“In this cult of the pessimistic pleasure-seeker the Rubaiyat stands first in our time; but it does not stand alone.... The same lesson was taught by the very powerful and very desolate philosophy of Oscar Wilde. It is the carpe diem religion; but the carpe diem religion is not the religion of happy people, but of very unhappy people. Great joy does not gather the rosebuds while it may; its eyes are fixed on the immortal rose which Dante saw. Great joy has in it the sense of immortality; the very splendour of youth is the sense that it has all space to stretch its legs in. In all great comic literature, in ‘Tristram Shandy’ or ‘Pickwick’, there is this sense of space and incorruptibility; we feel the characters are deathless people in an endless tale. It is true enough, of course, that a pungent happiness comes chiefly in certain passing moments; but it is not true that we should think of them as passing, or enjoy them simply ‘for those moments’ sake.’ To do this is to rationalize the happiness, and therefore to destroy it. Happiness is a mystery like religion, and should never be rationalized.”

G.K. Chesterton Heretics

In my latest Loonie Politics column I say the mind-numbing vulgarity of Doug Ford’s comments about vaccine availability was just the beginning of their mind-numbing qualities.

“Oh Matthew, isn’t it a wonderful morning? The world looks like something God had just imagined for His own pleasure, doesn’t it? Those trees look as if I could blow them away with a breath – pouf! I’m so glad I live in a world where there are white frosts, aren’t you?”

Anne in Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables [Anne having saved a sick baby the night before]

In my latest Mercatornet column I say Biden’s hackneyed Inaugural speech may do no harm. But it did not rise to the occasion like, say, Lincoln’s magnificent Second Inaugural and did not even really seem to try.

In my latest National Post column I say Erin O’Toole’s boast about being pragmatic and moderate amounts to saying he has no convictions and cannot be counted on by anyone for anything, and trying to make it sound like an achievement. But it’s not.

In my latest Epoch Times column, I say recent revelations about national security breaches and governmental nonchalance ought to worry Canadians a lot more than they apparently do.

“I don’t believe in psychology. I believe in good moves.”

Bobby Fischer, quoted on Agadmator's YouTube channel.

“He was rude and unhygienic.”

“The robot head in Lexx: The Dark Zone Stories Jan. 1, 1999” [It’s the source I recorded and I’m sticking to it although I can offer no justification for ever having watched an episode (or even knowing the show existed, which in fact I’d forgotten) except that as summaries of someone’s undesirability go this line is excellent. Google confirms that the show existed and lasted four seasons (!) and says the robot head’s name was 790 and who am I to argue?]