June 18, 2006 Archives
So it's the parliamentary break currently, but I just came across the news that the Libs held another debate, this time in French (and where a member of the audience blasted most candidates for not being able to speak proper French).
Stephane Dion, probably the nerdiest (ex-)Minister in recent memory. He was hated by Quebec sovereignists when he was an inter-provincial relations minister, but gained a bit of love when he was in the Martin cabinet as environment minister and who then got to chair the Montreal talks on climate change.
All this to say that while there's only a remote chance that he actually wins the pretty dull Liberal leadership race (which has few of some big names formerly touted as leaders-to-be, like Brian Tobin or John Manley or Frank McKenna), checkout the Google Search for Stephane Dion, and the top hit is the PM Office's site! Now, a former university prof as PM, wouldn't that still be pretty Bartlet-ish? :D
(He's the only candidate from Quebec, and who's perfectly bilingual, except for former Ontario premier Bob Rae, and Stephen Harper is *never* going to win enough votes in the Greater Toronto, so...)
Edmonton convincingly defeated the Carolina Hurricanes. For the third consecutive Stanley Cup final, it's going to Game Seven, and for the first time after a team is trailing by 3-1 since the 1994 series between the Rangers and the Canucks (where NY led 3-1 - and eventually won what was a close call in NYC, ironically with current Oil coach MacTavish on the Rangers' lineup). No team rallied from 3-1 in 64 years (the last time, being the Toronto Maple Leafs in the midst of WWII). Unbelievable.
Also, for the past ten years or so, underdogs/cinderella teams reaching the finals always lost. Carolina is a classy favourite (after missing the playoffs and navigating well below .500 last season), but I state the obvious that it would really be a boost for the Canadian economy happiness level of Canadians if the Oil could win.
The Prime Minister of Canada, who's not a lightweight in hockey (he's writing a book on the history of the sport), even came on the CBC during the first intermission (it was still 0-0) to say that "they have to keep shooting the puck and going to the net to have a chance to win". He knows his hockey, but I'm still not going voting for him. :D
A cool photo exhibit on Wah Fu, Hong Kong, and the high-density living, from the Urban planet exhibit on the BBC News site.