Some speculate that music is the reason humans are what humans are. That the sounds of voice and eventually instrument over the millennia helped form the communities that became the societies, that allowed us to grow into the dominant species on the planet. As famed cultural critic George Steiner put it, there is no community on this planet … Continue reading Calgary’s music scene and how it shapes us
Bar philosophy: What Calgary’s drinking holes say about our city
When a certain magic takes hold, a bar becomes a memory palace that stands apart from other social spaces. It captures our imaginations, tells our stories. Bars are places where we make and keep friends, form community and, even if we don't realize it, bars shape how we think of ourselves. You can also get … Continue reading Bar philosophy: What Calgary’s drinking holes say about our city
Alberta’s uncultured minister
One could be forgiven for assuming that Alberta's minister of culture would have some semblance of the arts and the province's arts community, but by all accounts, that's not the case. If there were any doubts, this recent interview in the Globe and Mail should remove them. The fact that Maureen Kubinec hasn't seen a live performance … Continue reading Alberta’s uncultured minister
Calgary doesn’t care about you
Back in 2008, a friend of mine lived in a nice apartment with not-so-great neighbours on a bit of a sketchy corner. Still, the two-bedroom, 1950s-era space was big, relatively nice and relatively cheap at $800 per month. Six years later, that same apartment is up for rent, listed on rentfaster.ca for $3,000. That represents … Continue reading Calgary doesn’t care about you
Winter on two wheels: an interview with Tom Babin
Long marginalized as mentally unstable radicals, there’s a particular group in Calgary and beyond that is fighting back against stereotypes in an effort to bring more unwitting citizens into their fold. Terrorists? Scientologists? Climate-change deniers? Nah, winter cyclists. Front and centre in this battle for the minds is Tom Babin, senior tablet producer at the … Continue reading Winter on two wheels: an interview with Tom Babin
Capitalism and catastrophe: an interview with Naomi Klein
Let’s start with a question. What seems like a bigger challenge: fixing a flawed economic system, or dealing with the catastrophic consequences of uncontrolled climate change? How about another one: would you rather hand over billions to bail out a bank, or to help ensure the our planet remains liveable? Extreme, right? No. We’re in … Continue reading Capitalism and catastrophe: an interview with Naomi Klein
The empty Postmedia empire
This morning, the face of Canada's newspaper industry changed, and it's not for the best. Postmedia, owner of daily papers across the country and the National Post, announced it is buying Quebecor's English-language papers, all 175 of them, including the Sun papers, for $316 million. It's no surprise to anyone at this point that the industry … Continue reading The empty Postmedia empire
Rewriting the narrative: Ghalib Islam’s Fire in the Unnameable Country
It’s difficult to know where to start on a review of Ghalib Islam’s Fire in the Unnameable Country. The book is a thing apart. It’s a unique entity without direct comparison, although maybe a collaboration between Jose Saramago, Haruki Murakami and Franz Kafka would come close. Islam’s tale breaks every rule you can think of, in … Continue reading Rewriting the narrative: Ghalib Islam’s Fire in the Unnameable Country
Cycling outside of Calgary’s inner city
While cries of social engineering and a war on cars echo off the sides of skyscrapers and condos, the city is busy turning Calgary into a bike-friendly city in newer communities and suburbs without much fuss. Although there has been at least one councillor bemoaning the separated bike lane being built on Northland Drive in … Continue reading Cycling outside of Calgary’s inner city
Clint, the calf-roping calf
So, you get to be in the Stampede this week? Yeah, pretty excited about it. Really? No. Why? Well, there’s the lack of prize money and the fact that someone will be chasing me down while mounted on the back of a horse, trying to throw a rope around my neck and stop me dead … Continue reading Clint, the calf-roping calf
Drew Anderson 