Steve, whose stuff I read religiously, had this amazing tweet a few minutes ago:

Canadians spent 28.5 hours a week watching TV last year, says CRTC, up half hour from last year.

— Steve Ladurantaye (@sladurantaye) September 4, 2012

I find that amazing. A day a week! Who has time to do that?

I don’t watch TV at all. Zero, zippo, zilch. No news programs, no reality shows, no nothing. Haven’t for years. (And I am only able to post my Sun News clips on this web site because I see them online.)

I don’t have a big ideological objection to TV, although I do find that much of it is stupid. Mainly, I just don’t have the time. That’s why I’m astounded that so many others can devote the equivalent of an entire day a week to the idiot box.

Who’s like me? And which of you are part of the majority?

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As of Tuesday night, Canadian politics is going to change for the worse — for Conservatives, for Liberals, for independents. But the New Democratic Party won’t give a damn.

As of Tuesday night — and if successive polls are correct – the Parti Quebecois will win power in Quebec. And, as of Tuesday night, separatism (or the threat of it) will once again start to dominate our national agenda and paralyze our politics. The NDP, however, don’t care about that. Because, among other things, the New Democrats have quietly transformed themselves into the successor to the Bloc Quebecois in the House of Commons. The NDP are the separatists’ Trojan Horse in Ottawa.

And that is a development that should concern everyone who cares about Canada.

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A group we do work with – one focused on gender issues – is looking for an entry-level female writer, one with writing samples, great attitude, etc. Full time post.

If you know such a person, or are such a person, contact me.

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Seriously, why does anyone give a rat’s ass? The North of the Queensway commentariat are all a-Twitter about it this morning, comme toujours. (Their bitchy solipsism drive me nuts, which is why I don’t read them any more. But that’s a story for another day.)

A few weeks back, when “Liberal Who” sent out a big email to a bunch of writers, me included, I hit Reply All and said: Who cares about you, who.

Still don’t. The last thing the Liberal Party of Canada is more gimmicky, stunty Internet bullshit. We need someone who is preoccupied with, say, real issues – you know, stuff like how we’re going to have a government bent on destroying the country in about 24 hours. A faltering world economy. Growing gap between rich and poor. You know, minor stuff like that.

But, by all means, let’s instead tweet about “Liberal Who,” okay? Ottawa talking about Ottawa. Business as usual.

Man, sometimes I hate those people.

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Today is:

1. A great Smashing Pumpkins song;

2. The day before school starts;

3. The day before the anniversary of Brian Mulroney’s 1984 win, and the last time folks opined the Liberal Party is dead;

4. The day before the PQ wins in Quebec, and our politics get all messed up again; and

5. The day before Tuesday.

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…is leaving The Current! Will be weird, now.

Anyway, I can reveal now that said voice attended a couple SFH shows. Should’ve got him to intro us when we had the chance.

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Here.

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Non compos mentis is the Latin term. It means “not of sound mind.”

It’s a legal phrase, mainly, although physicians use it as well.

If a person is confused or intoxicated or — per the definition — not of sound mind, their capacity to make decisions is considered to be impaired.

Non compos mentis, much of the country would agree, is a term that could be applied with great frequency to our lawmakers in Ottawa. From Whitehorse to Witless Bay, from Coal Harbour to Charlottetown, the nation is generally in agreement: Most days, they all seem a bit confused, down there in Ottawa.

Mental capacity, and the lack of it, was much discussed in and around Ottawa last week. An Alberta Liberal senator, Joyce Fairbairn, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

After she was diagnosed — and after a maladroit Liberal Senate staffer, Len Kuchar, agreed to act as an agent on Fairbairn’s behalf — apparently little was done. For a few weeks, she continued to work in the Senate, including participation in a dozen votes.

Fairbairn is a wonderful, elegant, graceful woman, one with whom I had the great pleasure to work, years ago. She has devoted her entire adult life to public service, since the ’60s. She is now taking extended sick leave and is unlikely to be back.

Despite that, the Conservative Party has elected to target Fairbairn, darkly hinting that she could be removed and that an actual constitutional crisis has been created by l’affaire Fairbairn.

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Can’t post my column until it is!

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Truly, this was a pleasure to read. Didn’t know he had it in him. Hope he keeps at it.

Can’t believe I wrote that, can you?

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