what i’m reading: giovanni’s room by james baldwin
James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, a landmark in LGBT literature, is one of our library’s current “Raves & Faves”. The 1956 novel takes place in Paris, narrated by a young American…
history
CBC Interviewed a Gunman?
This is a wee bit outrageous. On March 21, 1977, Robert McLagan held 11 employees at Toronto’s Banque Canadienne Nationale hostage for nearly 12 hours. Frum and her producers were…
How Early Video Games Expressed Environmentalism
It can be fun to tune out and just play some games, and that’s a good thing. There are games that are obviously educational like Math Blaster and there are…
It’s Not a Wonderful Life
I’m convinced many Americans – Donald Trump among them – think Frank Capra’s famous film, It’s a Wonderful Life, was a documentary, not entertainment. It has all the elements of…
On Meaning #nlpoli
Brexit supporter and insurance magnate Arron Banks got into a tussle on Twitter late last year with Cambridge classicist Mary Beard. Banks tweeted that Rome had been done in by…
A cup of mao jian
The tea bag is an example of remarkable serendipity; an unexpected, simple invention that changed the world. But it was entirely unintended. Tea, from the camelia sinenis tree, is the…
The new Canadian $10 Bill
Canada is finally putting a woman on the front of a bank note (other than the Queen, of course). The first will be Viola Desmond, who will replace Sir John…
fidel castro, 1926-2016
More than any ruler I can think of, Fidel Castro defies our insistence on seeing leaders as solely either good or evil. As this excellent assessment in Social Worker (UK)…
Optimism vs Hope
I’m thinking about the difference between optimism and hope. One can be optimistic because one believes things will go well. In some cases optimism is good and natural. However optimism…
11.11
Anthem for Doomed Youthby Wilfred OwenWhat passing-bells for these who die as cattle? — Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle Can patter out…
Why national history matters – Jerry Bannister #nlpoli
“Nations matter. National cultures matter. And national histories matter,” historian Jerry Bannister writes in his commentary on the American presidential election just finished. “As we try to understand what has…
what i’m reading: the underground railroad by colson whitehead
Colson Whitehead is a literary genius. In The Underground Railroad, he has found a way to tell the story of 400-plus years of African-American oppression without delivering an awkward march…
Gull Lake Hotel Fire
I didn’t hear until last week that the town of Gull Lake, on the Trans-Canada Highway, lost its Hotel building on Thanksgiving weekend. It was arson. This Summer we spent…
The Story Of Human Voice Recordings
For the longest time, historians thought they knew Edison was the first to record the human voice. Then a team of researchers realized there were earlier recordings that were made…
Neanderthals: a love story
Squat, hairy, broad shoulders, a big nose, beetle-browed with a low forehead. As Blind Willie McTell wrote in his classic song, Statesboro Blues, “I know ain’t good lookin’, but I…
Roadsworth Mural in Little Burgundy.
Stumbled on to this large mural that was apparently completed yesterday in Little Burgundy. The guys you see in the picture are applying anti graffiti coatings to the work and
Wolf Hall reviewed
I have just finished watching the six-part BBC series, Wolf Hall, based on the two novels by Hilary Mantel. I am also about halfway through my reading of the first…
Walk # 15 – The Point Part 2
“I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” ― Søren Kierkegaard It’s true, walking will
Where is Che now that we need him?
Maybe it’s simple nostalgia, but it seems to me the world was a lot better off when the Soviet Union was around. Really. Bear with me while I explain. When…
Electing atheists
A recent story on Religion News discusses the DNC’s concerns about former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ religion. Not that he was Jewish, but that he might be a closet atheist.…