Shares of the week
Reasons for Calm
First COVID-19 vaccine shipments arrive in Canada, more en route - Though we have some time before the sun can fully shine down upon us, with the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine in Canada, the clouds in the dark sky begin to part.
Life Pro Tip: Efficiency and Productivity are for work-related tasks, computers and the economy, not your life. Slow. Down. You are worthy of your own time. Savour your mind. - This is something anyone can benefit from! If you are going to schedule something, schedule some slow time for your own wellbeing. I plan on tackling some of these ideas myself.
Superdatastore
Canadaland Podcast #350 Loblaws Will Eat Us All - Loblaws is more than just a grocery juggernaut. They also know a lot about you through the data collected by their various subsidiaries. Vass Bednar joins Jesse in an investigation into Canada's Amazon.
Hard but Necessary Decisions
Citations Needed Podcast #124 - Mental Health & Covid: How US Media Spins Societal Failures Into Personal Self-Help Journeys - "If a giant blood-sucking monster were ravaging the country killing thousands of people and terrorizing millions more, the media would never provide us 'hacks' or 'plans' or 'tricks' to cope with the giant blood-sucking monster. It would ask the obvious question: What are those in power doing to stop the monster from killing and terrorizing in the first place?"
Food banks aren't the answer to hunger, researchers say - Food Banks used to be an emergency stop-gap to help people and families struggling to put food on the table but they have since become a permanent fixture in our society. If our goal as a society is to end poverty, then it is obvious we are doing something wrong.
Ottawa to hike federal carbon tax to $170 a tonne by 2030 - The federal Liberals have finally decided to get serious on climate change by setting a high-enough target price on carbon that is certain to make the use of fossil fuels uneconomical. Which is the point of a price on carbon after all. Using the revenues to invest in green technology and energy sources while giving the rest back to Canadians will drive both innovation and consumer spending at a time our economy badly needs it.
The Consequences of Free Speech
Mandryk: COVID-19 controversies won't end with departure of rally oaf - Let's be honest with ourselves: the "freedom movement" is really a movement for the freedom to be selfish and hateful assholes to other human beings.
Sinister sounds: podcasts are becoming the new medium of misinformation - Like many others, podcasts have quickly become my favourite sources of news, information, education and entertainment. As this article warns, the Wild West of podcasting can also be a source of lies and hate. As a former fervent Joe Rogan Experience listener myself, I am not surprised he is getting more and more pushback for the open and often-unfettered platform he gives to controversial people.