I'm still alive but I'm over here ... Oreo Cookie Blues .... see ya... [Read More]

Following up on my earlier suggestion, it's worth noting that the Access to Information Act does include at least some offence provisions for individuals who deliberately withhold information contrary to the law - and that Christian Paradis' office is now under investigation. Which would figure to... [Read More]

Shorter Norman Spector:Some may have slammed Jim Prentice for attacking Quebec's vehicle emissions policy. But now the truth comes out: not only did Prentice single out Quebec for bashing without any particular reason, but he was also factually wrong in doing so. Take that, critics!... [Read More]

In this video, Hank Green of the vlogbrothers discusses the overt hypocrisy of brands. He discusses how large corporations establish multiple brands in order to market products to different ideological groups, often diametrically opposed in interest to one another, yet the brands do not... [Read More]

Ray Boughen last month, explaining why we shouldn't worry that prorogation will mean that he's taking a vacation:Although there won’t be any legislation passed until after all politicians head back to Ottawa in March, Boughen said the House is just one aspect of what an MP does on a regular... [Read More]

We are now the Mobius City. I can only assume Regina's last big stimulus project will be to renovate the Ring Road accordingly.... [Read More]

Memo to the Globe and Mail: in discussing a Dimitri Soudas e-mail about avoiding political interference, it's rather important to include the ";-)" and the "ROTFLMAO" for context.... [Read More]

Shorter Adrian McNair:There, there, Deficit Jim. If those mean and nasty G7 finance ministers and central bankers don't want to be conned into joining your self-serving photo ops, then they didn't deserve you anyway.... [Read More]

Q: What do you call someone who speaks three languages?A: TrilingualQ: What do you call someone who speaks two languages?A: BilingualQ: What do you call someone who speaks one language?A: AmericanA well-worn joke I know, but it somehow wasn't used by any of the people writing at today's "Room for... [Read More]

There's been no lack of talk lately about Canada's federal access to information procedures, and the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics offer at least one set of proposals worthy of action. But there's a more fundamental issue at play which... [Read More]

Sarah Palin was caught on camera reading 'cheat notes' written on her hand at the Tea Party Convention Q&A session - February 6, 2010. Folks, she could be president of the usa one day ....-Palin has sights set on White House - Times Online... [Read More]

B.C. Policy Perspectives: A Quote Worth Heeding... [Read More]

" The disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect persons of poor and mean condition...is...the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments." ---Adam... [Read More]

I'm shocked, shocked, to find out that the Con political hacks are suppressing requested information without any legal justification rather than leaving the decision with "arm's-length officials".... [Read More]

CTV Ottawa is, sadly, the lead story on its own, and every other, newscast around eastern Ontario today.  A massive fire early this morning destroyed the newsroom as well as the station’s extensive archives.  That is a particularly poignant loss as longtime news anchor, and public servant... [Read More]

I’m test-driving a blog program from Windows Live which offers a few neat tricks the results of which I can upload to WordPress. One of my favourite areas of downtown Toronto is the Gooderham Building and adjacent park.  A mural on the back of the building is a mirror image of the Perkins... [Read More]

Speaking of Canada's international pariah status under the Cons, it's far too predictable that anybody who's worked to be excluded from the international community will end up making serious mistakes in trying to fit in. Which brings us to the Cons' announcement that they're prepared to trade away... [Read More]

For those wondering how the Cons' efforts to turn Canada into a global pariah are working out, look no further than their success in clearing the room at Iqaluit - where not a single G7 visitor stayed for the closing feast, presumably due to urgent hair-washing appointments. But if Canada has... [Read More]

I have nothing serious to add to the commentary of Simon Johnson on the problems of sovereign default in Europe, but I will say if the Eurozone breaks up because of this there will be no end of crowing on the American right, who love to see Europe fail at anything because shut up that's why.... [Read More]

BCL picks up on what looks to be the most interesting question surrounding Jim Pankiw's entry into the next election in Saskatoon-Humboldt: namely, what are the chances that his candidacy will help shift the riding into the NDP column? But while BCL notes Pankiw's recent vote percentage alone,... [Read More]

Shorter Q & A with Con MP Stephen Woodworth on Stephen Harper's decision to shut down Parliament:Q: Why did Stephen Harper prorogue Parliament?A: I have faith in Stephen Harper. Stephen Harper is all-seeing and all-knowing. Stephen Harper works in mysterious ways, and has delivered unto us all the... [Read More]

