The last words (we hope) on the referen’dumb’
Hello, Alberta voters. On Monday, the nineteenth of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four, we, the citizens of the Province of Alberta, will go to…
Maurice Tougas
UCP goes all in on online casino gambling
Am I missing something? Should I be gambling online? Sure seems like it. You can’t watch a TV show, listen to the radio or drive down a street without being…
On the road, pt. II: O, little town of Wolseley
There’s an old joke that goes, Saskatchewan is so flat you can watch your dog run away for three days. Now, I don’t know why anyone would watch their dog…
On the road for the CFL
For my 70th birthday this year, my three sons gave me an unforgettable gift: an all-expenses-paid vacation! To Regina. And if that wasn’t enough, Winnipeg! And we would make the…
The new Guilded Age is here
Is Taylor Swift vulgar? I know I risk invoking the wrath of ‘Swifties’, as her legions of sycophantic fans are known. But yes, I find her vulgar. Not in regard…
More questions for the referendum
Premier Danielle Smith, leader of the Not Really United Conservative Party, has announced that a question (actually, two questions, but don’t ask) will be added to the already bloated referendum…
Qu’est-ce que c’est le Duolingo ?
Do you use Duolingo? Or should I say, Tu fais du Duolingo? Or should that be Faites-vous du Duolingo? or Est-ce que vous faites du Duolingo? One of those will…
Queen Danielle knows what is best for us
Cast your mind back, dear readers, to a simpler time. And by that I mean 2021. The UCP government of Jason Kenney (who would have thought then that we’d look…
On the matter of an independent Alberta
I have avoided the issue of Alberta separatism so as not to inflame the delicate sensibilities of the Alberta independence crowd. But I feel the time has come to make…
As I was saying to Winnie, my 9th cousin, once removed …
In my spare time (which is all of it), I’ve built a modest family tree on a website called FamilySearch, a free service graciously provided by the Mormon church out…
The baby girl list 2025, from Aabshar to Zyrin
I learned something from watching Jeopardy recently. Most of the time, I learn pointless stuff like ‘State Insects’ or ‘College Mascots’, but this was more interesting: in Denmark, you can…
The 2025 boy name list, from Aabhaan to Zyris
Welcome, dear reader(s) to my fifth annual look at Alberta baby names, beginning with those assigned male at birth. You may be wondering why I have this obsession with names.…
A suggestion for Canada’s big banks
Dear RBC, CIBC, BMO, Scotiabank, TD, and National Bank: Hello, custodians of Canada’s wealth. As a client of one of your banks (actually, it’s one of your cheap knock-offs; let’s…
ChatGPT: Our faulty arbiter of the truth
This blog was written by my son Blake, who teaches junior high school in Edmonton. By BLAKE TOUGAS I want to create a commercial for ChatGPT. It can feature well-to-do…
Time to wean myself off my Trump addiction
OK, I admit it. I’m an addict. No, not to alcohol or opioids. I AM addicted to caffeine, but you’ll have to pry my Tims out of my cold, dead…
Looking for something to read? I have some suggestions
Hello, dear reader(s). Are you ready for one last look back at 2025? I hope so, because that’s this blog’s topic, specifically a list of the best books I read…
Those who shuffled off in 2025
Movies and TV No death stunned the entertainment world more than that of Rob Reiner, killed with his wife in their own home, allegedly by their son. Everybody has to…
And the words of the year are … weird
As we approach the year’s end, the year-end lists begin. First up, the dictionary people. For a few years now, dictionaries have issued their ‘word of the year’ lists, just…
Someone rescue me from Paw Patrol
As I’ve mentioned before (you remember, right?) my wife and I are taking care of our first grandchild, Johnny, during the day while his parents work. It’s mostly fun, sometimes…
UCP policy proposals revealed!
The United Conservative Party is holding its annual general meeting this weekend, where party members vote on policies they would like to see enacted, from important to trivial to ‘what,…