Just to toss a bouquet to John Robert Colombo's latest anthology, just published: The Penguin Book of Popular Canadian Quotations.
Not just because he included a couple of quotes from me. Colombo's reference works are always entertaining, useful, enriching. Take a look at Penguin or Colombo's own site.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
MPs thick as planks
The CBC website has Conservative MP Gary Breitkreuz commenting on his efforts to kill the gun registry.
'His main concern is that, even with the latest report for ammunition, the Tory minority might not have the firepower to shoot down the registry. "It'll be a close call. I mean, in a Parliament with numbers like this, it'll depend on whether the leaders allow free votes," he said.'
Are these toadying MPs ever going to think about this free vote idea?
It's not a free vote when MPs ask someone else for permission. Free votes are when MPs exercise their authority to vote as they see fit.
'His main concern is that, even with the latest report for ammunition, the Tory minority might not have the firepower to shoot down the registry. "It'll be a close call. I mean, in a Parliament with numbers like this, it'll depend on whether the leaders allow free votes," he said.'
Are these toadying MPs ever going to think about this free vote idea?
It's not a free vote when MPs ask someone else for permission. Free votes are when MPs exercise their authority to vote as they see fit.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Stella Artois hist diss
Billboard flogging Stella Artois beer in my neighbourhood. "Don't study history. Savour it."
Sorry, Stella, I don't how to do one without the other. Strange that a beer company so eager to sell us on its ancient brewing traditions simultaneously sneers at the whole idea of appreciating history.
Their beer pretty much tastes like everyone else's, but I have a weakness for the handsome goblets that bars serve it in. In France years ago, Stella Artois had cool ads, showing a glass of Stella towering over a photo of its Belgian homeland with the line, "Ce qui donne relief a notre pays plat." Now that was clever.
Sorry, Stella, I don't how to do one without the other. Strange that a beer company so eager to sell us on its ancient brewing traditions simultaneously sneers at the whole idea of appreciating history.
Their beer pretty much tastes like everyone else's, but I have a weakness for the handsome goblets that bars serve it in. In France years ago, Stella Artois had cool ads, showing a glass of Stella towering over a photo of its Belgian homeland with the line, "Ce qui donne relief a notre pays plat." Now that was clever.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Backbench power
Paul Wells's political blog notes a political storm in Britain. Prime Minister Blair would like to get rid of his Finance Minister and would-be successor, Gordon Brown. But Blair keeps him in the Cabinet, fearing such a rival behind him on the backbenches.
Ponder this: what would it take for a Canadian prime minister, particularly one with Blair's majority, to fear any of his backbenchers under any circumstances?
Ponder this: what would it take for a Canadian prime minister, particularly one with Blair's majority, to fear any of his backbenchers under any circumstances?
Census 2006: Live forever, or not
May 16 is Census Day in Canada.
Jean Talon authorized the first nominal census of Canada in 1666, a precious list of many of the founding families of New France. I know some of those names and families quite well from researching in that census. They exist.
For more than a century and a half, Canada has been conducting full censuses every ten years in years ending with 1, with half-censuses in the years ending in 6.
This year for the first time ever, the 2006 half census asks if you wish your census data to be made available 92 years from now, in 2098. If you tick NO, you and the data on you will be hidden forever.
Frankly it is barbarous and anti-intellectual of the government even to ask this question. But what is really sad is that some Canadians will tick No. And if the government of 2098 keeps its word, the integrity of the census will be lost forever.
Do the census. It's a proud civic responsibility. And tick YES to permit some researcher in the twenty-second century to contemplate your existence. You will be dead. Your kids will be dead. But you will live forever.
Jean Talon authorized the first nominal census of Canada in 1666, a precious list of many of the founding families of New France. I know some of those names and families quite well from researching in that census. They exist.
For more than a century and a half, Canada has been conducting full censuses every ten years in years ending with 1, with half-censuses in the years ending in 6.
This year for the first time ever, the 2006 half census asks if you wish your census data to be made available 92 years from now, in 2098. If you tick NO, you and the data on you will be hidden forever.
Frankly it is barbarous and anti-intellectual of the government even to ask this question. But what is really sad is that some Canadians will tick No. And if the government of 2098 keeps its word, the integrity of the census will be lost forever.
Do the census. It's a proud civic responsibility. And tick YES to permit some researcher in the twenty-second century to contemplate your existence. You will be dead. Your kids will be dead. But you will live forever.
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