Essay: "You are a hiptser"

When I first became aware of the term "hipster" I was not aware that it was an insult. I had a friend who lived downtown, listened to Indie music, and only drank microbrewed beers. I told him casually that he was a hipster and he strenuously denied it.  That's how I learned that the word "hipster" is a term of contempt - because no one will admit to being one.

Essay: "The Purifying Effect of Power"

It's hard to remember now, but not so long ago the biggest impediment to the old Reform party taking power was that someone in their party would say something stupid.  The Reform (or the Conservative Party, after the merger) would be riding high for a while, and then the Honourable Member from Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump or somewhere equally remote would pipe up about how he didn't believe in evolution, or some ghastly personal opinion about immigrants or homosexuals, and then the Liberals would coast to another majority.