Month: November 2005

Star candidates

Further to the idea of star candidates, I’m somewhat in favour of them if they’re qualified for the jobs they’re given. Marc Garneau, for example, would be an ideal science minister, but probably not the best defense minister; similarly, banker and economist Paul Summerville’s expertise would serve him well in the finance portfolio but not necessarily as heritage minister. (I honestly can’t see former news anchor Peter Kent in any governing role.)

That said, there’s something unsavoury about parachuting these candidates into ridings in place of local representatives. Michael Ignatieff not only hasn’t lived in his riding for several years, he hasn’t even lived in the country… but his resumé is impressive. It seems to me there should be a way to get these people involved in government without losing the benefits to a riding that a local candidate can provide.

Star candidate

Wow again. Marc Garneau, the first Canadian astronaut and (until today) head of the Canadian Space Agency, is running for the Liberals.

This morning’s edition of The Current included a panel discussion of star candidates by some of them. The Garneau announcement came after the broadcast, but if the term is applicable to anyone, I think he’s it.

Easy come, easy go

I installed Google Analytics on a site last week. Five days later, after being told multiple times that there will be reports available in twelve hours and two days after their update saying You should be able to see these updates in 24 hours the status page for the site says it’s still waiting for data and the reports are empty.

Account cancelled.

…the fact that Google is getting into everything means that they run the risk of not doing some things well.

22 minutes with Shauna

This Hour Has 22 Minutes has been back on the air for a couple of weeks now. It’s not overstating things to say that for the last few seasons it’s been a shadow of its former self; over the years almost all of the original cast has left, the exception being Cathy Jones (Cindy Dubizzenchik) who, I’ll admit, was my second-favourite after Rick Mercer (J.B. Dixon).

(I realized while writing that paragraph that the anchors no longer identify themselves. It’s a small, subtle thing, but it was part of the innate humour of doing a news spoof that the Walsh/Thomey/Jones/Mercer-era show got.)

Of the current faces on the revolving desk chairs, Mark Critch isn’t bad given the right material, but terminally-earnest Gavin Crawford just isn’t funny. Cathy Jones is still funny on the newsdesk, but if I never see the Miss Enid, Sandy Campbell, Babe Bennett or Nervous Rex characters again it’ll be too soon. I have hope, though, that by adding Shauna MacDonald—the first bona fide actor the show has had since Mary Walsh, I believe—22 is starting to turn itself around. She’s got just the right amount of humorous gravitas in her anchorperson role, and she’s nailed the fake commercial sketches too.

DO NOT WANT!

The very last thing I want to hear on the CBC in the afternoon is Madonna and Elton John. I choose to listen to the CBC because there’s a very good chance that I won’t ever hear Madonna, Elton John, Shania Twain, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey or Phil Collins. It’s enough that I have to hear them when I do go to the dentist.