To my great surprise, the Globe and Mail has been running an excellent series this week on electoral reform, using almost the full editoral space to offer balanced, cogent, and occasional wise advice on Canada’s electoral system, its virtues, and its deficiencies. In particular, they gave a solid and well-deserved body-slam yesterday to the ludicrous […] More »

As noted on Monday, THIS Mag contributors are up for a number of National Magazine Awards this year (It is a human number, and the number is 5). Completely without prejudice, I hereby submit to you the poem that should win this year’s award for poetry, in my humble opinion—by THIS contributor Kevin Connolly. Contractual […] More »

My first rock show was Iron Maiden with Twisted Sister opening. 1984, Ottawa Civic Centre. Everyone went nuts when Number of the Beast started, with the ominous voice-over reading from Revelations. My friend Kenny knew it by heart: “Let him that hath understanding reckon the number of the beast: for it is a human number. […] More »

The Guardian comes out in favour of limited strategic voting: Vote Lib Dem, if it is safe. In the end an election is about choosing a government and a parliament. We are clear where we stand, in spite of our misgivings. We want to see Labour re-elected to government and we want to see more […] More »

Congratulations to the legions of writers and editors and artists who contribute to make This Magazine great! We’re nominated for five National Magazine Awards: Science, technology and the environment Clive Thompson, Science Fiction Health and medicine Clive Thompson, Science Fiction Poetry Kevin Conolly, Contractual Obligation Essays Bill Reynolds, Crossing the line Society Alex Roslin, Killer […] More »

“The sponsorship program was the right thing to do.” That’s Warren Kinsella, in today’s Post. I agree, 100%. Pierre Trudeau was right, when he wrote in Federalism and the French Canadians, that Canada would never win a battle of symbols and myths for the hearts of Quebecers. But that was never a battle Canada had […] More »

To the Sala Rossa on Friday to see hard-copyright victim Dan “I used to be called Manitoba till some jackass who isn’t even Canadian sued me so now I have to call myself Caribou” Snaith. Russian Futurists opened. It was fantastic. Weird scene — the room was full of hipsters in seventies t-shirts and Herman’s […] More »

I got this today from the smart folks at the Educational Policy Institute. It was labelled urgent, so I figure it is worth blogging. According to their calculations, the proposed 10% cut to tuition will actually help low-need students, and harm high-need students. (I’m going to hold off on throwing in my own $0.02, which […] More »

To Club Soda last night to see Dizzee Rascal, the 20 year-old hip-hop hero from London. None of the sad chaviness of The Streets here; it’s more Tupac/Fiddy focused on the desolation of the East End. At least, that’s what the reviews say. I have to confess to feeling a bit out of it. The […] More »

It’s nice to see that there’s still room for making aviation history in this modern world. I am in awe, if not a little scared, of the newest Airbus which can carry as many as 840 passengers. Image the Globe and Mail: Bob Edme/AP While I’m scared to fly in such a big crowd, I […] More »

Witnesses at Mr. Harper’s speech today in Amherstburg, Ontario report smelling toast shortly before a loud flash of exquisite purple light. After that, Mr. Harper’s headless torso continued with the Conservative leader’s preset itinerary, and is expected to press forward with a headless non-confidence vote as soon as Parliament resumes. From the Globe story: “It […] More »