February 26, 2010
For a “national sport,” hockey has become too expensive and elitist
Hockey players at McGill University, Montreal, 1901. I grew up in the Greater Toronto Area, home to the most diverse region in all of Canada, perhaps the world, in a Hong Kong immigrant household (caveat: my Man U-loving dad raised me on soccer). I’m intensely proud of that fact. So it ruffles my feathers that, hockey so often precludes all other events — a men’s hockey semi-final quarter-final... [More >>]
February 26, 2010
Friday FTW: Indie progressive media survives and thrives as journalism biz teeters
Progressive media, it seems, is one of the very few bright spots in today’s bleak world of journalism. Despite the cash-strapped economy, rather than succumbing to the heavy hand of advertisers or clinging to sensationalized coverage—as their corporate counterparts have been obliged to do—independent progressive media has managed to survive and flourish by simply sticking to its mandate while... [More >>]
February 25, 2010
Watch Naomi Klein’s inaugural David Lewis Lecture on “Climate Debt” right here
Tonight’s inaugural David Lewis Lecture featuring internationally acclaimed author (and former This Magazine editor!) Naomi Klein is graciously being livestreamed by our friends at Rabble.ca. You can tune in on their website at RabbleTV, or on their Livestream channel. Or you can watch it right here starting at 8:45 PM EST: [More >>]
February 24, 2010
Wednesday WTF: Hotdogs have had their day: Experts want a redesign
A group of American pediatricians think the hot dog needs a makeover. In a study released Monday, the team singled out the long tubular shape as the single highest choking hazard for small children and called out to the industry to redesign the Franken-meat. Now I get we need to me mindful of the food we eat, and over the years there have been many studies, categorically damning virtually every food... [More >>]
February 24, 2010
Technical note: Our commenting system weirdness—one moment, please.
We’ve been having a spot of trouble with the commenting system on the blog for the last few days; comments mysteriously changing which post they appear on; comments suddenly appearing on every post on the blog, stuff like that. The magazine and podcast comments work fine. It appears to be a problem with the comment plugin, Intense Debate, which has for nearly a year provided amazing, wonderful... [More >>]
February 23, 2010
Stop Everything #17: Weapons of mass distraction create a climate of silence
Well played, Mr. Harper, well played. While you’re probably sitting comfortably at 24 Sussex, sipping Chianti and learning how to play “Hey Jude” for Laureen’s next fundraiser, I’m sitting in bed at 11pm Monday night trying to rack my brain for what to say this week about the state of climate change in Canada. How did we get here? Just two months ago I could have made a full time job keeping... [More >>]
February 23, 2010
Tips for young journalists who want to work in international development
A sunset in Elongatuas, Masai Mara, Kenya (2009). Photo by Siena Anstis. [Editor's Note: Siena Anstis, who has served as our Africa correspondent on the blog over the past few months, is moving on to new projects. She'll continue to contribute to the blog, but wanted to pass on some of the things she's learned during her time working and reporting in Uganda, Kenya, and elsewhere for other young Western... [More >>]
February 22, 2010
“Bloom Box” promises cheap, clean energy. Too good to be true?
K.R. Sridhar of Bloom Energy shows off a component of his "Bloom Box" to 60 Minutes' Leslie Stahl. 60 Minutes aired this report last night on Bloom Energy, a California company officially launching this week that says it has perfected a fuel-cell technology that is capable of making the conventional energy grid obsolete and producing clean(er), cheap(er) power. I get the strong whiff... [More >>]
February 19, 2010
Friday FTW: Hoser superhero Defendor makes a star out of Steeltown
With shoe-polish smeared across his eyes, and a duct-taped “D” insignia across his chest, the simple minded Arthur Poppington(played by Woody Harrelson) transforms himself into an unconventional, but heroic vigilante: Defendor. The film takes place in the seedy underbelly of an unnamed industrial town—in reality, a not-at-all-diguised Hamilton, Ont.—an unlikely setting for the unlikeliest... [More >>]
February 18, 2010
Michael Schmidt won his latest raw milk battle, but the war rages on
Michael Schmidt, the dairy farmer whose David-and-Goliath battle with the Ontario government has turned him into somewhat of an emerging folk hero, wants to restore liberty to the dairy aisle of your local supermarket. There is, he says, no place for the state in the kitchens of the nation. Schmidt successfully defended himself last month in an Ontario Court of Justice against 19 charges relating... [More >>]
