Artist: The Cocktail Slippers Album: Shout It Out Loud The Cocktail Slippers, the raucous five-piece all-woman rock band from Oslo, Norway, released their fifth full length album Shout It Out Loud on September 17th, 2021. The band is comprised of Hope on lead vocals, Vega on guitar, Rocket Queen on guitar, Sugar on bass, and… Read more »

Dear Barb: My son has just moved away to university.  He is a six-hour drive from home, so it’s not that easy to hop in the car and visit.  He’s always been a good kid and did well in school and never caused his father and me any problems.  However, I noticed a change in… Read more »

Artist: Elko Album: PAINKILLER TWILIGHT Egyptian/Canadian nonbinary artist, Elko, has released their new EP, PAINKILLER TWILIGHT.  The album was written during quarantine, reflected in the overall theme of disillusionment that permeates through PAINKILLER TWILIGHT.  The lead single “Dishonest” is accompanied by a music video shot by Cincinnati media outlet, Soul Serum. Growing up in a… Read more »

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) estimates potential permanent closures of up to 222,000 small and medium-sized businesses, depending on how the situation evolves.  That’s 21 percent of all Canadian businesses.  The corresponding job losses would range between 962,000 and 2,951,000 Canadian workers. While most of us are struggling financially right now,… Read more »

You’ve got to take notes on a lecture or textbook, but you don’t particularly like the note-taking system I outlined last week? No fear.  This article will fill you in on some alternative note-taking systems, perhaps one that works best for your learning style. Last week, I covered taking notes using my personal system, which… Read more »

This week I want to discuss the value of meal planning.  Full disclosure, I’m not an expert at it, but I can see the benefits of planning out your meals.  In September of 2019, my family started planning out what we’d eat for dinners so that it was easier when the time came to make… Read more »

If you have a course that you would like to see a Course Exam article written for or you recently took a course that you would like to recommend to other AU students, please feel free to reach out with the course name and number, and any questions or feedback you may have.  We’ll be… Read more »

Dear Barb: I just landed an awesome job with a big corporation.  My problem is that I’m not sure of the proper etiquette at work or even at social events.  I have been raised on a farm and I am not familiar with many of the protocols required in business.  Could you make a few… Read more »

It’s never easy deciding which character stands out from a solid cast, especially when you don’t always want to put the spotlight on the best-developed protagonist whenever there is one.  In the case of Pedro Almodóvar’s 2006 dramedy film Volver, however, I must tread the beaten path and acknowledge Raimunda; her tale has modernized womanhood… Read more »

AU is about the small stuff, the learning that adds up to a worldview that matches our hearts to our brains.  We inhabit strange times that nevertheless have parallels in history: be it fake news or raging pandemics, or new Cold Wars, the idea that many truths abide on the same planet, and that everyone… Read more »