The Cons are apparently offering up a helpful example of the distorted balance of power between top-down parties and riding associations. But it's worth noting just how it is that they're seeking to protect Rob Anders from a riding association which wants him gone:The tumultuous history of the... [Read More]

I knew that Hockey Night in Canada starts at 6:30 pm EST Saturdays but that’s about as much as I bring to this game which so engrosses my country (a) because I’m not an athlete and (b) because my elementary school hockey instructor was the same monster who bullied me as a teacher. ... [Read More]

Dirty Vegas - Simple Things... [Read More]

Needless to say, I'll join in among those wishing Jack Layton well in his recovery from prostate cancer in the wake of today's announcement. But I'll also take a moment to give full credit to everybody who's expressed similar wishes from across party lines - helping to remind us that just as news... [Read More]

Statement by Jack Layton, delivered to the media today.Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming.As some of you may know, I hurt my back last week.Everyone who leads an active lifestyle knows what it's like to pull a muscle at the gym - it can be pretty painful. My back is better now, but today I... [Read More]

The power of one lowly onion ring wielded by the co-operative hands of many... The man who suspended Canada's democratically elected Parliament is quietly visiting in Saskatoon today.Host: Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament (Saskatoon Chapter)Type: Causes - ProtestDate: Friday, February 5,... [Read More]

In case anybody thought the HST was finished as an issue, a couple of recent developments have helped to push the Harper-funded tax hike on individual consumers back into the headlines. But it's worth noting that the effort which may seem more quixotic at first glance is easily the one with the... [Read More]

Susan Riley on how Stephen Harper's political strategy continues to be based on insulting the intelligence of Canadians in general:Judging by polls, they aren't rebounding from the self-inflicted prorogation crisis as quickly as they have from previous miscalculations. Instead, they seem to be... [Read More]

Tony Clement's spin on the Cons' economic priorities notably leaves room for interpretation. So let's fix it to clarify what the Harper government actually believes:I believe that the dichotomy between the knowledge economy and the manufacturing economy is a false dichotomy. Instead, we're commited... [Read More]

The major news on the Saskatchewan political scene this week has involved the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association convention. But while there's been some reporting on the headlines as to what's taken place, it's worth noting the challenges this week's events may pose for both the Sask... [Read More]

Shorter Don Martin:As the idea of not allowing MPs to take priority position for Olympic tickets ahead of the public originated with the NDP and spread next to the Libs, I naturally give full credit to the Conservatives.... [Read More]

Matt and I apologize about the limited blogging these past few weeks. We're both trying to survive our other life responsibilities... we'll be back to our regular-ish posting as soon as humanly possible.... [Read More]

I'm not sure anybody else has asked a couple of questions about media treatment of ten-percenters in the wake of Sun Media's report yesterday. So let's raise them now.First: is there any precedent for a Canadian political party making the content of its ten-percenters available in advance as a... [Read More]

For those wondering what might happen based on the Cons' predictable refusal to do anything to correct the ongoing Charter violations against Omar Khadr recognized by the Supreme Court of Canada, there are a couple of possible options. But I wouldn't count on either of them coming to fruition.If... [Read More]

Memo to Norman Spector: A scheme to eliminate any cost to government legislation as the result of prorogation is better classified as "disastrous" rather than "ingenious". Yes, it's a problem that work done on government bills has been killed by Stephen Harper's decision to shut down Parliament.... [Read More]

The Globe and Mail's report on the Cons' pattern of refusing to respond to access to information requests - this time dealing with requests related to earlier delays which took up to two and a half years to answer. But there's another part of the story which fits entirely with the Cons' efforts to... [Read More]

From the press release Hilario Duran Trio will host a benefit concert for the earthquake victims in Haiti on Sunday February 7th It will be an intimate performance to guests, with all around great energy for all to just give...... [Read More]

Cellphone-driving bans may be ineffective, possibly because they mostly don't ban using your cellphone while driving.  All they do (in all the jurisdictions I've seen) is ban using your cellphone with your hands, which does nothing to address the problem of an inattentive driver.  Kind of like... [Read More]

I've offered up a couple of suggestions as to how some Con MPs might best use their Harper Holidays. But I wouldn't have thought to go to the ambitious lengths Mark is going to in following up as to what every single MP is actually doing. So go help Mark out with his Review-A-Con project - or look... [Read More]

