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WTF Wednesday: Brian Pallister is awful

Joe Thomson

Generally I think we are too quick to jump all over public figures for remarks they make —usually flippantly—that don’t jibe with our current understanding of sensitivity. It leads to a perpetually offended population where outrage, shock and condescending disappointment dominate the public discussion over what often amount to trivial matters. The endless string of […] More »

FTW Friday: Transparency now a reality for G20

Joe Thomson

Lost in the revelations that are coming out about Canada allowing a foreign spy agency access to world leaders (and who else?) is the knowledge that we’re finally getting more information about what actually happened during the G20. A fuller picture is emerging that adds embarrassing details to the already long list of offences committed […] More »

WTF Wednesday: free trade celebrated as prosperity reigns!

Joe Thomson

On November 21st the Macdonald-Laurier Institute will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Free Trade with a “gala” dinner that promises to be a “remarkable evening”. It’s being billed as a can’t-miss event, presumably attended by autocratic millionaires who will be outfitting themselves with new monocles and pocket watch fobs for the evening. I imagine most […] More »

FTW Friday: Everyday political citizen

Joe Thomson

In spite of the recent trend toward political scandal in Canada, Samara a non-partisan charitable organization, is doing its best to recognize the everyday people who are contributing positively to politics in Canada. They’ve announced the Everyday Political Citizen jury, which will select two winners to receive the award for 2013. The Jury will include Preston Manning, Kirstine […] More »

WTF Wednesday: WTF Toronto

Joe Thomson

Watching the news last night I was struck by something in the coverage of this fiasco. I watched as increasingly influential Canadian politicians were asked about the Rob Ford situation. To a person they all played their roles perfectly. Premier Kathleen Wynne, Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair, Attorney General Peter McKay, former Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday […] More »

Friday FTW: Keystone Pipeline protested, everybody wins!

Joe Thomson

It’s a rare thing when a video surfaces surrounding a Keystone XL pipeline when all sides come out looking good. Such is the case in the video above at an event in Boston regarding Obama’s Health Care plan. The protesters bring some much needed publicity to their cause and with his usual glib charm, Obama […] More »

WTF Wednesday: Brian Mulroney surprisingly not the worst…

Joe Thomson

I’ve been reading a lot of articles about Brian Mulroney taking the time to comment on various important matters recently. He was even interviewed by Conrad Black on the world premiere of the new octogenarian friendly television show The Zoomer (a talk show where, it seems, old people mostly discuss strategies for keeping children from […] More »

Friday FTW: CANADALAND offers critical media discussions

Joe Thomson

An aging man in a green turtleneck loudly plunks at the keys on his dusty keyboard. He finishes writing and the corners of his mouth curl upward involuntarily as he reads it. For he is a “media critic” in Canada and he has just written an assortment of banal criticisms that now give way to […] More »

WTF Wednesday: tobacco industry still targeting youth

Joe Thomson

If high-school kids are smoking, they’re likely to have used flavoured tobacco products like candy flavoured cigarillos, according to a coalition of health groups that released the findings of their Youth Smoking survey on Monday. More than 50 percent of those who smoked had used flavoured tobacco products, which have come under fire for their […] More »

Friday FTW: One CNN talking head off the air?

Joe Thomson

Smug Brits the world over will have to find a new spokesman. Sources say CNN head Jeff Zucker is “actively looking for a replacement for Piers Morgan.”  Generally, conducting interviews with the disposition of a snooty butler is not something people like to watch. But if you like your issues served up with a side of […] More »

WTF Wednesday: New York Times calls out our embarrassing P.M.

Joe Thomson

The image of Stephen Harper “muzzling” anybody frightens me. Hair slightly un-coifed, half a glass of Chablis to the wind, his dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged has been tucked away on the dresser where his tighty-whiteys are neatly folded in the drawers below. It’s Friday night god dammit and Stephen’s here to party. The safe […] More »