The Titanic was not ‘the greatest maritime disaster in history,’ but it’s a whale of a story
They call it the greatest Good God headline of all time. The biggest shipwreck ever, they say. The tale has been embellished so often it is doubtful the public knows the truth anymore. When Canada observes UN World Maritime Day—an event to “focus attention on the importance of shipping safety”—nobody will recall the sinking of […]
Dysfunctional Parliament? Reporters spent the past year watching the Commons roll over for Harper like a hog in a ditch
All used up and thrown to the wolves, the 39th Parliament is ending its days with a wheeze. “Dysfunctional,” said the Prime Minister. “Obviously” he cannot wait a year to seek re-election. Those were the words of Stephen Harper, leader. Stephen Harper, economist, might have put it another way: If you think this economy is […]
It’s a sign of recession when nation’s biggest bathtub supplier stumbles into bankruptcy
Our secret recession skitters along like rats in a pantry. The signs are unmistakable. An infomercial offers “free miracle prosperity handkerchiefs” on Vision TV: “All things are possible if you believe!” The nation’s biggest bathtub supplier, Maax Corp., stumbles into bankruptcy. Housing slowdown, they said. CanWest News reported, “Now is a great time to grab […]
The plastic grocery bag burns brightest in the hellfire of environmental sins
Did a corporate sales gimmick inspire a media “green” campaign? The plastic grocery bag burns brightest in the hellfire of environmental sins. When the Toronto Star recently polled readers on whether to abolish the bags, one unhelpful respondent replied, “Yes, but not until publishers stop cutting our forests for newsprint.” Newsrooms that never turn off […]
What Ottawa’s not: a ‘sub-Arctic lumber camp,’ ‘a really sick town,’ or ‘like Regina only smaller’
It’s the place the whole country loves to cuff. “A really sick town,” Brian Mulroney called it. “Sub-Arctic lumber camp,” wrote a 19th century editor. “Dullest reputation of any Canadian city,” reported The London Daily Telegraph. “Like Regina only smaller,” jokes a friend from Saskatchewan. Oh, they go on and on. “The Town Fun Forgot,” […]
Media and public warned: there will be no politics at Beijing’s Summer Olympics
Media and the public are warned: There must be no politics at next week’s Beijing Summer Olympics. “China won’t accept the Olympic Games being politicized,” the Communist People’s Daily explained. The Olympic torch was paraded past a portrait of Mao. No politics there. They broadcast the Olympic slogan “One World, One Dream” at the same […]
Polar bears and July days revive a media bogeyman that frightens small children
These warm July days are reviving a media bogeyman that frightens small children: The Legend of the Drowning Polar Bear. They teach it in schools, where dark theories of global warming replace catechism as the new religion. Students take it on faith that climate change is unnatural, catastrophic and unfurling its terribleness at lightning speed. […]
There appears to be a media consensus to clear the sidewalks
It was lunch hour a block from the Bank of Canada, and women in summer dresses walked softly in the sunshine, in the manner of Ottawa office workers who spend too many hours in fluorescent light. Then it happened. A homeless man unzipped his trousers, gripped himself, and urinated for all to see on Queen […]
Bill S-210 to outlaw suicide bombing in Canada
The Senate is sometimes known to complain it doesn’t get the media attention it deserves. I agree. Members of the Upper House ought to be kept under constant TV surveillance. Resulting video should be broadcast, over and over, until children run screaming from the room. The secret weapon of every Senate abolitionist is the Senate, […]
My 10 most excellent and outstanding Canadian IQ questions for the year
It wouldn’t be Canada Day without some killjoys at the Dominion Institute trying to spoil the picnic. The group dedicated to promoting national history has made a yearly ritual of releasing holiday polls identifying how many Canadians think D-Day is a tag sale at Sears. Such findings typically provoke media frowning. “Dispiriting,” wrote The Globe […]
