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editorial
Popular Culture & Intellectual Freedom by Gary Bauslaugh

How do we maintain any sense of individuality in a world in which so much human ingenuity is dedicated to making us conform?

letters from our readers
Letters

the world around us
the world around us by Theo Meijer

reports

Defending Public Space:
Community Witnessing by John Baglow

Baglow describes the efforts of a group of Ottawa citizens who took on the task of monitoring the behaviour of the police during public demonstrations.

the Persecution of Evelyn Martens by Paul Zollman

This is the first in a series of articles that examine the reprehensible treatment of a great-grandmother who put herself at risk to attend the suicides of two women and give them the comfort of human presence at the time of their deaths.

feature

the Tradition & Techniques of Satire:
the Case of Michael Moore, part 1 by Brett Zimmerman

In the first part of a two-part series Zimmerman looks at Michael Moore as a modern satirist.

Clutter: consquences of consumption by Marni Stanley & Kathryn Barnwell

We live in a culture of consumption. But what do we do with all of the stuff we get?

Dwarf Tossing: just making a living by Robert Cormack

Is this strange practice unacceptable? Cormack has some surprising answers.

columns

practical philosophy
Appealing to the Natural by Trudy Govier

Why consumer products spin themselves as being ‘natural.’

things that go bump
the Dying of the Light by James Alcock

What is the evidence that when we die we “cross-over” to another life?

films
the Gospel According to Monty,
Martin, Denys, Pier Paolo & Mel by Shirley Goldberg

Goldberg looks at Jesus films — from excellent ones such as Denys Arcand’s Jesus of Montreal to awful ones like Mel Gibson’s.

departments

books
Atheism, Morality & Meaning edited by Ian Johnston

Shawn Dawson reviews Michael Martin’s Atheism, Morality & Meaning.

H L Mencken on Religion edited by Ian Johnston

William Broderick reviews H L Mencken on Religion (edited by ST Joshi).

Peace on Earth… Is It Possible? reviewed by Ian Johnston

Ian Johnston reviews Carl Zimmerman’s Peace on Earth… Is It Possible?

fiction & poetry

fiction
Carny by Cathleen With

This story about a disappearing aspect of popular culture was the winner of our first fiction contest, and then became a finalist for a Western Magazine Award for fiction.

poetry
In Search of a Lost Moment by Inge Israel

exchange

Action Plans by H E Schrieber & Gary Bauslaugh

last word

Guilty Pleasures by Jean Irwin

Irwin makes a confession about certain low-brow indulgences.