ahead of UCP into winning territory
A new poll by Abacus Data released yesterday suggests the Alberta NDP led by Rachel Notley is breaking ahead of the United Conservative Party led by Danielle Smith and heading…
Weekend funnies: From Amazon delivery drivers to Met Gala chickens
WELCOMETO THE WEEKEND pic.twitter.com/6kbG3hFBWF — Brittlestar (@brittlestar) May 12, 2023 First up, Amazon delivery drivers! amazon: your driver just passed the 172 mile marker on 95 north me: stop —…
When They Start Talking About Ideologies And Agendas
… you generally know where they are coming from. “We must protect our children from sexual grooming and pedophilia. The sexualization agenda is robbing children of their innocence.” “I am…
The Conceit That Is Being “Centrist”
I’m seeing a fair number of former Progressive Conservative (PC) supporters in Alberta yammering away about being “centrists” now, and it’s actually making me quite angry. This particular brand of…
Saturday Photo: The Optimal Lawn
Violets are taking over our neighbourhood! Or so it looks this spring. Fifteen years ago or so therewere hardly any: I rustled some from up the street and planted them…
Justin Trudeau’s Partial About Face on the Monarchy
Photo Credit: Reuters I have, for a while now, been critical of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the monarchy. Perhaps, surprisingly, he has done several positive things for the…
CDC’s Revised Guidelines
Something important to get our heads around is why the CDC suddenly announced specifically what we need to do to prevent the spread of Covid. Like, where were they before??…
The Temptation of being Tory.
It is so embarrassing when your electoral district has been saddled with a conservative place-holder. Doug Ford appointed the schmuck as candidate in Barrie-Springwater—Oro-Medonte to keep the disgraced Patrick Brown…
Musical interlude
Tove Lo – Borderline
in which i finally visit the seattle central library and am completely blown away
I mentioned here that I had two great opportunities, back to back, one for work and one for my union. The work trip was a Reconciliation Retreat. For the BCGEU,…
Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Dave Davies interviews Jason C. Jackson about the widespread damage from long COVID – and the lack of remotely sufficient efforts either to…
Legal Tweet of the Day: May 12, 2023
#LegalTweetoftheDay: Education assistant who set up OnlyFans account to make ends meet told to shut it down or risk firing #law #legal #lawtwitter via @CBCNews https://bit.ly/3nMJtVi – Garry J. Wise,…
Cancelling a culture
Vladimir Mayakovsky (1894-1930), Soviet poet, playwright and graphic artist with some of his propaganda posters. Photo courtesy Sovfoto/Universal Images Group. In Yekaterinburg, which has a reputation for being a progressive…
The Fading Consensus
At the end of World War II, the movers and shakers established a new economic order. They called it “The Washington Consensus.” Glen Pearson writes: The economic agreement of recent…
Things Could Be Worse
These days, I take my comforts wherever I can find them. In contemplating the state of my province, Ontario, under the administration of the Doug Ford government, I’m deriving some…