Please wait a moment for the comic to load if you have a slow connection

Several years ago I became interested in rocks. During walks down our country road, I started noticing what was beneath my feet?and like a magpie, I was attracted to those with a bit of glitter or shine. But because I was an equal opportunity collector I also pocketed those rocks and stones with interesting shapes… Read more »

Ah, the poor old newspaper article. It just doesn’t get any respect these days. Not only are newsroom budgets shrinking, but readers even protest at pay walls. To top it off, the article form itself may soon be passé, with tiny nuggets of information served up instead?a sort of fact buffet readers can choose from…. Read more »

Film: My Joy (Kino Lorber 2010) (Russian with English subtitles) Director/Screenwriter: Sergei Loznitsa Cast: Viktor Nemets, Vlad Ivanov, Olga Shuvalova Genre: Art House/International/Drama ?Anyone who doesn’t regret the passing of the Soviet Union has no heart. Anyone who wants it restored has no brains.? Vladimir Putin ?As a result of half a century of Soviet… Read more »

AU Students urge candidates to improve university funding AU students are concerned about the financial health of Athabasca University and the effect of recent news stories on the reputation of the AUSU membership. A recent CBC report notes that in recent years the university has made a series of reserve draws to cover budget shortfalls,… Read more »

Traditionally, this is a very busy time of year for me. I’m in the end stages of planning a large event that happens at the beginning of June. Planning begins in January and has been quietly humming away at the back of my mind since then. In addition, this is crop seeding time. While I… Read more »

I’ve got to admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of poetry. Give me a long, winding adventure with Samuel Pickwick, Esquire, or an escape into historical detail with something like Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies. But sit down and lose myself in a book of poetry? Perish the thought. Oddly, It’s taken… Read more »

Film: Carnage (Sony Pictures Classics 2011) Director: Roman Polanski Screenwriters: Yasmina Reza, Roman Polanski Cast: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly Genre: Drama, Comedy ?Conflict cannot survive without your participation.? Wayne Dyer ?It behooves a father to be blameless if he expects his child to be.? Homer Young Zachary wants to join… Read more »

It’s the stuff of every neo-Luddite’s worst nightmare: machines and computers that replace human workers. Computers that can replicate human expertise, and even perform tasks thousands of times faster. In education, robograders seem to fit that bill, but the technology has a long way to go before it gets a passing grade. The word ?robograders?… Read more »

Film: Benda Bilili! (official website) (National Geographic Entertainment) Genre: Documentary, Art House Cast: Coco, Roger, Ricky, Theo Writers/Directors: Florent de la Tullaye, Renaud Barret ?Not only do physically disabled people have experiences which are not available to the able-bodied, they are in a better position to transcend cultural mythologies about the body, because they cannot… Read more »