Vol. 16 Iss. 42

Volume 16 Issue 42 - 10/31/2008

This World – Across the Continent in 22 Days, Part V

Part V: Gardiner, Montana to Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming This is the fifth instalment in a series chronicling the adventures of the author; her husband, Adam; and two-year-old daughter, Kiersten, as they travelled by car from Alaska to Louisiana in summer 2008. Day 15: Gardiner, Montana to Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming We get up late… Read more »

On the Hill – Penny Wise

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his new cabinet this week, the naysayers were quick to be heard, and one of their main arguments surrounded the extra seats at the table. Indeed, it may seem like a curious decision in this economic climate for Harper to increase his cabinet by six members, from 32 to… Read more »

Porkpie Hat – Some Thoughts on Peace of Mind

As I get older, more realistic, more mature, I gain an ever-greater understanding of the fact that existence is a series of compromises made in order to keep the wheels (of finance, of society, of life itself) smoothly turning. There is no such thing as ?black? and ?white??only endless gradations of tasteful paint samples in… Read more »

From Where I Sit – Happy Medium?

Why is it that there is no happy medium? Not so long ago I had lots of time and not very much money. I’ve (re)discovered that when time seems to hang heavy there isn’t much pressure to ?put out.? If I didn’t do the laundry today, there was always tomorrow. Or perhaps the day after…. Read more »

The Mindful Bard – Moneyland

CD: Moneyland Release date: 2008, McCoury Music Del McCoury, Bernard Smith, Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, Mac Wiseman, Chris Knight, Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Dan Tyminski, Bruce Hornsby and the Fairfield Four Mama’s Hungry Eyes No Longer a Thing of the Past I’d rather live by the side of the road And try… Read more »

The 2008 Voice Writing Contest!

Write for The Voice and win money for your education! The Voice is launching its 2008 writing contest, with categories for both fiction and non-fiction. We’ve got over $1,000 in prizes to give away: one winner in each category will receive a scholarship of one Athabasca University undergraduate course. Please read the contest rules and… Read more »

Ghosts of ’82

Halloween, 1982, and three brothers race through the darkness of a haunted suburban landscape. Frenzied in their quest, the boys cut a determined, unceremonious path across the well-manicured lawns of their little world. Their footfalls are crisp atop forgotten piles of long-dead leaves. They trample prized gardens slowly receding into dormancy. They pillage with all… Read more »

Thanksgiving Revisited

The turkey I stuffed this morning stuffed me this afternoon. I lean back in the armchair and take a break from my reading of Dickens’s Bleak House and massage my stomach. I contemplate the contrast between my childhood and the existence that Mrs. Jellyby’s ragged children endure. Lucky for me to be born to parents… Read more »

In Conversation With . . . Del McCoury

Del McCoury is a bluegrass performer who took up the banjo after hearing Flatt and Scruggs playing on a 78 record. Del has worked with Bill Monroe, Steve Earle, and Phish, among others. Del’s new CD, Moneyland, features famous country artists of all political persuasions working together to raise awareness of the plight of poor… Read more »

Education News – Students graduate into an economic slowdown

Recession impacts students? job prospects, says prof WINNIPEG (CUP) ? The economic cycle is moving into a recession, which spells trouble for students about to graduate. ?We are seeing a short-term slowdown in a long-term growth pattern,? said Hugh Grant, a professor of economics at the University of Winnipeg who specializes in labour economics. Grant… Read more »

Did You Know? – Call for Nominations

Each year at convocation, AU presents the Honorary Doctorate and Order of Athabasca University awards, in recognition of those who (among other achievements) provide ?exceptional contributions to the enhancement of the Canadian culture or society,? as well as ?leadership and inspiration by being a role model to our graduates.? Does that sound like someone you… Read more »

Click of the Wrist – Halloween

It’s Halloween, the time of year when all sorts of things keep us peering wide-eyed into the night: things that go bump, scary movies, and too much candy. But don’t feel bad if all that frightful fun keeps you awake. In the words of Edgar Allan Poe, ?Sleep, those little slices of death; Oh how… Read more »

Around AU – AU Store

Want to show off your AU pride? Looking for a Christmas gift for that special AU student? Simple: just go to the AU store and check out all the latest gear. There are some great AU branded items available, including women’s fleece zip jackets in colours from green to orange to purple and more. You’ll… Read more »