Monday...

Ah, the last Monday of the summer... Okay, on with some thoughts from the last few days:

• The Globe's editorial this morning is an inconvenient truth. We have to fight climate change. We also have to give up on meeting our Kyoto targets.
• Dion now faces a challenge akin to the one Chretien faced on free trade. Move the party away from an economically disastrous if internally popular position.
• CNN reports that the perjurer in chief is no more. I'm not sure this makes it any easier to get him for all that nonsense surrounding the federal prosecutors but I don't think it makes it harder.
• I like the idea of the Canada-Russia 35th anniversary superseries. However, I got a chance to watch a few minutes before coming in to work this morning and, well, let's just say you can tell it's August. It is hard to get excited for something when the play is so sloppy.
• The population growth in Toronto's suburbs is frightening. There should be one priority above all others for GTA politicians: density.
• For Iraq to succeed it must have complete and unfettered control of who leads its country. For Ms. Clinton to comment on the job performance of the Prime Minister of Iraq is both inappropriate and dangerous. Ms. Clinton may claim to be from about 5 different states but she is not Iraqi. Therefore, who the Iraqis decide to elect is none of her business. I certainly wouldn't want an American leader commenting on elections in this country.
• The Americans have a serious constitutional crisis on their hands. The ability of a modern president to go to war without Congressional approval makes it very difficult for Congress to stop or end a war. This is a check and balance that needs to be reinforced.
• I don't see a major difference between pre-election spending and campaign promises. If a party that is in government hasn't taken any steps to do what they now promise to do if re-elected, we would be highly suspicious. Sorbrara has the money and is going to spend it. If you want to criticize how it's being spent, fine.
• This article on MMP is mostly pointless. There are already prohibitions on parties campaigning for or against MMP. I do agree that the most important thing in this whole process is to have a well-informed public. Referenda with an ignorant populous are rubber stamps in democratic clothing.
• Contrary to what Christiane Amanpour may think, the diaspora support for Israel is much more a case of nationalistic sympathy than religious fervour. It is much more about memories of the Holocaust than memories of Judaea. Furthermore, the majority of Israelis are highly secular. They are certainly not at war with modern secular society. To paint the Arab-Israeli conflict as purely religious is to miss most of the point.

Long Weekend Wrap-Up

Quick thoughts after the long weekend:

• I think Lawrence Martin's article in yesterday's globe was great. Canada has four major economic advantages going forward. Oil, cold weather to make global warming bearable, water and a young population that is willing and able to engage the world. Martin calls the younger generation Phoenecian. I'd call them the new internationalists. At any rate, the world is Canada's for the taking.
• I think Bush's alternative climate change meetings are a distraction. The U.S. needs to be brought into the post-Kyoto negotiations already in progress. Countries should not be excluded just because they didn't like Kyoto.
• I think power outages are annoying. Apparently there is something wrong with the transformer or something in my area. The power was off most of yesterday afternoon and went out again some time over night and is still out as of this writing.
• I think the UK has horrible luck with cattle. Another outbreak of foot and mouth? Yikes!
• I think the fact that David Beckham sat on the bench to a sellout crowd in Toronto is not much of an issue. Toronto FC is selling out most of their games. Becks or no Becks. This team will be a fan hit for at least a couple of years. I want to see what happens in year four.
• I think I'm looking forward to Summer Fling this weekend.

Random Thoughts on a Friday Before the Long Weekend

It's Friday and I don't have any coherent post ideas so here goes everything:

