I get the pessimism on NYE about the coming year but it’s becoming a cliche at this point. We have to make the world better.

My year ended with an abrupt punch, but here’s all that matters despite it all. The 2020s are more than half done. Time to redeem them, everyone.

Maybe Edmonton should study Ottawa’s amalgamation.

My 5yo son’s growing obsession with Pokemon is mostly fun. Learning about Pokemon that are inspired by the most banal things — there’s a Pokemon that’s basically a chandelier, and another that is basically a bowl of cream — is less exciting.

Had a conversation with a high-ranking federal employee recently about Alberta and data centres. The most worrying part? The people in power in the province “don’t read,” they said. www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

The aforementioned whiskies that are not bourbon. The one on the left is made in Alberta but the company isn’t based here.

To my fellow introverts: After three days of festing,

Happy Boxing Day to all those who celebrate!!

Corner lot support group cancelled due to shovelling required for foreseeable future.

I got two Canadian bottles of not bourbon but tastes like bourbon whisky— one made in Alberta (Bridgeland) and one in the U.K. (TBWC). Tariff-ic.

A coyote couple out for a Boxing Day stroll on my street. We exchanged pleasantries and I inquired about my cat, which they likely ate a while ago.

Vaguely The National-esque Christmas banger

When you’re entertaining 11 people and have a 5 year old.

Home Alone doesn’t really stand up — except for the John Candy parts.

Unsure if this is generational or jurisdictional, but Albertans do not seem to get that if you’re driving on a highway in a whiteout you should turn on your lights rather than do nothing. About 90% of drivers today on the Henday are blissfully unaware that they can make others safer.

Anyone else hear that strange noise near Nakatomi Plaza?

I will not lament the death of the word “vibe”

My aversion to driving grows much stronger on the days before Christmas. I think we averaged 10km/h today.

In 2026, we’re not using the word “impactful” ever again. Sorry, my mind is made up. It’s empty calorie corpo speak.

Andrew Tate looked cream crackered by round 4 of whatever that was. We should just make a new boxing division called "Media Personalities who could do with a slap"

Minus 20 and no heat.

“Council and administration have no crystal ball that enables them to see into the future. So, for them to say things like we need more LRT and more density of housing is a crap shoot.” A deeply unserious recycling of grievances. We’re growing fast. Wake up. edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...

Service Canada copy full of comma splices. Who cares, amirite.

A new World Bank report calls on governments to create dedicated Livable Streets Investment Programs, steadily scaling funding to 10% of road budgets by 2035. Why? Because livable streets deliver some of the highest returns in transport investment—up to €16 per €1 spent: investinlivablestreets.info

My favourite neighbourhood guest is this guy — speeds through in his diesel pickup with bright light whips for maximum effect. We are honoured to host you while you speed through.

Should I threaten to chain myself to a tree to get a bike lane or traffic calming on my street?

One frustration as a parent has been how often schools or daycares opt to keep kids inside — too much smoke, temperature, humidity, wind, rain, cold. Our school thankfully has an opt out program that will send our kid outside even if it’s below -20C. We’re trying to teach resilience over here.

New The Rest Is History Jack the Ripper episode just dropped.

Chef’s kiss

Charging for parking at city facilities 🤝 providing actual usable and convenient transit links to those same facilities. We’re not really there, especially in the river valley. edmontonjournal.com/news/local-n...

They dissected *that* scene to hilarious effect but this still broke my heart. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

Is anyone else a non-paying listener of The Rest Is History who’s currently wishing the rest of the Jack the Ripper series was available now rather than after a wait?

Don’t like rising property taxes? Consider: - driving less/using transit more (to save our infrastructure) - welcoming development in your mature neighbourhood (to add rate payers without building new infra) - buying less from Amazon (they don’t pay taxes to us but use infra) - going downtown

My Canada-first thinking does not include calling espresso and water a Canadiano.

* Adds snow shovel to list of items stolen from our property in 2025

You don’t say. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Pokemon people: What do you get a kid to have the essentials? Cards? Game stuff? Something else?

Edmonton before the LLB partial closure: OMG! Six op-eds! Edmonton now that it’s back to fully open: 🦗

In Toronto, the parking authority charges for some 20,000 street spots within the city and uses revenues in part to fund a public bikeshare program. edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...

My son has eaten roughly 10 meals today. Growth spurts are wild to watch.

Just explained to my son that before there came K-pop Demon Hunters, we had K-Tel Mini Pops.

❤️ www.cbc.ca/news/enterta...

The UCP has frozen U of Alberta's operating grant for years, crippling the budget of those studying cancer and other problems Meanwhile Danielle Smith directly intervened in the Advanced Ministry of Education, pressuring them to get Jordan Petersen's school accredited in Alberta

Former affordable townhomes on 85 Street being knocked down.

Every Y**wave comment thread is just a bunch of people not understanding what they’re looking at and asking for context and explanation. Perhaps try reading news more often.

Is there a better atmosphere in Edmonton than this one?

Team Paul Dano