Some Sunday Wisdom From A Social Seer

To borrow from Ben Jonson's accolade about Shakespeare, George Carlin was "not of an age, but for all time." A man not afraid to shake the tree of complacency, he saw things that so many of us either don't see or are afraid to acknowledge.

Yesterday, he was trending on Twitter. Here are but a few of his cogent and acerbic observations.

And perhaps most pointedly relevant for the times we are currently living in:

Appreciation of Small Pleasures

In this life, filled as it is with so many vicissitudes, I firmly believe that we have to enjoy small pockets of pleasure that come our way, whether it is a sumny day, a walk in nature, a good book or, in this case, the return of David MacFarlane to the newspaper. MacFarlane, a gifted writer, once had a regular column in Canada's self-proclaimed 'newspaper of record', but like countless other incomprehensible management decisions of the Globe's past decade, was terminated several years ago, a fate he shared with the likes of Heather Mallick and Rick Salutin, both of whom now have permanent places with The Toronto Star.

It is also where you will find MacFarlane's new weekly column, debuting in today's edition. Although he is ostensibly writing on the arts, if this is your first exposure to him, after reading today's piece, you will realize that he is writing about much much more, something I always appreciated in his past work.

Witty and gifted, MacFarlane's writing is not a bad way at all to start off your Thursdays from now on.

A Tip of the Hat to Two Bloggers

Since joining the Progressive Bloggers' website, the daily listings of progressive posts have enhanced the depth and breadth of my understanding of social and political issues. Through their commentary and links, I have learned of things that would have eluded me entirely had I relied only on newspapers and television news.

In my humble view, there is an array of bloggers well-worth reading on a regular basis. Two of my favorites are individuals whose passionate sense of justice and outrage, whose refusal to "go gently into that good night" confirm for me that the human spirit is alive and well, as are critical thinking and the willingness to challenge authority.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out the latest offerings from Dawg's Blog and Orwell's Bastard.

Please sign this petition urging Prime Minister Harper to stop threatening Michaela Keyserlingk and to stop exporting asbestos.

Bill Maher On American Gun Laws

It's a cold Sunday afternoon where I live, and so the Internet is providing some much-needed insulation from mother nature. I just finished reading an article about Bill Maher on Salon.com which included an excerpt from his Friday night appearance on the Jay Leno Show. While I almost never watch the show (Leno is too bland and pays it too safe for my liking), Maher's appearance added some zest to a moribund format.