TOD’S RANT
It Didn’t Come. It Doesn’t Matter.

Let’s talk about courage. And one of Canada’s most beloved bands.

The Tragically Hip carved memories into generations with their songs. For lots of us up here, their music became a soundtrack for our lives — still is. The band’s singer Gord Downie, could weave pride, and nostalgia, and longing into all of us.

Every Canadian can sing at least one Hip song: Ahead by a Century. New Orleans is Sinking. And my favourite: Courage [watch music video].

It’s a great song, but until all this chaos lately, there’s a line I never understood. It’s the chorus. It goes:

And I’ve always thought “That’s so depressing. What was Gord Downie trying to say?”

I think, in the context of all this chaos, I understand it now.

Heroism is Staying

Courage doesn’t always look like we think it will. In the movies, it comes with fanfare and there’s a parade after. It’s stitched onto flags and shouted from podiums.

Maybe when it’s the worst time: courage is just… staying. Staying when it would be easier to leave. Listening when it would be easier to shout. Taking to the streets when it would be easier to post on Facebook. Showing up—again and again—when everything around you says: why bother?

I can’t imagine what American trans people are going through. I can’t imagine what immigrants are going through. Or what it feels like to live every day knowing your safety hinges on the outcome of someone else’s vote.

But the song? I like I get it now. 

It Couldn’t Come at a Worse Time

The song’s name is not actually “Courage,” by the way. It’s “Courage (for Hugh MacLennan).”

McLennan wasn’t a war hero or a political giant. He was a guy who wrote novels about Canada when people said that was pointless. Too small. Too quiet. No one would care.

Gord Downie, as the story goes, was on tour and was reading one of McLennan’s novels. The Watch That Ends the Night. Which is about a lot of things, but mostly something I think we all feel right now: the weight of carrying on when there’s no clear path. He wrote it in the worst time — after his wife died.

“Courage, it couldn’t come at a worse time.” 

This chaos, every hour a new headline, every day a new target. Who could blame us for choosing inertia.

But you know what I see?

They Persisted

I see defiance, not surrender.

I see people stepping up without waiting for courage to arrive. It didn’t come. It doesn’t matter.  

Action doesn’t always spring from strength. Sometimes, just carrying on—scared, uncertain — sometimes that’s enough. 

It’s been almost eight years since cancer extinguished Gord Downie’s  light. We can’t ask him what he meant, but I’d like to think he left the answer behind. 

Yes, we’re overwhelmed. But we are not broken.

We will meet the chaos on our terms. 

It couldn’t come at a worse time.

THE WEEK THAT WAS
The News You Didn’t Hear… But Should Have

First, the Good News 🙂

• Preschool Archaeologist
  This week, a toddler in Israel found an ancient scarab amulet, possibly 3,800 years old, near the legendary David and Goliath battlefield. These beetle-shaped objects were highly treasured. more

• Big Tip Energy
  An 81-year-old waitress in Pennsylvania got the surprise of a lifetime this week when a TikToker raised over $328,000 for her after hearing she couldn’t afford to retire. What started with a $40 tip turned into a viral kindness explosion. more

• Coyote Comeback
  Coyote vs. Acme, a finished Looney Tunes flick where Wile E. sues Acme for all those busted gadgets, was nearly scrapped by Warner Bros. for a tax write-off. Thanks to major backlash, it’s now saved and headed to theatres in 2026. ACME finally loses—legally. more

• Bookish and Stylish
  Books are so March. A library in the U.K. now lends out clothes for free. The project mixes fashion with community spirit and eco-consciousness. You check out outfits like books, and every item has a backstory. more

Tiny Victories

• The Ultimate Opt-Out
  After getting baby ads on Facebook before telling anyone she was pregnant, Tanya O’Carroll fought back. She sued Meta and now won’t get targeted ads anymore. Just her. But her win might help others block creepy tracking too. Sorry Zuck, guess stalking’s out. more

• Cyberstuck
  Tesla’s got nearly $200M worth of Cybertrucks just sitting around because no one wants to buy them. Production’s up, demand’s down, and prices for used ones are tanking. Even Tesla won’t take them back. I know I’m not supposed to laugh, but… more

• Call to Action
  When the British phone company tried to remove a rural red phone box in Norfolk due to low usage last month, locals proved its worth by taking shifts making more than 50 calls in one day to meet the “quota” required. Poor cell service and past emergencies made it a must-keep, said the community. The phone company backed off. 🙂 more

Science, Baby, Yeeeeaahhh 🧪

• The Plastic We Made
  Scientists havetaught E. coli bacteria to make a new kind of plastic from natural materials instead of oil. They used parts of amino acids to build it. Changing the mix changes how strong or stretchy the plastic is. This could help replace oil-based plastics with greener ones. more

• Science Gets a Passport
  American researchers are fleeing censorship and budget cuts under Trump, especially in fields like environment and health. Now, Europe is stepping up, offering jobs and funding to give these scientists a safe place to keep working. Scientific asylum: the brainiest visa. (P.S. We need you scientists in Canada too!) more

The Dystopian Hellscape 🔥

• Matchmaker, Matchmaker… Maybe Don’t
  At a far-right Texas “pro-natalist” conference last week, attendees paid $10K to find a spouse, get married on the spot, and repopulate the earth. Organizers push having lots of kids—some linked to creepy race science and far-right views. Romance meets Reddit incel energy. more

• Nepo Baby, But Make It Dictator
  At just 17, Adam Kadyrov—son of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov—now oversees the region’s internal affairs ministry, including riot cops and counterterrorism. He’s already handed out medals, led special forces, and beaten a prisoner on video. Totally normal résumé. more

At Least We Have Satire 🤣

• Operation: Sit Back & Chill
  The FBI has “uncovered” al-Qaeda’s evil new plot: doing absolutely nothing while America collapses on its own. Terrorists worldwide are reportedly relaxing, watching CNN, and laughing at U.S. debt, crumbling bridges, and overpriced insulin. Honestly? Relatable. more [satire]

LIVE EVENT REPLAY
Hope (and Sanity) in the Age of Collapse

How do you stay calm, sane, and hopeful when politics feels like a never-ending crisis? Clinical psychologist Dr. Katie Moore joins me to share clear-headed advice for keeping your emotional footing and your spirits bright, no matter how dark the headlines.

Dr. Moore received her doctorate in Applied Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Irvine, CA. She now owns Affirming Psychological Services, a practice that focuses on LGBTQIA+ affirming care and trauma treatment.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoUZdBZXYRQ

MY WORK THIS WEEK
In Case You Missed It

BLUESKY’S BEST POSTS THIS WEEK
The LOL Side

HOW CANADA’S COMPANIES ENDED THE WEEK
The Market

FOLLOW TOD ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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