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Opinion
HELSTON: A small act of kindness will go a long way this Christmas
I’ll admit it; I tend to get my back up when I'm asked for money. My instinct is to terminate the uncomfortable conversation as quickly as possible with a ‘no, not today’ or some other firm, but polite, way of communicating the cause is not getting my hard earned cash. But I’m going to tell...
GOG: Getting satisfaction from the credit card companies: Priceless
WHEN I TOLD HIM MY MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME, HE REPLIED, "I'M SORRY, THAT'S NOT CORRECT." Credit cards are a tool of the devil. Apart from buying things on the line (which strikes me as a particularly bad idea anyway) they serve no useful purpose whatsoever other than to borrow money at usurious rates of interest....
LOEWEN: Canada’s public broadcaster and the drubbing to come
For those of us able still to remember a Canada lacking endless opportunities for distraction as a result of a seemingly limitless selection of “TV channels” on a dizzying array of media platforms, and an even greater number of traditional and internet-based radio stations, there was always the presence of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. At...
PARKER: When the problem is really just a warning sign
STRESS HAS HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCES—SO WHY GIVE OURSELVES SOMETHING ELSE TO STRESS ABOUT? There is a new ailment sweeping the anxiety-fueled generation of western 20-somethings, and it’s not really recognized by any other culture as being a thing. Adrenal fatigue is pummeling the nation, one stressed-out student at a time, and now there are diets,...
STAHN: Why is voter turnout so low?
In Kamloops we saw voter turnout for the 2014 civic election hit just above the provincial average once again, this time with 33 per cent of voters taking to the polls. This was barely a 3.3 per cent increase over the 2011 civic election, which was a small increase over the 2008 election when we...
JONESIE: What voters aren’t told
The votes are counted, the elections are over. The winners are celebrating and the losers are contemplating. But with apologies to the mayors and councillors and directors and trustees elected to a long four-year term, it’s tough to recognize victory. Not at 30 per cent voter turnout. From my place in the world, this election...
GOG: The Git’s plan for catching up with women’s lib
At the end of October I was reliably informed that the law now requires all males to grow a moustache in November, while the month itself has apparently been officially re-named by parliamentary decree to “Moevember,” “Moe” being a Japanese slang word for “adorably cute.” As one of Her Majesty’s most loyal subjects I have...
Margaritas and Mexico’s missing and murdered women
As the polar vortex shifts the seasons into a wintery overdrive, even the ordinarily balmy and frivolous Thompson-Okanagan has taken on a grey pall. The mercury is heading south and the frost-tipped ears after a morning walk suggest that it’s time to think about booking some time down south again. For years now my partner...
PARKER: Perfecting the art of faking it
If there’s one thing I don’t keep a secret it’s that I love wine. I love it, and I know a lot about it — like it’s made from grapes and if your tongue feels hairy after you drink it you can thank something called tannins. So, when I was asked to pour wine at...
