The Harper Doctrine
Perhaps the starkest development from The Conservative convention was the enunciation of what John Ibbitson, in The Globe and Mail, calls the "Harper Doctrine." It is a radical departure from…
The Party Of Paranoia
Obviously, a sweeping generalization, but in totality I would argue Conservatives tend to be a paranoid bunch. The rest of the world is an enemy, a host of motivations comes…
the half-century mark
I was born on June 13, 1961. I've been alive on this planet for 50 years today. And I'm pretty fucking happy about it. In my belief system, we only…
Monday scotch blogging: a proposal
This series of short videos (and extremely annoying ads) at the Esquire website feature the actor Brian Cox demonstrating how to pronounce a large variety of scotch names. My modest…
Hate, violence at Croatian Pride event in Split
Just 24 hours after the European Commission announced that Croatia would be able to join the European Union, violence marred the first Gay Pride Parade to be staged in the…
I Stand Corrected on Tony Clement
I'm still unable to leave comments on my blog, or even respond to them, but several of my readers provided some vital insight into Clement's spending orgy.One dealt with bicycle…
Tories Raise The Spectre Of A Same-Sex Marriage Ban
Well, that didn’t take very long, did it? Just weeks after Canada’s federal election, delegates at the Conservative Party Convention have raised a dead social issue over the weekend, discussing…
15 ideas (and more) for a stronger Newfoundland and Labrador – Introduction
In her first speech to the House of Assembly as Premier – which she and her staff erroneously and arrogantly like to call her inaugural speech – Kathy Dunderdale claimed…
Heroes of their own stories
Former Liberal MP Michelle Simpson says she’s writing a book about backbenchers in Ottawa. She says that they have little power, are pressured by their parties to toe the line,…
Weiner’s wiener gets more attention than U.S. economic ails
The fact that Americans are more interested in a man's genitalia than in the problems that plague their society comes as no surprise to many Canadians. I for one think…
Autism and Environmental Pollution: Review Shows Serious Study Needed
EPA, United States Environmental Protection Agency Judith Pinborough-Zimmerman, research assistant professor in the University of Utah’s Department of Psychiatry, has called for more serious study of links between toxic pollution…
The Gay Girl in Damascus Who Wasn’t
It was a compelling story. A young Syrian-American lesbian blogging about life and love in the darkness of a police state, only to be kidnapped. Arraf wrote a blog called…
politicos march in edmonton’s 2011 pride parade.
Tens of thousands of Edmontonians packed the streets of downtown on Saturday for the first major festival event of the summer – Edmonton’s Pride Parade. Held the same day as…
Opposing the #HarperRegime: thinking strategically over the next four years
Sorry, dear friends. This is going to be one of those times when I try to get cerebral, but not too cerebral, and end up sounding like a wanker. Business…
Alison Redford’s ‘high-risk as it gets’ Tory campaign: two outta three ain’t bad!
Alison Redford at the Legislature earlier this year. Does this look like a risk-taker? (Photo by Dave Cournoyer. Used with permission.)In the past few days, Alberta Conservative leadership candidate Alison…
The Canadian Economy’s Strange Success
On Friday, Statscan reported that the Canadian economy added another 22,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate fell to 7.4%. The economy grew in the first quarter at…
The Canadian Economy’s Strange Success
On Friday, Statscan reported that the Canadian economy added another 22,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate fell to 7.4%. The economy grew in the first quarter at…
The Canadian Economy’s Strange Success
On Friday, Statscan reported that the Canadian economy added another 22,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate fell to 7.4%. The economy grew in the first quarter at…
The Canadian Economy’s Strange Success
On Friday, Statscan reported that the Canadian economy added another 22,000 jobs in May and that the unemployment rate fell to 7.4%. The economy grew in the first quarter at…