I had a moment to spend on updating the site so I did. I have upgraded it to WordPress 2.02, which will probably be entirely transparent to all of you, but which gives me a very nice back-end administration area.

I have also added a couple of plugins. [tag]Simpletags[/tag] is a plugin that lets you easily add [tag]Technorati[/tag] tags to your posts, a feature that is meaningless for those of you that don’t use Technorati. You’ll see the new tags at the bottom of posts regardless.

I’ve also added a plugin that lets users easily submit to some of the more popular social bookmarking sites out there, like del.icio.us and Reddit, two of my favourites. Del.icio.us is especially great if you are a habitual link packrat. This plugin will only display when you click through to the post.

I also reorganized the sidebar a little bit and improved the search.  Hopefully it’s a little easier to navigate now.

Thanks for sticking through the extended dry spell, I seem to have a little more time for writing lately so I plan on doing so.

The hammer has been raised yet again. This issue includes the 5th installment of Digital Kayak, where I connect poor gastrointestinal health to climate change.

This is a bizarre story:

For the first time in Canada, a man has anonymously donated a part of his liver to a complete stranger on a “no-strings attached” basis.

But before doctors at Toronto General Hospital (TGH) agreed to Kevin Gosling’s request, he was sent to three psychiatrists to assess his mental state.

“They asked me, do I have a death wish? Did I do something wrong in life that I want a free ticket to heaven?” Gosling said at a news conference Thursday.

Kudos to Kevin Gosling for remaining anonymous.

I laughed really hard watching Rick Mercer Report last night. It was one of the funniest of his shows in recent memory. There were several overt jabs at Canadian politics and politicians. Check out the recaps here.

One spot entitled “Ignatieff – Man of the People” lampooned Liberal leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff. The skit was a mock television campaign ad plugging Mr. Ignatieff’s bid to become the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC). The ad played on the candidate’s career as an academic; it was another jab at Ignatieff’s supposed intellect. I’m not going to explain it any further – watch it yourself.

Now, I don’t doubt that Michael Ignatieff is a capable politician, but I have gone on record questioning his political acumen. Iggy fumbled his way into the last election as a star-candidate for the Liberals in Etobicoke. He was courted by party insiders to join the Canadian political scene. That’s the way things are done, but they may have pushed him into the limelight prematurely.

It is no secret that some former John Manley supporters and a handful of other party stalwarts are orchestrating his ascension within the LPC. The list of his supporters is growing. Since Belinda Stronach announced that she would not be running for the LPC crown, Iggy’s resources within the party have deepened. Arguably, his team is now the best in the race. They are well organized and well funded. The question is – can they pull it off? Can they make him a saleable politician?

Iggy may be book smart, but I wonder if that characteristic can be translated (spun) into political capital. He might be a hit with some segments of the Liberal party. He might be a hit with some segments of the Toronto chattering classes. But can LPC rainmakers turn Iggy into a candidate who is marketable beyond his already-established support base?

The biggest obstacle to their success, without a doubt, is Iggy’s academic baggage. As a Harvard professor, he has commented, in writing, on several contentious and political topics. His opinions are going to follow him like stink. It doesn’t matter what he said; his statements will polarize voters.

It is going to be a Herculean task for Iggy’s communications team to develop a strategy that will deflect criticisms of his academic writing. He has to define himself before his opponents do. His team will have to put his politics in context without saying too much – without sounding academic (without even using the word academic). Voters don’t do academic. They will have to convince folks like Rick Mercer that there are more compelling reasons to pay attention to Michael Ignatieff other than to call him an egghead.

Iggy’s public campaign will be watched closely. There are more folks like me, who watch politics for a living, waiting for it to implode than are waiting for it to take flight. Still, there is a growing expectation that something has to happen – too many egos are on the line for things to stand still. And when you’re dealing with the Liberal Party of Canada, egotistical ambition is what makes the machine turn.

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This post was written by alevo.

Raise the Hammer is out with another issue, one that really focuses on Hamilton’s long-term future. Ryan has two great articles that examine two issues highly relevant to Hamilton, the future of big box stores like Wal-Mart and the implications of peak oil on Hamilton’s future. There’s lots of other interesting submissions to check out too.