In the midst of winter I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.Albert Camus Summer is a time of flourishing. At least for me it always has been. Despite all that 2020 has thrown at us, at me, I flourished more this summer than recent memory can recall.  My mood tracks the seasons. Perhaps … Continue reading An invincible summer →

Perhaps the best litmus test for determining a Canadian federal politician’s willingness to do what’s right is to ask them their stance on the controversial deal to sell Canadian-made light armoured vehicles (LAVs) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  The original deal was brokered by the Harper government in 2014 and is worth some … Continue reading Apathetic and Opportunistic MPs are behind the Canada-Saudi LAV Deal →

Summary of “A New Look at Existential Psychotherapy” (Dr. Aaron Keshen, 2005) By Mason Maxwell Many of us are familiar with the concept of existential dread, or, more formally, existential anxiety. Kierkegaard was the first to write about it formally, and he was followed by Nietzsche, Heidegger, Camus, and Sartre, to name a few of … Continue reading A summary of “A New Look at Existential Psychotherapy” (Keshen 2005) →

John Steinbeck wrote: “It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routine life, even if you hate it.” One person in particular comes to mind when I think about this quote. For this person, he lives and dies by routine. With it, he is eminently productive and formidable; without it, he may be found in … Continue reading On Routine; or, how to survive a quarantine →

With Liam Hunt (https://larthurhunt.com) In February, China’s National People’s Congress issued a temporary ban on “terrestrial wildlife of important ecological, scientific and social value” following mounting pressure from domestic and international groups amid the coronavirus pandemic. Experts believe that Covid-19 was transferred from a wild animal, such as a bat or pangolin, to humans—and that … Continue reading If wet markets are to go, so too must factory farms →

We woke on Monday morning to the news of an active shooter situation in mainland Nova Scotia. A man, armed and dangerous, was driving a police car, wearing an RCMP uniform, flagging down cars and executing the passengers. As of today, 23 are dead, including the shooter. The whole country is reeling from the largest … Continue reading Have we taken social distancing too far? Reflections on the Nova Scotia shooting →

Part III: Guatemala Xela Our bus is revving its engine outside the Minerva Terminal in Quetzaltenango, or Xela, as the locals know it. Latino pop music is blasting through the outdated stereo system on the 1990s-era schoolbus, our driver is shouting “San Marcos! San Marcos!” at the top of his lungs, and the smell of … Continue reading México & Guatemala 2019 →

Part II: Chiapas Palenque I don’t remember much about the drive from Campeche to Palenque. I dozed in and out of consciousness over the six-hour bus ride, which took us far away from the coast and deep into the heart of the jungles of southern continental Mexico. I had been up into the wee hours … Continue reading México & Guatemala 2019 →

A travel report by Mason Maxwell At the end of this month it will have been one year since I departed on the trip of a lifetime with one of my best friends. To the dismay of my family, and despite their discomfort at the idea, we set out to backpack 1400 km through Southeastern … Continue reading México & Guatemala 2019 →

To steal an idea from my good friend Graeme Wach I've decided to make my own reading list, or a list of books I have read and ones I want to read this year. I need to work on spending more time reading, so I hope that this will hold me to account for my … Continue reading Reading List 2019 →