Is it time to turn the page on Facebook?
There was important news coming out of Australia lately that has nothing to do with wildfires, kangaroos or Foster’s Lager. The Australian government was locked in a stare-down with social…
Maurice Tougas
When I’m sixty-five …
In life, there are a number of milestone birthdays. When you turn 13, you’re no longer a child, but you can continue to be childish for a few years. Turning…
You are eating things that don’t exist
We all have little things that irk us. It might be when music is too loud at a restaurant, or when drivers don’t use their signal lights, or when bloggers…
An all-Edmonton blog
In the unlikely event that there is someone outside of Edmonton reading this blog (except for you, Bill) a gentle suggestion: stop reading now. This is for Edmonton eyes only.…
Why there’s still nothin’ on
Back in the long ago year of 1997, Bruce Springsteen released a song called “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)”. I always thought this was an odd song choice for Springsteen;…
Do YOU have what it takes to be Governor General?
Job listing: Governor General of Canada Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of…
Can you buy guilt for a nickel? Some charities think so
Question: if you saw this on the ground, would you even bother to pick it up? Last week, I got a nickel in the mail. Yes, a whole nickel. Where…
A long, long time ago …
A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile… “I’m going to be explaining this song forever …” Recognize those lyrics? If…
We should have seen this coming …
On Wednesday morning, I was tinkering with a blog I wanted to call “We’re going to miss you know who”. The rough idea was that when a certain American president…
UCP’s new slogan: Do as I say, not as I do
When news broke this week that two well-paid government staffers – government flacks, no less – had vacationed in Hawaii during the pandemic, I thought this was an easy call…
At least the Grim Reaper had a good year …
By popular consensus, 2020 was The Worst Year Ever. But there was one person who had a banner year – the Grim Reaper. Along with taking hundreds of thousands of…
The ballad of the headless elf
Bloggers note: This is a reprint – or whatever you call this – of a column I wrote a couple of years back for Edmonton Prime Times. I liked it,…
The words of 2020 are like no other
The year 2020 will go down in history as one like no other. I mean, that must be true, because I’ve heard the expression ‘like no other’ countless times in…
You are a good (old) man, Charlie Brown
It is entirely fitting that Charlie Brown’s 70th birthday this year went almost totally unacknowledged. In another year, the 70th anniversary of the most successful comic strip of all time…
You are a good (old) man, Charlie Brown
It is entirely fitting that Charlie Brown’s 70th birthday this year went almost totally unacknowledged. In another year, the 70th anniversary of the most successful comic strip of all time…
Look in the mirror, Alberta
Once upon a time, there was a comic strip called Pogo, which was famous for its detailed comic strip art and its sly commentary on contemporary life. From Pogo came…
Time isn’t on Time’s side
Back in the day, whatever that means, everybody subscribed to magazines. At various times when I was a kid we subscribed to Reader’s Digest, Life, Look, Newsweek, Chatelaine, Macleans, Sports…
I miss my CFL
This Sunday would have been one of my favourite Sundays of the year. Edmonton head coach Ray Jauch, with QBs Tom Wilkinson (left) and Bruce Lemmermon It would have been…
We’re not done with Trump yet
So, he’s done. He may not know it yet, but he is. Americans have come to their senses and vanquished the great orange menace, the story goes. Americans stood on…
Five reasons Trump will lose
Old men yelling at clouds On Aug. 9, 1974, Gerald Ford took over the presidency of the disgraced Richard Nixon. During his speech to the nation, Ford made what would…