Worst. Leadership race. Ever.
Somewhere in my collection of flotsam and jetsam of old newspaper clippings from my youth, I have the famous Edmonton Journal paper from the day after the Progressive Conservatives, under…
mauricetougas
Thomas Lukaszuk, world’s most expensive relationship counsellor.
OK, I have about a million questions about the Thomas Lukaszuk $20,000 phone bill scandal. Or maybe about seven. First, the background. It was revealed this week that Lukaszuk, the…
Ode to the bridge to somewhere: a mini-memoir
I went for lunch today with my old pal Bruce Miller. I chose the Original Joe’s on 102 Avenue because a) it’s relatively cheap and good (I always have a…
The Fringe: Edmonton’s holiest sacred cow.
Every city has its sacred cows, institutions that are so established and so revered, that they are beyond genuine criticism. Edmonton has more than its share. The folk fest is…
Time to stop beating on Alison Redford … she’s already dead.
There’s an episode of The Simpsons where Homer becomes a Krusty the Klown impersonator for hire. At the opening of a new Krusty Burger, he savagely attacks the Krusty Burger…
Woe Canada: When the CFL tried to conquer the USA. A book review.
Considering how long the venerable Canadian Football League has been around, remarkably little has been written about its turbulent history. That lack of information makes End Zones & Border Wars…
Let’s all ruin Russia. Join the Boycott Russian Vodka movement!
The Russia of 2014 isn’t really a whole lot different than the USSR of 1964. In some ways, it’s worse. In the bad old days, the Communist Party leaders had…
By the way, the PCs are electing our new premier. Just thought you should know.
As a respected member of the blogosphere (or at least a member of the blogosphere), I feel it is my obligation to comment on the ‘race’ to be the next…
How the PCs bungled the license plate design contest.
How does a government botch something as simple as changing your provincial license plate? Apparently, it’s a lot easier than it seems, because our moribund PC government has done exactly…
Is Eugenie Bouchard for real?
By now, even if you’re not a tennis fan, or a sports fan, or even an oscillating fan (sorry, terrible joke; it’s hot in my house and I just happened…
Dear Canada: It’s time to upgrade our greatests lists.
Happy 147th birthday, my fellow Canadians. I hope you’re enjoying the day by spending time with the family, maybe going to the lake, attending various Canada Day celebrations, etc. Me?…
Sunnis versus Shi’ites explained … sort of.
By now, you’ve probably hear about some ruckus in Iran. Or maybe Iraq. Yes, that’s it, Iraq. I always get those two confused. And if you think that’s confusing, just…
Everything I’ve taught my sons: a Father’s Day tribute to me
Hey, everybody, it’s Father’s Day! I feel I have to remind you, my minimal readership, of this fact. Father’s Day has always been the distant, definitely poorer relative of Mother’s…
Watching Moncton, remembering Mayerthorpe. And why we still love the RCMP.
While watching the coverage today of the funeral of the three Mounties killed in Moncton, I was transported back to those bleak days in March 2005, when little Mayorthorpe was…
Why does the media care what’s trending on Twitter?
While I was watching TV news coverage of the Moncton nightmare, I often heard the reporters talking, in terms of near awe, that #Moncton or #prayforMoncton was trending on Twitter.…
The Dionne Quintuplets: Little Girls Lost in the Harsh Glare of Fame
mauricetougas: Photos from Life magazine of the Dionne Quints, born 80 years ago today. And my blog on the girls at http://wp.me/p17bGN-mt Originally posted on LIFE: This week marks the…
Introducing The Idiot Historian, and happy birthday to Cecile and Annette Dionne.
Wednesday marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of one of the most amazing, uplifting and ultimately tragic stories in Canadian history. Let’s see if the lazy Canadian media, so…
Random thoughts, from Jian to Tim to Louis C.K.
Welcome to the long weekend, everyone. Or, as those of us who toil in retail call it, the weekend. For your long weekend enjoyment (?), I have for you a…
Alberta: Land of milk and money.
Alberta is truly a land of wonders. For example, I wonder what kind of thinking went into giving whopping six-figure salaries to public servants? Alberta is awash in examples of…