Argh, I promised I'd stop writing about the iPad, so consider this a more generic question about an entirely-hypothetical tablet computer with more limitations than power users are used to, made by an entirely-hypothetical company. Whose name rhymes with "Snapple".Here's my thinking: with devices... [Read More]

Keith Urban, having been visited by the lawyers of his employer, issues grovelling reversal of his previous "I don't care if you download my music" statement.These little moments amuse me. This, however, will be the one and only time I blog about Keith Urban, unless of course it intersects with my... [Read More]

I know, we are hopelessly out of date, what with this song being at least six months old, but whatever, it's rocking the dancefloor at Babaluu on Sundays. I discovered it on o Los Salvajes street CD that I picked...... [Read More]

From their new album "Cubanos por El Mundo" which is due to be released in march of 2010... [Read More]

CBC's online spokesperson, Chris Ball, has tried to clarify Mothercorp's policy on 'fair use' of their material by bloggers. We are now more confused than ever. If CBC is happy with that situation, so be it. As a taxpayer who pays for the corp., I am not very satisfied. I have tried to work through... [Read More]

I didn’t have the radio or television on Monday so I nearly missed this – what, to this layman anyway, has remained such a mystery since the early, crudest diagrams of the virus first appeared. I am still doing okay on protease inhibitors Prezista (and one of the originals Norvir) and a... [Read More]

There's an interesting article in Der Spiegel about the latest maneuverings of the Swiss People's Party (SVP). The major force behind the recent campaign to ban minarets, it looks like the SVP has got more than just Muslims in their sights. Now it's the Germans who are destroying pure Swiss... [Read More]

It’s only right, I suppose, that someone – even Andy Barrie – who is fifteen years older than me and fifteen years younger than my mother would be retirement age. When he made it official today, however, it reminded me how ageless the medium of radio can make somebody –... [Read More]

La Repubblica (Italian) reports that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in remarks made during his current trip to Israel, has expressed hope that Israel will eventually join the European Union. Berlusconi cited Israel's place in the "Judeo-Christian culture, at the base of Western European... [Read More]

Ever think the rich and powerful might -- gasp! -- hold different standards for proper conduct in others than they themselves follow?Once we become socially isolated, we stop simulating the feelings of other people.* As a result, our inner Machiavelli takes over, and our sense of sympathy is... [Read More]

Bill Watterson gives his first interview in 20 years:

How soon after the U.S. Postal Service issues the Calvin stamp will you send a letter with one on the envelope?

Immediately. I'm going to get in my horse and buggy and snail-mail a check for my newspaper subscription.

Thanks, Bill.... [Read More]

There was a flurry of progressive blog postings yesterday concerning CBC's arrangement with an American company to sniff out and 'fine' anyone who uses a CBC article on their blog. A number of individuals posted comments on the CBC Facebook Fanpage yesterday concerning the new policy. Guess what?... [Read More]

Joshua Landis links up to a report that indicates that Robert Ford, a career diplomat in the Foreign Service, has been tapped as the new US ambassador to Damascus.It's been a long absence. Washington pulled its ambassador in 2005 after the assassination of Rafik Hariri in Lebanon. It was suspected... [Read More]

In The New York Times, Paul Krugman blogs about a Worthwhile Canadian Example. Excerpt:Those who think that “too big to fail” is the essence of the problem have to explain why Canada, with basically just five banks, has avoided crisis....... [Read More]

.... HUH??!! Note: due to circumstances beyond my control ... and idiotic decisions by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ... this site is now, unfortunately, a CBC free zone! For a couple of years now, I have always gone to CBC first and have ensured that I linked to their news stories at every... [Read More]

Scott Tribe pointed out on his blog today that the CBC has implemented new copyright policies on its online news properties. As boingboing explains, the CBC has signed up with iCopyright, an American service which sells licences to digital content creators to allow them to re-post or re-publish... [Read More]

The CBC would like us (apparently everyone, including lowly bloggers) to pay to "license" content we (in Canada) already paid for?There are a variety of reactions I have to this, but they all involve profanity and anatomically questionable imprecations.... [Read More]

Yoani Sanchez and her crew Ted Henken at the El Yuma blog has translated Yoani Sanchez's fascinating story of The Making of (her blog) Generation Y (Original Spanish post here). On one level, it's about the trials and tribulations of...... [Read More]

I just cried a little.... [Read More]

So Mallory has pinworms. That explains a lot. What does it explain you may ask.... [Read More]

