Early Eighties: home video

All these Natalie Wood stories today got me thinking about where I was, early Eighties-ish.  It being three decades ago, I’m not totally sure.  But I’m pretty sure I wasn’t combing through the Entertainment section, looking for updates on Robert Wagner’s career.

No, me and my friends were elsewhere.  Memories: the vid below is so perfect, so wonderful, it makes me feel young again, so I thought I’d share it with you.  (Scary thought: half of these guys are lawyers, now.)


Tea Party Tim wants to defeat McGuinty government in 2012

Spotted by BCL:

“I thank you for all of your previous support, but I also encourage you to continue working hard so we will be ready to go into an election next year if necessary to restore Ontario as the economic leader in Canada.

Yours truly,

Tim Hudak”

What’s noteworthy about this is two-fold.  One, it was a letter from Tim Hudak to Edward Kennedy, a white supremacist and recent Ontario PC executive who writes filth like this:  Typical n****r behavior. Concealed carry would have made the outcome much different. Note if the perpetrators had been White, they would have all got the death penalty for a hate crime against n*****s. And the lieberals wonder why a large segment of Whites hate blacks and distrust them. I am surprised the black bastards did not try to rape them, that is standard fare for n*****s.

Two, even though a form letter, it suggests that Tea Party Tim Hudak wants to plunge the province back into an unnecessary election – at a time when Ontarians want the focus to be jobs, and improving the economy.

Nice catch, BCL.  I’d even venture the opinion that this is news, Friday afternoon notwithstanding.


Ignatieff in the Financial Times: a populist is born, too late

Quote:

“For the moment, it is a good sign that Mr Monti is being called “the professor”. It’s an indication that the people want him to succeed. Having been a professor myself and having done my time in politics, I would offer only one piece of advice: convince your people that you are doing this not for the banks, not for Europe, not for the bond market, but for them, your fellow countrymen and women. Remember they, not the bond market or the European Union, have the ultimate power. If they believe you are on their side, you can succeed. If they believe you are not on their side, you will fail and they can make your country ungovernable.”

The rest of his Financial Times essay is seemingly aimed at academics-cum-politicians in Greece and Italy, and it’s there if you want to read it.  The above paragraph is the only part that references those of us toiling in the colonies.

The bit about the banks was interesting.  I recall talking to him, during the 2009 global recession, and suggesting that we go after the banks – they, after all, were the ones who caused the mess in the first place, aided and abetted by laissez-faire conservative governments.  Seemed pretty straightforward to me, and the likes of Trudeau and Chretien wouldn’t have hesitated a moment.  Ignatieff, however, abjectly refused.  His refusal wasn’t ever explained, but a refusal it certainly was.

That’s why the florid prose at the centre, there – “you are doing this not for the banks, not for Europe, not for the bond market, but for them, your fellow countrymen and women” – is a bit of a surprise.  I don’t remember calls for that sort of stirring populism ever echoing through the hallways at 409-S, however much Bolsheviks like Ian Davey and I tried.  Main Street always trumps Bay/Wall Street, I told him once, while he regarded me as if I was E.T.

Anyway, it’s all part of life’s rich pageant, I suppose.  You live and learn.  Sometimes you learn way too late.


Ho ho ho

The Santa Claus parade is on Sunday here in Toronto. Last year only one of my kids would go. Will anyone at all come this year?


Questioning bits and pieces

  • Blogging makes money? Bullshit.  I’ve sold some advertising over the years, but I don’t run this web site – which predates the word “blog,” which I hate, and which isn’t a “blog” – for money.  I do it for fun. Anyone who says they can make a living out web logs is full of it.  You can’t.
  • London Rippers? A team named after a notorious serial murderer of women: yeah, that’s really funny.  Why stop there?  Why not name sports franchises after other homicidal and genocidal maniacs from history?  The Son of Sam Shooters! The al-Qaeda Slashers! Stuff like that wouldn’t offensive at all, would it?
  • F**k Off?: I tell people to do it online every once in a while, too.  I also ban them from this site, Facebook and so on.  But that’s me: I’m not an MP.  My rule of thumb is that Twitter and politicians don’t mix: if they are being careful when they Tweet, they’re boring.  And if they’re not being careful, they get into trouble.  So why bother?
  • Hudak Helper? Check out Ontario Newswatch’s lead story and the fun graphic therein – I recognize that!  Since General Mills have sent me threatening legal letters about the further use of same, I will be uncharacteristically careful.  Ahem. But Ms. Kelley is right: Andrea and Tim are besties! Not sure their core supporters are going to dig it, however, which saddens me no end. Stay, Tim, stay!
  • Bob’s blast? Is it ever. One of my best friends on Earth – who I did not speak to about this issue – has blasted the federal Grits for their idiotic position on a more-democratic House of Commons.  Quote: “Federal Liberal position on expansion of seats in the House of Commons is idiotic and anti-democratic. So it is okay to maintain over-representation in rural canada, but not okay to provide representation in growing urban (read new Canadians) Canada? Good to see old elites firmly in charge. Pathetic.” Bob was the head of Red Leaf, folks. Ouch!
  • A Liberal giant passes? No question there.  Tom Kent was a towering figure in Canadian public life.  When I was partner at a Bay Street law firm, I had the pleasure to work with his equally-amazing son, and we discussed his Dad often.  A huge loss to this country.