Given the obscene mess that is federal politics in Canada, it is tempting to take very little of what goes on in Ottawa at all seriously. But when it comes to getting my head around this story, I have to keep pausing to pick my jaw up off the floor. It is becoming increasingly clear […] More »

A piece in the Globe this morning asserts that the Grewal tapes were definitely altered, and not accidentally during a digital audio transfer. How did the audio expert put it? Like this: “These tapes have been edited. This is not a maybe. This is not something that’s unexplained. This is not, ‘Oh, this is odd.’ […] More »

The sublime Ms. Hebert unloads on the Headwaiter: Some of Martin’s cabinet loyalists are now quietly questioning whether their loyalty to him is in conflict with their duty to the country — and so probably should the rest of us. More »

It seems the people at Starbucks have finally realized the challenges they inflicted on the caffine-deprived when they changed the lingo for ordering coffee — because they have produced a manual for ordering a Starbucks beverage. Called “Make it Your Drink,” this 24-page little booklet has a helpful glossary, diagrams, even a sample fill-in-the-blank order […] More »

I’ve been interested lately in the phenomenon of the “cult brand” or the “brand hijack.” This is brand loyalty with a twist: instead of passively adopting a brand and its corporate-defined identity, consumers are taking a more active role in manipulating, sustaining, and promoting the meanings of their favourite brands. The most obvious example of […] More »

In trying to understand the nature of the European Union, France’s place in it, and its relation to Britain and the United States, I have been reading the following books: Encyclopedie, by Phillip Blom. A good account of the publication of the famously subersive Encyclopedia, starring my favourite philosophe, Denis Diderot. The Roads to Modernity, […] More »

The Guardian has transcribed a recent joint interview with Christopher and Peter Hitchens, sibling rivals of the highest order. They do the same job, and obviously have enormous mommy complexes that have never been resolved. It’s sad and hilarious. They snipe and slag, and there are some excellent zingers in there. If I were judging […] More »

Paul Martin’s Chief of Staff, Tim Murphy, appears to be in a bit of trouble. We’d know for sure, if only the Conservatives would RELEASE THE DAMN TAPES. At any rate, the Headwaiter to the Native Lobby has declared: “I think in an effort of greater civility members should not make use of their immunity […] More »

(Readers outside Toronto, please forgive the somewhat local post.) A few interesting tidbits gleaned from this morning’s group commute and pancake breakfast, the official kick-off to Bike Week: Cyclists across the country can help combat bike theft by registering their bikes in a national database. There is a cost of $10, but the term is […] More »

This is magnificent: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger traveled to a quiet San Jose neighborhood Thursday, and — dogged by protesters — filled a pothole dug by city crews just a few hours before, as part of an attempt to dramatize his efforts to increase money for transportation projects. (link from BoingBoing.) More »

Here is a long but extremely useful piece from the Wall Street Journal, about the way conservatives used philanthropical organisations to take control of the political agenda in the US. It is in many ways a companion to a similar article in Harper’s written by Lewis Lapham during last fall’s Presidential election race, but while […] More »