Christmas merriment

The meaning of Christmas is elusive. For some it’s a season of consumer extravaganzas and a boon for business. For others it’s profoundly religious. In places it’s fallen prey to partisan and tribal chicanery. It can be a time of happiness, angst or peace. Even the date of Jesus’s birth is elusive: December 25 is celebrated, but theological

Matters of Facts, and Opinions, this week

Since German fantasy/horror author E.T.A. Hoffmann penned his 1816 novella  The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the bizarre and charming tale has inspired and entertained, even as Hoffmann’s name is overshadowed by others more famous.  The ballet The Nutcracker, by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, is a seasonal staple, and

A star-studded cast: Brian Brennan’s Brief Encounters

Set aside quality time over the holiday to enjoy Brian Brennan’s Brief Encounters with a star-studded cast of 64 entertainers. (Modestly-priced subscription required, see below*. If you’re a subscriber and lack your pass code, please email editor@canadianjournalist.ca) From poignant to charming to hilarious, the columns include Brennan’s interviews with satiric

Money jitters and Janet Yellen’s Federal Reserve

The world’s money people have the jitters ahead of a historic U.S. Federal Reserve decision on American interest rates, expected Wednesday. If rates go up, it would be the first time in more than nine years. Analysts are busy predicting either disaster or a boon. The decision

Paris Agreement on climate

Paris Agreement: landmark accord, turn from fossil fuels, By Alister Doyle and Barbara Lewis  The global climate summit in Paris agreed a landmark accord on Saturday, setting the course for a historic transformation of the world’s fossil fuel-driven economy within decades in a

Facts, and Opinions, this week

“The Paris Agreement is adopted,” said French foreign minister Laurent Fabius late Saturday at the Paris climate summit. Weary delegates cheered and applauded the global agreement on tackling climate change, reached by 195 countries after years of preparation and two weeks of grinding negotiations. “The

Matters of Facts, and Opinions: guns, climate and a ferry tale

Far more people die horribly in the world’s benighted places than die by guns in the United States, and yet American gun violence hogs global attention. The reason is simple: the American dream was once the world’s dream of a good life. That’s at least the PR spin: America the great,

Findings: the best of the web

You’ve read F&O’s latest work, I assume? (If not, may I respectfully remind you, here, of the essential stories on our Contents page?) Why ISIS is winning, with America’s help TOM REGAN: Summoning Orenda Column Soldiers patrol Brussels, raids lead to arrests GABRIELA BACZYNSKA & PHILIP BLENKINSOP  Report

Sunday reads on F&O

Ron Hynes: the man of 1000 songs departs for Cryer’s Paradise. By Greg Locke Newfoundland singer-songwriter and musical legend, Ron Hynes, died Nov. 19. He was 64. In an ironic coincidence there was a power failure in downtown St John’s around the

Attacks rock France

PARIS (Reuters) – France was rocked by multiple, near simultaneous attacks on entertainment sites around Paris on Friday evening and French media said at least 60 people were killed and hostages were being held in a concert hall in the capital. The

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