Every citizen should be aware that our Federal Conservative government is denying one Canadian their fundamental constitutional rights - for political purposes. Therefore, in fact, they are also capable of denying your rights and the rights of all others in this nation. Welcome to Canada ...... [Read More]

...I'm going to shut up about this, but I feel like I should point out that I'm not exclusively a hater.1) The design really is slick. If it were possible for me to make a baby with this thing, I'd be all over it like a fat kid on a smartie.2) The dock-keyboard combination is more difficult than... [Read More]

... [Read More]

I know that everyone's attention is at the moment focused on getting Haitian kids into Canada with all speed. However, I want to point out a bizarre case of a Canadian boy who is being held in foster care in the USA.In September 2008, Noah Kirkman, 11, traveled from Calgary to visit his stepfather... [Read More]

1) I felt momentarily bad when, after hearing the word "iPad" I immediately thought of feminine hygiene products. It turns out the entire Internet thought the same thing. Relief.2) Jobs took a swing at netbooks in his speech yesterday, but seems to have not considered that the reason the market... [Read More]

So Tablet Jesus descended from the heavens today, and it seems like kind of a damp squib.I keep waiting for someone to make a tablet that will work well, but it won't be Microsoft, and Apple annoys me by making a tablet that's far more locked down than anything Gates would dare ship. There's a lot... [Read More]

Canada's Parliament was scheduled to be sitting this week until the ever sneaky Stephen Harper suspended it with a quiet phone call to the Governor General on New Years Eve (while no one was supposed to be watching). Oh well, he got caught 'lookin' like a fool with his pants on the ground' and has... [Read More]

The Tyee has published my article The Eubie Blake Economy. Excerpt:In the 1980s and 1990s, I used to give talks to teachers on how seniors would demand government support at the cost of education and other social services. Yet, I...... [Read More]

I'm glad to see that Ignatieff and the Liberals have plans to tackle the assault on civil servant independence which has taken place under the Harper regime. This is an issue that will require a great deal of thought, as there is a need to balance concerns of administrative independence with... [Read More]

I'm very glad to see that the NDP is taking notice of the Harper government's participation in the ongoing Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty Agreement (ACTA) negotiations. Despite a lack of transparency and public consultation, some controversial details of the proposed agreement have been... [Read More]

Definition:a. Of or relating to the ancient city of Byzantium.b. Of or relating to the Byzantine Empire.c. Highly complicated; intricate and involved.The way I was taught the history of the Fall of Rome in high school could be summed up in two sentences: Rome (the Western Empire) fell in 472 when... [Read More]

Blogging colleague Wil Robinson has an interesting post up (recommended reading) about a new product in Indian cosmetics: it's called Fairness Cream. Designed to make you "whiter," and thus evidently "more attractive," the product is targeted towards an Indian population that has long been told... [Read More]

Scene: My father and I, at dinner. His Blackberry vibrates.DAD: Huh. Obama's gonna propose a 3-year spending freeze.Me: Meaning, freezing everything except the military.Dad: *Skeptical glance*Me: What else will get through the Senate?Later, at home:On a conference call last night, the... [Read More]

“Canadians care and are going to fight back with a vengeance. A picture is worth a 1000 words. I hope you will print this for all our sakes.”Internationally renowned North Bay artist Kieth Campbell sent the above photo of his latest work in response to the current situation on Parliament... [Read More]

Canadian citizens are waking up from a long slumber. More than 27,000 people took to the streets this past weekend, in protest of Stephen Harper's prorogation of Parliament. Over 200,000 are voicing their concerns through emerging media. Against all odds, Saturday was indeed "a great day for... [Read More]

There is a ploy being used in Conservative circles to try and dismiss the Anti-prorogation movement as being too 'extreme' for comparing Stephen Harper to Hitler. Some Harperites have gone so far as to plant phony 'protesters' at the recent rallies with signs meant to reinforce this argument.... [Read More]

Check out Nicholas Nagle's piece over at WPR about Greece's financial difficulties and the problems ahead for the Euro. I'm not an economist, so I won't try for a detailed parsing of the article except to say that if the Euro is going to continue to work as a currency its users need to figure out a... [Read More]

The foggy haze that hovers over the Obama administration's policy in Israel-Palestine shows no signs of clearing. The question of what is going on in the minds of key players in the administration remains unanswered. Why push so hard for peace and then give up when the going gets rough? Why raise... [Read More]

New Orleans Saints Indianapolis Colts Other??? ... [Read More]

