On streamlining
Energy board changes pipeline complaint rules Canadians who want to tell the National Energy Board what they think about proposed pipeline projects – either in person or in writing –…
pogge
Friday night
Good evening. Let’s begin with Moreland & Arbuckle covering Bo Diddley’s Hey Mona. This is Albert Collins performing on German television in 1985. This is If Trouble Was Money. And…
Friday night: Wolf, Wells and King
I once posted an abbreviated version of this Howlin’ Wolf performance but now that someone’s been good enough to upload the whole seven minutes, here’s How Many More Years one…
Friday night
The opening number has Andrew Winton on a custom-made double-neck lap steel guitar covering an old gospel blues called Nobody’s Fault But Mine. This is Rory Gallagher with a song…
And this is where we juxtapose: Libya edition
March, 2011: The Harper government rallied opposition parties to “war” Monday, casting Canada’s military intervention in the Libyan crisis as a moral imperative. … “This government along with the international…
Friday night blues blogging
With a tip of the hat to Moose at Classic Blues Videos, tonight’s opener is a Muddy Waters performance of I’m A King Bee featuring George Buford on harp. This…
Friday night: RIP Stompin’ Tom Connors
Thomas Charles Connors, a Canadian institution, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 77. There’s a quick look at his life and career here at the Toronto Star. He…
Bullying above our weight
Palestinians could face ‘consequences’ for pursuing Israel at the UN, says Baird Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has told a powerful pro-Israel lobby that Palestinians will feel “consequences” from Canada…
Remember when they talked about standing up for Canada?
We now appear to have gone from “Made-In-Canada” policy to complying with a treaty we’ve never signed simply because the Americans have ordered us to. Cory Doctorow’s hed pretty much…
Friday night: Johnny "Clyde" Copeland
According to the Wikipedia bio, while Johnny Copeland’s early recordings didn’t burn up the charts he was popular as a touring act. It’s easy to see why; he obviously loved…
Oops, they did it again
You might be forgiven if, on reading the following, you assume it was published by the Conservative Party of Canada: Mississauga, Ontario, February 18, 2013… Today, the Honourable Gail Shea,…
The Big Shift? Or Wishful Thinking?
Following up on the release of a new book called The Big Shift by John Ibbitson and Darrell Bricker, Gerry Nicholls is in The Hill Times this morning to boil…
You say "precarious" like it’s a bad thing
Half of GTA and Hamilton workers in ‘precarious’ jobs Barely half of working adults in the GTA and Hamilton have full-time jobs with benefits and expect to be working for…
Friday night: Brown, Brown and Jordan
My father has to take some of the blame for my interest in the blues. He had a collection of 78s and albums that included material like tonight’s offerings. And…
Friday night: Solo blues
This is Gary Clark Jr. with Nextdoor Neighbour Blues. As far as I can tell it’s an original. Son House was a preacher before he was a blues musician and…
Campaign Capers: In which the government drags its feet
Democracy Watch has a new feature on their website. It’s explained here: Today, Democracy Watch launched its online counter to track how much time has passed since the federal Conservatives…
The Age of Austerity
RBC boosts CEO’s pay 25% to $12.6-million Royal Bank of Canada chief Gordon Nixon took home $12.6-million in total direct compensation last year, the highest amount the bank has paid…
Friday night blues blogging
Good evening. This is Billy Branch and the Sons of the Blues with their cover of Little Walter’s Juke. One of the guitarists in that last clip was Lurrie Bell.…
Today in WTF? moments
HRSDC privacy breach letters sent to wrong people Former student loan recipients say letters from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada informing them their personal information may have been lost…
So when is a private member’s bill not a private member’s bill?
It’s been suggested by many observers that a Conversative MP doesn’t table a private member’s bill without the explicit permission of the government but until now I don’t think I’ve…