Canada vs. Mexico: We may have outsmarted ourselves
Good morning from Edmonton! We’re experiencing our first major snowfall of the season. Driving is terrible. The wind is blowing up to 40 km/h. It’s not a fit day or…
Maurice Tougas
Gift suggestions for the person who literally has everything
We all like to find unique, distinctive, one-of-a-kind gifts for Christmas that show how much we care for the giftee. But most of us just end up buying any piece…
Justin, it’s time to raise the flag again
You may have noticed that the once-proud Canadian emblem, the Maple Leaf flag, has been looking somewhat shamefaced these days. On all federal buildings, the banner has been lowered to…
How adults – yes, that’s you – have taken over Halloween (formerly known as Hallowe’en)
October is the scariest month of the year, and not just because summer is dead and we’re just waiting for winter’s icy, months-long grip. It’s the month of Halloween, or,…
Introducing ‘Who Does That?’, a compendium of complaints large and small
The other day I was walking my son’s dog (actually, it was closer to being dragged by my son’s dog; he’s young and strong, and I am not) when I…
A look at Alberta’s referen-dumbs
Election day in Alberta is Monday, Oct. 18. Wait, you may be saying, didn’t we just have an election? Very observant of you. Yes, we did have an election, but…
Things to be sort of thankful for this weekend
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone. Or, as Americans call it, Canadian Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a day Canadians set aside to be thankful, as opposed to the just completed Truth and Reconciliation…
A few words about words and phrases we should drop
One of the pleasures of writing a blog is that I can vent about trivial things that previously only my wife and sons had the privilege to hear. So this…
Winners, and losers, in the election that should not have been
So, the federal election – the shortest allowed by law – is over. Did you notice it was happening? Anyway, let’s take a look at what we have learned, if…
Why I’m sitting out this cynical, shameful election
The woman in the photo below looks like any suburban soccer mom, late 30s to early 40s. She has a little girl in front of her, presumably her daughter. ‘What…
Plenty of blame to share for current COVID crisis
A lot of stupid stuff has been written about the pandemic over the past year. (Year and a half? Two years? Seems like forever.) Here’s an example of one of…
A rumination on the month of September …
Ask anyone to name their least favourite month, and September will make the list. It’s not as bad as February (how could such a short month seem so long?). It…
Would-be Jeopardy! host becomes a future Jeopardy! question
As you know, there were three big stories in the world this past week. First, Justin Trudeau’s “snap” election call that everyone saw coming for months. Second, the collapse of…
I attend my first COVID-era gathering. It was weird.
On Saturday, for the first time since God knows when, I attended a large scale event with thousands of other humanoids in attendance. The event was rife with the utter…
Skip the hip, Olympics, and stick with real sports
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are nearing the half-way point. A few of you will be bleary-eyed from watching synchronized three-man fencing at 4 a.m., or something like that. Most of…
Is it time to cleanse yourself of the ‘news’?
I am currently reading an epic book called Humankind (subtitled A Hopeful History) by a Dutch historian and thinker named Rutger Bregman. OK, I realize that sounds incredibly boring, but…
Oh, Baby! Female names for 2020 are U’nique
When last we met – if you can call one person writing and another reading an actual meeting – I was discussing the more intriguing and downright weird names Albertans…
Baby boy names in 2020: From Aabid to Zyron, with plenty of Jaxs
Back when I was a youngster – literally in another millennium! – most kids had names that were pretty solid and stolid. Everybody knew a John or a Jim or…
Lessons from COVID … but will we learn?
Did you celebrate Canada Day on Thursday? If so, shame on you! If you read the daily newspapers (which nobody does anymore) or watch the TV news (which nobody should…
Battle of the butts: how we (almost) beat smoking
While driving around town recently, I saw something that actually made me come up short. The guy behind me was not pleased. Nothing turns a woman on more than blowing…