A more appropriate headline for this Tory trial balloon trussed up as a Globe and Mail piece.... [Read More]

Today, as thousands of Canadians are demonstrating against the Harper government's second prorogation of Parliament, the Liberals put out a press release outlining Stephen Harper's top 20 democratic abuses. The list is worth a look, though there is a much more comprehensive list over at Driving... [Read More]

Dear Golden Globes judges: Seriously? Avatar? Best film?Not only was Avatar not the best film of the year. (Of the nominees I've seen, I'd say Up in the Air was easily better than Avatar.) Not only was it not the best CGI film of the year. (That would be Up.) It wasn't even the best film... [Read More]

P.S. ... that's called DICTATORSHIP!!-Kenney Quote Panned... [Read More]

I've posted this item on The Hook: BC school districts face closures and layoffs. Excerpt:B.C. school trustees and teachers across the province are beginning the new year with the prospect of widespread school closures and teacher layoffs. On January 19,...... [Read More]

I swear I don't just react to Matthew Yglesias for my blog ideas, but this sat poorly with me:...the point is that it would be really bizarre for the United States to enter a sustained period of decline. It’s not just that “people have said this before and it didn’t happen” it’s that... [Read More]

For those who embrace the false ideology of the 'unfettered free market', Haiti must have seemed like an absolute paradise before the recent earthquake! -No regulation on business,-No welfare -No Old Age pension plan, -No unemployment insurance programs, -No public health care programs, -No public... [Read More]

Mike at Salsato.com is organizing a fund-raiser for Haiti to be held on February 1st. He sends along this message with the details Please pass this on to each, all and everyone you know - in and out of the...... [Read More]

..... but Canada's Parliament has been suspended by Stephen Harper!!-The Star... [Read More]

Apparently Canadian Cynic has asked progressive bloggers to ban Patrick Ross from commenting on their site. Normally I only ban people if they’re being a nuisance but when a right whinger foolishly gloats about nobody doing so and then turns it into a referendum on the popularity of a blogger... [Read More]

If you're an international relations theorist (and that's a job I wouldn't wish on anyone), this article from the Wall Street Journal should really get you excited. It's a story that hints at all those fun buzzwords: diminished state sovereignty, the rise of non-state actors, a host of new... [Read More]

The Hunt For Gollum While browsing through the selection of movies YouTube is now carrying I came across a little 39 minute gem called The Hunt For Gollum that you might like if you’re a Lord of the Rings fan. It’s an independently made prequel to the Lord of the Rings that’s... [Read More]

Conservatives, (most notably our proroguing, undemocratic Prime Minister) like to tell you that they 'support' Canada's men and women in uniform. What a load of crap that is! But don't take my word for it ... just ask the many disabled veterans who are dealing with the reality of how Harper... [Read More]

Hey, Stevie! Prorogue this! See you at the rallies! Regina Info & Events R A L L Y! Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, 1pm South End of Scarth St. Mall (By the Buffalo) B E   T H E R E !!! Saskatoon Info & Events RALLY! SATURDAY JANUARY 23 at CITY HALL at 1:00 pm ! Prince Albert Info &... [Read More]

Recorded by the Cassini spacecraft. ... [Read More]

I have no particular fondness for her, but in an odd way I'm happy to see Ambrose back in a high-level cabinet post.  More than any other minister I can think of, she didn't deserve to be demoted.  I believe in Ministerial responsibility as much as any fan of Westminster, but for an Environment... [Read More]

Hey, lets look into whether or not this “environmental” program–that most reputable environmentalist don’t endorse–actually works after we’ve already blown 2 billion taxpayer dollars on it. Three years after announcing $2 billion in subsidies for the biofuels... [Read More]

-CBC-Twitterings... [Read More]

This is unexpected.Palestinian human rights groups pressured Hamas on Monday to allow an independent investigation into whether it committed war crimes while fighting Israel last winter — an unusual public demand of the Islamic group that runs Gaza. ..."If the Palestinians want the world to take... [Read More]

The Internet-based community that's grown up around Peak Oil has produced some really phenomenal writing, some of which I've tried to highlight at this blog.That said, there are also some arguments that simply shouldn't be made, like arguing that America is less vulnerable to severe oil shocks... [Read More]

Exhibit A:Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- A group of investors led by a retired Canadian senator, an editor and a media consultant plans to bid for three daily newspapers owned by Canwest Global Communications Corp.“I believe in the future of the newspaper business,” Jerry Grafstein, the retired... [Read More]