Bring Back the Salons
Today if someone mentions a “salon” you probably think about a haircut or manicure. But in the 18th century, prior to the French Revolution, salons were the focus of civil…
civility
Manners? Civility? What happened to them?
In his book, Walden, in fact in the very first chapter, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” I would offer that today — at least…
Dandelions and civilization
Whenever I see a lawn with dandelions, I think, “This is the home of civilized people. This is the home of people who care about the environment and their community.…
About Those Ear Plugs…
Sigh. I expected to spend the next four years writing letters to my MLA, Doug Schweitzer, but I didn’t think the first one would be about ear plugs. But we…
Dignity and Respect
Two remarkable things happened this week. One remarkably good, the other remarkably bad. Let’s start with the remarkably good. Ricardo Miranda, Alberta’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, got married to…
Confronting Evil: Not with a bang, but a whimper? Neither, I say
Yes, it is best to be cordial, courteous, friendly and respectful, and to avoid harsh words and harsh speech, generally speaking. But when it comes to confronting power, when it…
Who Knows Where the Time Goes?
I was thinking of the lines from that Fairport Convention song this week as we walked through Toronto on our three-day mini-holiday. I can still hear Sandy Denny’s wonderful, haunting…
Chess Master, You May Approach the Bench
Ever want to take on an opponent in court from the comfort of your living room? This legal themed chess set might provide an outlet. “Approach the Bench” was designed…
Ignatieff is right
In this excerpt in particular as highlighted by John Ibbitson earlier Wednesday, I agree with Ignatieff: When you think of your opponent across the aisle as an adversary, “you reject…
Del Mastro thinks some folks on the interweb thingy….
… are, ahem, lacking in civility. Yup, can’t argue with that. But. Seriously. Mr. Del Mastro. This is coming from a government MP whose party has been the LEAST civil…
In defence of 14-year-old girls
So it was that MP Charlie Angus, the NDP’s self-appointed guardian of civility, has declared that Twitter has “turned us all into 14-year-olds in a cafeteria” where “verybody gets to…
A banner day in Ottawa
Yes, it was a banner day in Ottawa yesterday, replete with Hitler references from a Conservative MP and a Canadian minister of the crown telling Canadians that Canada will now…
A day – and era – for Dummies
Couldn’t let this one pass: “MPs hit new low in Question Period “for Dummies.” The Harper government has taken us to new lows, yes. But the “for Dummies” characterization is…
Elizabeth Warren v. Heckler
An angry man confronts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren at the outset of a local volunteer meeting in Brockton, Mass. “You’re a socialist whore!” the unemployed Fox News viewer shouted, adding…
Jack’s passing seems to have sparked a new competition
I'm reminded at times of that aphorism (can't remember whether it was Mark Twain or Winston Churchill) about a lie getting halfway around the world while the truth is still…
@cityslikr lights @SueAnnLevy up like a pinball machine
(With an apology to pinball machines everywhere.)That @cityslikr fella can be wonderfully succinct sometimes. I retweeted this earlier, but it deserves a whole blog post.Word. If you're ever curious about…
BCL catches @SueAnnLevy rewriting history, smearing brave firefighters
BigCityLib Strikes Back: In Case You ARE WonderingDon't know why BCL isn't on the Tweeter, but that's up to him. In the meantime, seems the Venomous LoserTM is perfectly happy…
Let’s NOT Be Civil
There seems to be a very strong current within Canadian politics to "restore civility" within the House of Commons. This message was emphasized by Elizabeth May and the Green Party…