Strange Bedfellows In Extremus

Has anyone checked out "Inkless Wells" lately? As a matter of fact, I don't go there very often, but I just discovered this fascinating tidbit that I should pass on..., but apparently, Ian is all over this story,(see Ianism.com on the BANPC), particularly because of the connection to our old friend, Sinclair Stevens. I remember my late grandfather saying, while Stevens was still in office, that he was going to ruin the Progressive Conservative party (and he was an avid Liberal). Fortunately, he resigned before he could. Unfortunately, and quite unfairly in my opinion, Deputy Prime Minister Erik Nielsen took the blame for Stevens' shenanigans, apparantly being forced to be their sacrificial lamb.

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Another link I have but seldom check is Points of Information, because I never understood what it is, but this list of people who crossed the floor in Ottawa should make for good discussion, as should this statement of Belinda skipping the bill.

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Another blogging naysayer, but don't let him get you down. Also, don't you just hate people who answer their own questions? I sure do! ;-)

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So what do you think? Is this money well spent? I think that the Gomery Commission will more than pay for itself.

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What appears to be the latest salvo (whatever that is) in the softwood lumber war, which I believe started just after the original Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1989. What is it with those people anyway? They always seemed intent on using brute force to change trade laws, over and over again for years. Is that an unfair assessment?

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Ending this post on a serious note, this story of that crash in Alberta, which took the life of four people, including former Cape Breton resident Stevie Batherson, who was the brother of, and used to be the road manager for, Matt Minglewood. I'm not sure how many people outside of Eastern Canada heard of him, or at least heard, of The Minglewood Band which was quite popular in the 70s, but here on the East Coast, particularly in Cape Breton, he is a living legend. I've seen a number of his performances in the last five or so years and he still puts on a terrific show. In fact, I watched him perform at Big Leagues in Cole Harbour last Saturday, which was scheduled a day after the crash. I would have understood if he had cancelled it, but he performed anyway. When he started, he said that Stevie's cardinal rule was "the show must go on", and still put on a kick-ass show. The words that come to mind: admirable and inspirational.

So who won last night?

Or for that matter, why does anyone care? I'm talking about the Golden Globes. A dubious award from a very secretive organization probably being run by someone named David Manning. Isn't it the Hollywood equivalent to professional wrestling? And still on the subject of ... what am I talking about? Dishonesty? So how about conservative commentators Armstrong Williams and Bill O'Reilly? I think this is Williams' first strike, but with the other guy, it's probably his third or fourth.

The Genesis War 

So where do you stand on the subject of where we came from? I have to admit, biosciences are not my specialty, but I do like to read up on it once in a while. On the subject of creationism, I say that it's possible, but the old Adam and Eve story is just one of many folk tales from different cultures trying to explain when and where the human race began. And about evolution, it is just another possibility. I would not be offended if the Missing Link was actually found and we were actually descended from apes, heck, I am willing to believe that we all started out as microbes in primordal soup, which is the conventional wisdom now. The thing is, we just don't know for sure. Darwin's theories are still just that. Theories. And the science is always changing. Most of what we know now may ultimately be proven wrong.

Local News

Judy Sgro has resigned, but apparently, her accuser is less than reputable. It's too early to say "Good riddance!"
 
Does anyone reading this watch French TV, even though like me, you only have high school French? There is this program on 7:30 ET Sunday nights on Radio-Canada called "...Et Dieu Crea LaFlaque", which is a computer animated news programme starring a Gerard LaFlaque, a fat, grumpy, middle-aged husband and father who interviews real personalities, both in CGI and in real life. As I said, my French is limited at best, but I still couldn't stop myself from laughing at times. It's sort of like Larry Sanders/Newsroom + Spitting Image (in a computer generated sort of way). It's really up on current events too, check it out.

Not for 30 and under

Don't you miss vinyl records? I do. This guy makes some really valid points. It does seem that in most cases, for everything gained, we lose something. It's one more reason I feel sorry for kids today. They don't experience art in any remotely pure form as we did. Don't I sould like an old fuddy-duddy? Not entirely, who misses 8-track tapes? Speaking of which, my father got an old-fashioned record player for Christmas. But on closer inspection, it does have some new features as well, and I bought him an old Catherine MacKinnon record that he used to have on 8-track. Again, who misses 8-tracks?

What's the story?

Memories of Pierre Berton. Bow ties and mutton chops. He was one of those people who seemed to be on CBC every day, or every week at the least, like Tommy Hunter and Stompin' Tom. Sadly, I never really appreciated his work. If anyone can make Canadian history interesting, it had to have been him.

So what is this guy trying to say? Being somewhat American is inevitable really. Doesn't 80% of our populus live within 200 miles of the American border? Also, did Tucker Carlson really say those things? If so, our paths had better not cross.

This throws a bit of cold water on the abstinence-only sex education that Bush is so high on. I won't say that it's all wrong, just mostly wrong.

Deconstructing Bruckheimer

There is an apparent decline in R rated movies, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but one would hope for better quality. Here's some good news about Jerry Bruckheimer.

Here's a guide on how to write essays, a book review of a rabid believer in globalization, and the fall of intellectualism.

This n' That again

Some good news for Muslims. A publishing link, and a differing view on sovereignty. Journalist and former chat show host on smoothing over the rifts in her personal life. A word of advice, if you're in Fallujah, try not to get sick.

Here at home, apparently, Paul Martin has finally had enough of Carolyn Parrish. I agree with his decision certainly, but I question his motives, or at least his timing.

For Air Farce veteran John Morgan, R.I.P.