• Peter McKay is right that you don't claim land by putting your flag there. However, it seems to me that Harper's whole "Arctic Sovereignty" thing is about going around on ships carrying the Canadian flag. Also, isn't that exactly what we and the Danes keep doing on Hans Island? The Russian kettle might be black, but I don't like hearing it from the pot.
• On a related note, can someone please explain to me why we waste resources on fighting over Hans Island? It's a rock. It's not a big rock either. Also, if it isn't Danish why is it named after some guy named Hans?
• The L.A. Galaxy are in town to face Toronto F.C. I'm more concerned about the injury-riddled home side then whether or not Becks will play. Without Marvell Wynne, Jeff Cunningham and Danny Dichio, we're toast against anyone.
• Continuing with TFC, for all you European football fans, keep an eye out for Marvell Wynne when he comes back from this little hamstring injury. If TFC doesn't pay him a ton of money he could defend in Europe. I don't think, like Mr. Lalas, that this is true for most MLS guys but Wynne is just plain good.
• Can someone please get Iggy and Rae to kiss and make up?
• Harper's feud with the media is more funny than scary at this point.
• Why don't we do civic-minded things on the civic hoilday? You'd think there would be some charitable organization that could use the day to organize massive clean-ups or something.
• Another round of congratulations go out to George Smitherman and his husband to be. The pair will get married this weekend.
• What happened in Minneapolis is a tragedy. My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones. That said, it was a fluke. Bridges are not about to start collapsing everyday. And CNN, quick question: how many Americans have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since you started your 24 hour bridge coverage? I think five but I wouldn't have heard it from you.
• Stephen Colbert missed a chance to expose intelligent design hack Michael Behe last night. Irreducible complexity was Tolstoy's favoured proof of God. It's not science.
• By the way, The Daily Show piece (I think it was Aasif Mandvi) on Live Earth on Wednesday(?) was brilliant. If anyone thinks Stewart and co. only go after the right, watch that piece.
• Caribana is this weekend. Apparently, it is actually supposed to make money this year. If you want to see the entirety of the Toronto Police walk through downtown the next couple of nights. I really do like Caribana but all the idiots who think it is a good time to settle old gang scores make me nervous. I know that the morons are a small fraction of the community but, unfortunately, Caribana is the only one of Toronto's summer parties that makes me hold my breath. Also, it is remarkable how the weather is always Caribbean hot for this thing.

Random Sports Thoughts

I don't usually blog about sports. This doesn't mean I don't care. I am a big sports fan. So to beat the summer news famine. Here are some quick sports notes:

• Canada's Under 20 soccer team should be embarassed. There is no other way to describe it. Blame should be assigned everywhere. That was pathetic.
• I am sick and tired of the Jays underachieving. Injuries seem to plague this team. It's starting to be a little spooky. Last year Rios, goes down with a staph infection. This year the Doc gets appendicitis. Still, they should be over .500. They're not.
• Speaking of Rios, great show he put on during the home run derby. Okay, he got cold in the final, but twelve in the second round? This guy's a star. Why on earth did Leyland wait until the bottom of the ninth to put him in?
• Keeping with the all-star game. Was it just me or did Chris Isaak screw up the American anthem? I can't find video to confirm but I swear he mixed up "night" and "fight". I believe he said "perilous night" and "through the fight" instead of vice versa. If I find video and confirm I'll edit with link.
• I am sorry that I am too young to have seen Willie Mays play.
• I am not too young to have seen Sidney Crosby (can I push the Wizard of Croz nickname over Sid the Kid? I mean come on, what happens when he's forty?). Good on him for taking less than the maximum giving the Pens the resources and cap space to keep a team around him. He would have definitely gotten (and deservedly so) the maximum from someone had he waited.
• I am completely into Toronto FC. I've been to a couple of games. Anyone who says Toronto sports fans are boring and quiet needs to go and see how wrong they are. That is, if they can get a ticket. These games are awesome. Its amazing what happens when you don't have the suits with their in-seat sushi. Also, the stadium is great. It's small enough to be intimate but big enough for that place to rock. TOR-ONT-O O O O O O TFC!!!
• Word on the street (and by street, I mean friendly Kingston cabbie) is that Queen's University will cut down to 14 competitive sports teams. I can't blame them. Will somebody make sure the CIS has a pulse? University sports in this country have become a bad joke. It's sad. It is really sad when you realize how hard these athletes work to be ignored by the country.
  
• The Leafs still don't understand that defense wins championships. When will that organization go out and get blueliners who can play defense? We currently have exactly one. Kaberle is good but he can't play both points for sixty minutes. The Ducks just won the Stanley Cup because they had two of the best in the game on their back end. Also, Ottawa's collapse can be largely attributed to the pathetic play (although apparently injury-related) of Wade Redden.
• Speaking of the Leafs. If you don't like John Ferguson Jr., and really why would you, then fire his ass! Don't bring in a "consultant". Make him assistant GM until he figures out the job, but bring in somebody competent.
  

Back to politics next time. I am intending to index my anti-MMP posts. Just figuring out where and how to place them. My tech skills are limited and my sidebar's already a mess.

An Honour Well Deserved

My favourite radio personality just one a North American wide award. Bob McCown is the best in the business and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. Three cheers for the Bobcat!

Everybody in the Pool!

It's March Madness time again. Get out your brackets! WOOT!

2008

By my count there are 29 candidates for the American presidency in 2008. And you thought the Liberal leadership race was crowded!
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