Well, here's a story that plays into my prejudices on many levels. "Spotlight," a highlight of the Christmas movie season and likely Oscar nominee, details the painstaking investigation by the Boston Globe's Spotlight team that exposed the coverup and condonation of sexual abuse by more than 70 pedophile priests in the Boston Archdiocese of the Catholic Church. The Globe's work led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law. It's a gripping account of the nuts, bolts, and shoe leather that go into investigative journalism, free from the sentimental claptrap that infects so many movies about newspapers. A journalist friend wrote that she, "especially liked the portrayal of the...

05 January, 2016

A sardonic observer of the passing scene in our fair province writes: I heard an interview with and about teachers who have the children of refugees in their classrooms. The conversation drifted from the problems the kids have had in their war-torn countries and in refugee camps to problems the teachers suffer. Some of the teachers, after listening to these horrific stories, actually suffer from "vicarious trauma." Bring on the grief councillors...

02 January, 2016

The wonderful Halifax writer Jane Kansas left Stanfield Airport Tuesday morning at -21º (wind chill*), landing in Tampa, Florida, a few hours later at +35º (humidex*). She spent a few hours trying to get comfortable before falling into bed, sweaty and exhausted. She slept 'til 6 a.m. then set off on a 10-hour walk through random parts of Tampa, including an Ikea store: In IKEA I had an ice cream cone and wandered around. Near the end of my tour, which was at least two hours long (air conditioning), the wail of a child began. The cries bounced off the concrete floors and walls, and echoed...

31 December, 2015

'Tis the season for incessant, overwrought weather "advisories," "statements," "alerts," and "warnings" from Environment Canada; exaggerated accounts thereof from broadcast media (especially the CBC); and dire exhortations from the RCMP to stay home, preferably in bed with the covers drawn up, until winter passes and it is safe once again to get behind the wheel. Except that December, January, February, and March are four of the five safest months to drive in Nova Scotia. April is the other. The truly dangerous months are June, July, August, and September. Here's a record of highway fatalities, by month, for the last five years in Nova...

28 December, 2015

Contrarian's youngest grandchild set out milk and treats for Santa tonight, together with carrots for his coursers. Then Contrarian's new kitten happened on the scene [video link]: Maybe that's why the old guy is forever laying a finger aside of his nose....

25 December, 2015

Coral Rafuse works at the Children’s Centre, a day care centre on Commercial Street in New Minas, NS. Until this fall, she had never set foot in the Flower Cart, a vocational service centre for men and women with intellectual disabilities located just across the street. But few weeks ago, Rafuse popped in to pay a bill on behalf of a co-worker. As she waited to be served, her gaze fell on a gallery of staff photos, one of which jolted her to attention. The image bore a startling resemblance to Rafuse’s recently widowed mother, a resident of nearby Greenwood. It had never...

25 December, 2015

Holy smokes! This was the scene yesterday morning at the Nova Scotia Refugee Donation Centre, in the former Rona store at 350 Horseshoe Drive, Bayer's Lake Industrial Park, Halifax. Photo courtesy of Scott Gillard, who writes, "The scale of the space and visible volume of generosity is unbelievable." The centre's hours of operation are posted here, more information here. Nova Scotians outside Halifax who wish to donate should call 211 (toll-free with NS) or email help @ ns .211.ca. They will log your call and pass your information on to service providers in your area....

23 December, 2015

Displaying a conspicuous lack of self-awareness, National Post columnist (and Walrus Magazine editor) Jonathan Kay tweeted a photo of the National Post's Opinion Page Christmas party: These are the men and woman who mould a major Canadian newspaper's editorial opinions in 2015. There's the great (truly!) Robert Fulford on the extreme right; Conrad Black, ironically, on the extreme left; Terrance Corcoran and Andrew Coyne holding down the centre (uncomfortably so, one presumes, in Corcoran's case). One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others By the time I finish...

23 December, 2015

In her regular Saturday slot at The Halifax Examiner, the writer, poet, activist, and prisoners' advocate El Jones has a moving account of what it's like to be in prison over Christmas—for inmates themselves and for their families on the outside. Do not miss this. El begins by writing about the problem of writing about people who may face retaliation for complaints she might voice on their behalf: Talking about these stories is so difficult and telling them in detail — the kind of detail people often need to believe they are true — places the people already being punished at so much risk. Even writing this...

19 December, 2015

One hundred years from now, descendants who know only driverless vehicles will scratch their heads in wonder at this curious cultural artifact. On the Cabot Trail just north of the Englishtown Ferry, a dash cam recorded this weirdly captivating encounter between a Mountie with attitude and sloppy cube van driver with same: Jersey Cove isn't Chicago, or even Toronto, and Shawn isn't black or Syrian, so instead of 16 bullets, the encounter netted him $787.42 in fines. The comments are almost as rich as the video. Shitty driver with Napoleon complex versus douche bag cop in his second trimester. Who's gonna win? My money is on the house. My...

17 December, 2015
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