By Kim Nursall
Sunday night was emotional for those of us who have watched the healthcare debate unfold in the United States. After over a year of vacillation during which the deliberative process almost fell into obscurity — pushed to the brink of failure by warnings of statism and “death panels” — a piece of legislation, approved by… Continue reading American healthcare reforms no great shakes
Two cases in the last month have brought Germany’s education policy under scrutiny. In the first, a family fled to America, sought asylum and were granted it by a Tennessee judge, because the parents wanted to home-school their children. The second is much the same, but it strikes closer to home: after fleeing Germany for… Continue reading The case against home-schooling
By Ryan Pike
Since he became Canada’s 22nd prime minister in 2006, Stephen Harper has developed a reputation amongst his opponents for being sneaky. Granted, few in politics have gotten far by telegraphing their maneuvering, but Harper has seemingly turned political behaviour into a modern art form. While many of his predecessors utilized obscure verbiage, intellectual smoke and… Continue reading Stephen Harper shoots… Harper scores!
By Ryan Pike
The ongoing saga of Alberta tuition took another odd turn this past week, as budget meetings scheduled to approve the university’s proposal seems to be shelved until the end of the academic year.Key committee meetings leading up to the University of Calgary’s budget approval vote have reportedly been postponed. The bump of these U of… Continue reading Editorial: Tuition uncertainty drags on…
By Laura Bardsley and Tristan Taylor
Close your eyes and imagine utopia. If there is a unicorn, a rainbow and 70 per cent chance of showers, you are probably imagining the land Brasstronauts hails from. Their composed sound consists of keys, trumpets, drums, bass and flugelhorn — yes, a flugelhorn. Their unconventional instrumentation reinforces their identity as one of the most relaxing… Continue reading Spun: Brasstronaut
Goldfrapp’s Head First would have dropped a lot of panties in 1985. The glossy, synth-driven homage to ’80s electro-pop excess is a fine record initially, but just like Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran,” it wears thin after the initial, gleeful burst. The problem with Head First is that it takes its concept and runs it… Continue reading Spun: Goldfrapp
By Emily Ask
Woodhands is a synth-pop band you can relate to, which sounds absurd, but it’s true. Granted, their songs are made for the dance floor and in that situation you don’t need to relate to anything other than the beat, but there’s a story clearly being told in Remorsecapade that’s intriguing, if not a little melancholy.… Continue reading Spun: Woodhands
By Ryan Pike
One year ago, a group of University of Calgary students banded together to create a film festival as part of their film class practicum. What resulted from that experiment was the three-day Show Us Your Shorts film festival celebrating the craft and potential of short films along with the intrepid spirit of short filmmakers, both… Continue reading Second year sweet for Show Us Your Shorts
Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg causes a lot of simultaneous reactions, including refreshment, boredom and dissimulation. It is refreshing to not have to don 3D glasses and actually watch people act on screen. Greenberg has no fancy gimmicks or brooding vampires, just people interacting the old-fashioned way. A short cunnilingus act kicks off the romance between Roger… Continue reading Stiller shines in otherwise dull Greenberg
By Amy Badry
What Are We Doing Here is a documentary filmed and produced by three brothers and a cousin after a six-month jaunt to Africa. The quartet set off to Africa to explore the role of foreign aid and impact of western development agencies on the continent. “Too often the same stories are recycled about Africa,” says… Continue reading Doc offers new perspective on foreign aid