Paul Mitchinson is a part-time writer and a full-time father of two. He writes when he can. » more about me
Charles Rosen opens his magnificent book, The Romantic Generation, with a meditation on “inaudible music.” What could this possibly mean? Rosen explains that when we listen to music, we purify and enhance it, eliminating “extraneous” noise such as coughing, traffic, or snoring. We ignore the rattling of a clarinet’s keys, the scraping of a violin’s [...]
Michaelle Jean, Canada’s Governor General-designate, has taken a few weeks to think about it, but she’s finally admitted that she and her husband are “proud” to be Canadians. “[W]e have the greatest respect for the institutions of our country. We are fully committed to Canada.” Unfortunately, nobody was asking how much she liked Canada. Many [...]
Colby Cosh is convinced that nothing has changed on CBC radio since its workers went out on strike Monday:
[A]ll that’s on at the moment [on CBC-1]–and presumably this is true nationwide–is a low-key broadcast of syrupy lite jazz, introduced brusquely by a Toronto CBC manager. Aside from the periodic apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience, [...]
I love this shot. There is a starkness to the photo — the single basket, the single zucchini. The low vantage point accentuates the loneliness. (It helps to be three years old to get this perspective.) So many of C’s photos seem self-consciously arty that I often wonder whether she is achieving this effect deliberately. [...]
I see that the good folks at Western Standard magazine are maintaining the same high standards of journalism of their predecessors at Alberta Report and Western Report. [Full disclosure: Our family subscribed to the Alberta Report for years, and my first ever letter to the editor was published by Alberta Report.] Their latest smirk-worthy headline [...]
Drug gangs in Toronto have recently adopted the tactic of spraying gunfire into crowds. The intended target might or might not be hit, but innocent bystanders generally get mown down. The latest victim was a four-year-old boy who remains hospitalized after being struck in the leg by two “stray” bullets.
The Toronto Star seems perplexed by [...]
Oh dear. A week has flown by with no posts at all. So much for high hopes and good intentions for a new revamped site. Oh well — not much to do but another of C’s photos — this one of her baby brother, T.