So, what have we learned after the ugliest, closest election campaign in Alberta history? As always, there are winners and losers outside of the polling stations. Here are a few… WINNER/LOSER: The UCP. Sure, they won. But with Alberta’s economy awash in oil money, and with a premier handing it out like candy at Halloween,… Continue reading Winners and losers in the Alberta election.
Will this be game over for Notley, or Smith?
Monday’s election results will look like a real-life episode of HBOs Succession, only with a lot less profanity. No one can say with any certainty how Monday’s provincial election will play out, which should make for riveting TV viewing if you find looking at numbers on a screen riveting. Everything is in play. It could… Continue reading Will this be game over for Notley, or Smith?
The debate debate: who won, who lost, who cares.
Televised debates can be pivotal in an election. In 1960, in the first U.S. presidential debate on TV, John F. Kennedy looked cool and composed, while Richard Nixon looked nervous and sweaty. Kennedy is widely seen as winning the debate, but radio listeners thought Nixon was better. Folksy Ronald Reagan crushed Jimmy Carter in 1980,… Continue reading The debate debate: who won, who lost, who cares.
A few last words on Gordon Lightfoot
We’re at roughly the halfway mark of the provincial election, but you’d hardly know it was happening. With wildfires chasing thousands from their homes, and the Edmonton Oilers in a genuine run for the Stanley Cup (on Saturday, anyway; not so much on Monday), things like elections seem like mere trivialities. Promises are being made,… Continue reading A few last words on Gordon Lightfoot
The line starts here. But why?
I am an impatient man. Just ask anyone who knows me. But make it quick. For example, I will not wait in line. For anything. A ‘line’ to me is any more than three people. I’ll walk out of a store with my shopping cart full before I’ll wait in line. The last time I… Continue reading The line starts here. But why?
Just in time for Easter, a bunny tale
Let’s begin with a little quiz. Fill in the blank: the “legitimate heir to Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Beyonce” is _____. Tough one, right? Taylor Swift, maybe? Lady Gaga? John Legend? Slim Whitman? All wrong. According to the once-esteemed Time magazine, the answer is … Bad Bunny. Yes, THE Bad Bunny. In fact, Mr.… Continue reading Just in time for Easter, a bunny tale
Oilers don’t get no respect
It’s tough being an Edmonton Oilers fan these days. One game you think they might make some real noise in the playoffs, the next game, you think they shouldn’t even make the playoffs. But no matter how consistently inconsistent the Oilers may be, we can count on three things: Gene Principe will make terrible puns;… Continue reading Oilers don’t get no respect
Coddling kids does them no good
I’m glad I’m not raising kids today, and not just because I am old enough to be a grandfather by now. I am worried that the new generation, the kids in school right now, are going to be the most coddled, protected and privileged generation ever. You can’t fail them, you can’t correct them, you… Continue reading Coddling kids does them no good
The girl name list, from Aabish to Zunaira
Last week, as you recall (I hope), I issued my annual deep dive into baby boy names of 2022 in Alberta. This week, let’s check out the ‘babies born as female’ names. For the record, the top names this year were Olivia, Sophia, Emma, Amelia, Harper, Charlotte, Ava, Isla, Lily and Chloe. Eight of the… Continue reading The girl name list, from Aabish to Zunaira
The boy names list, from Aabir to Zaidan
Every year around this time, the Alberta government bestows upon its winter-weary residents a gift: every baby name in Alberta in the past year. I say it’s a gift because it provides a sometimes revealing, sometimes baffling and often hilarious snapshot of this province and its parents. This week, let’s look at boy names. (Sorry,… Continue reading The boy names list, from Aabir to Zaidan
In This Corner 