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Watching the Rob Ford tabloid theatre, and it’s not unlike a Chris Farley movie
Over the past week or so, I, like many Canadians, have been watching the Rob Ford saga unfold with a strange, slightly grotesque interest. I (obviously) don’t live in Toronto (and never have). I have only a few friends residing … Continue Reading
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The rules of the road in Calgary: Use your horn, park in the lines, and fastest car on the left
Calgary is a city of drivers. This city is most successfully navigated via automobile. It’s built for and designed by the motorist. So it’s really unsurprising that we’ve developed a strange car and driving culture. Combine our maverick spirit and … Continue Reading
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It’s time to start educating boys – not just girls – about how to stop rape
Rape and sexual assault have been dominating headlines around the world recently. Between a flood of stories in the press about gang-rape attacks in India and the Steubenville, Ohio, rape-case verdict (along with commentary and counter-commentary), a sickening sense of … Continue Reading
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Tom Flanagan: How to lose friends and influence people
The swift, total and completely deserved political fallout from Tom Flanagan’s comments this week drive home exactly how we as Albertans, Canadians and humans feel about child sexual abuse and child pornography. A man who mentored numerous Canadian politicians and … Continue Reading
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Queue-jumping is a symptom of a failing health-care system
I hate waiting in line. In my younger days, before I wised up and stopped going to nightclubs, there was nothing I hated more than waiting in line at the door. Standing there for what seems like hours to get … Continue Reading
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How to spread cheer to a Christmas Grinch in five easy steps
I’m a self-admitted recovering Grinch. It’s not as bad as it sounds, but for a significant portion of my life I did not enjoy the Christmas season. In fact, not only did I not enjoy it but I probably ruined … Continue Reading
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Stop the war on Halloween
Every year when the holiday season rolls around, we always get the paranoid story from pundits that there is some kind of war on Christmas. It’s the removal of Christmas concerts from schools, the political correctness to appease the non-observant … Continue Reading
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Dog teaches reluctant man new tricks
Dogs do a lot for us. They protect. Work. Entertain. But the greatest thing a dog does for a human is teach. That might not make sense to some, and I should know: There was a time I didn’t get … Continue Reading
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Grassroots game is a winner
I am an unabashed fan of Canada’s Game. The game that is played right here in Canada, with a heavy contingent of Canadian players, created and shaped in our country, played in small towns and big cities right across this … Continue Reading
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Time to lay the man cards on the table
“Dude, he needs to turn in his man card for that.” How many times have you heard that phrase in the past year or two? It seems like everywhere I turn, be it on social media or in conversation with … Continue Reading
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What it feels like to be unemployed for the first time 12 years
Last week I was laid off. Let go. 86’d. Skidded. I joined the ranks of the fun-employed with mixed feelings and zero ill-will for the circumstances. But while Metro provides and compensates me with the means to communicate my thoughts … Continue Reading
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It starts with men: It’s time to stand up and stop the culture of rape
I’m angry. Yeah, I know, it’s Monday. There’s plenty to be cranky about. For starters, I’m angry that I have to talk about the same subject I wrote about in my last column. I’m angry that the problems surrounding rape, … Continue Reading
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Time to fuel up the Flames
It’s not easy being a fan of the Calgary Flames these days. I still am. I always will be, but right now it’s hard. It’s hard staring down the barrel of a seemingly inevitable Jarome Iginla trade, where even the … Continue Reading
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A real conversation needs to come out of Idle No More
I’ve been watching with interest the Idle No More protests unfolding in Ottawa, Calgary and right across Canada. It’s interesting to see how the movement caught fire and spread across the country after Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence began her liquid … Continue Reading
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Gazing into a certain future: Predictions for Calgary in 2013
The new year has arrived with the usual pomp and circumstance, and while I will tell you that a night out on New Year’s Eve is likely the most over-rated night of your life, I do believe in a toast … Continue Reading
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A salute to the Movember members
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase Movember tossed around this month, usually by a gentleman sporting a swarthy/dirty/greasy/manly-looking moustache or a slightly exasperated lady, tired of the moustache talk around her office or home. Movember isn’t just an excuse for … Continue Reading
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Put on your football jersey — it’s gonna be a long winter
It’s time to face the facts, hockey fans. We’re not going to have a hockey season. Now I know there’s still time to get a deal in place between the owners and the players but I feel like I’ve seen … Continue Reading
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Rats! our free streak is over
It’s always kind of sad when a great streak comes to an end and last week we saw one heck of a run come to a screeching, crashing halt. Even though it’s rather impossible to fully substantiate, Alberta has prided … Continue Reading
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What happened to no smoking near hospitals?
Six or seven years ago the Calgary Health Region came out with a pretty strong policy on smoking. They decreed that in no way could anyone smoke on CHR property. It didn’t matter what facility or where on the grounds; … Continue Reading
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One Man’s outrage is another’s meh
Last week I was accused of being a “sheeple.” The definition of “sheeple” being: those people unable to think for themselves and who allow others to form their opinions. It’s a term that’s been around since the scared and very … Continue Reading
