Just off the wire from Talking Points Memo: You remember Katherine Harris? Gave Florida to George Bush largely by allowing the systematic denial of basic democracy to large portions of the African American electorate in her state — anyway, that’s one theory. That Katherine Harris, that’s right. She’s not doing well at all in her […] More »

image courtesy Le jour, éditeur. Say what you want about how a Prime Minister should or should not act, but I’m guessing there is nothing in this book about not showing up somewhere because you’re afraid of being publicly booed. This is the most pathetic thing yet in 192 days. A little leadership please. More »

The Toronto edition of today’s National Post carries a commentary by yours truly on the importance of harm reduction strategies in fighting drug addiction and the spread of diseases involved in unhealthy drug use. In it, I mention why Insite should stay open beyond the end of its trial run next month. Say what you […] More »

9:40 a.m. The phone rings. Not being an early riser, I’m lying in bed listening to CBC Radio. I pick up and say, “Hello.” Naturally, it’s Samuel L. Jackson. He’s calling to tell me I might remember him from a few films, but that he really, really wants me to go see his new movie […] More »

(AP PHOTO/CP, Paul Chiasson) courtesy Yahoo images The other day, national sports radio host Bob McCown did his controversialist thing when he insisted the only reason to watch womens’ sports was for “the eye candy.” His point, though I’m not convinced he actually believes it, was layered. Woman athletes have bought into a marketing around […] More »

Ketamine: cat tranquilizer, hallucinagenic rave drug, and now, possible remedy for depression. A recent US study reports that initial trials of the drug on treatment resistant depression sufferers show promising results. Lead researcher Dr Carlos Zarate Junior, head of the mood and anxiety disorders programme at NIMH, said: “Within 110 minutes, half of the patients […] More »

Today in the Toronto Sun, columnist Peter Worthington wrote: “Like most Canadians who don’t have AIDS and aren’t HIV carriers, Harper probably isn’t much interested in the topic. Sure, he thinks it is a terrible affliction, but not one he’s likely to get.” I’ve been mulling ever since, trying to see how this logic translates […] More »

Everyone who is anyone involved in the worldwide fight against AIDS is in Toronto right now — Bill and Melinda Gates, Bill Clinton, Alicia Keys, Richard Gere, Jack Layton and Stephen Lewis among thousands more. Which can only mean that since Prime Minister Stephen Harper is not in Toronto right now he is actively choosing […] More »

Set your VCRs/DVRs for this Wednesday, August 16 at 10:00 pm ET. CBC Newsworld will air the documentary “No Past To Speak Of” as part of its coverage of the International AIDS Conference now taking place in Toronto. Directed by This Magazine alumni Jeremy Gans, the film explores the subject of infant rape in South […] More »

In a story today on the very terrifying liquid explosive terror plot, The New York Times talks to Simon Reeve, author of a 1999 book on Osama bin Laden. Mr. Reeve said that while traveling recently in Indonesia he heard of many baby boys being named Osama in honor of Mr. bin Laden. In part […] More »

Yesterday’s arrests of terrorists—whoops, alleged terrorists—in a foiled bomb plot is the latest piece of evidence that police and intelligence officials are totally infallable in the eyes of the commercial media. I’m not saying there was no plan to blow up several planes over the Atlantic, but what happened to innocent until proven guilty? Doesn’t […] More »