Another week is gone. It was a good one except for the Red Sox starting their August collapse a little early. In other sporting news, apparently there was a move to press gang the Chilean U20 soccer team for the Hudson Bay fleet last evening. And I play vintage base ball this weekend in another country. Who knew? Sunday sees me and the other member of the Kingston St. Lawrence Base Ball team taking on Sackets Harbor, NY in a game that will use rules somewhere between 1860 and 1875. Gary may even be seen tomorrow but we are still uncertain as to what the day will bring. I may, too, be in a canoe. What a wonderful week. Here is the linkfest:
- Constitutional Update: Where is the balance of powers when one branch asserts autonomy?
- Update: The Flea guides us to the new enemy - New Victorians.
- I caught a good story from Reuters about a journalist embedded with Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.
- I haven't read any Harry Potter and boycott the movies due to the lack of claymation so I see not reason to give a hoot about spoilers and the release of a page or two early. Doesn't there seems to be an over-enlistment of the authorities in the propping up of a franchise?
- Are we entirely over 9/11? It appears that travel has hit a high but are we forgetful or confident. Americans are staying home we assume due to the dollar...but is that it? Why does no one come to Canada?
Americans are coming to Canada much less than they used to..."Canada needs to add more fun and adventure to its image," the report, released by Deloitte and the tourism association, said. "We need the right product — the right active tours and adventure experiences. And most importantly, we need to promote them."
Soon lighters will return. - It has been announced that a father and son team of metal detecting nerds hit the motherload with a Viking treasure trove being announced in England this week. Did you know that metal detection is really cool? That you can get a Bill Wyman model metal detector? I wish I metal detected.
- Acquitted conduct. I was listening to CBC Ottawa last evening on the drive home and there was a "sentencing consultant" from the US being interviewed who said that Conrad Black faces the prospect of facts relating to the charges he was acquitted upon being still included in the sentencing on the charges he was found guilty. That makes no sense and I am sure, ten years past any criminal work, that it is entirely unknown in Canada. Wow. I actually feel a little bad for Connie this morning.
Comments
gary - July 20, 2007 8:50 am
I shall be there, hoping you are too Alan.
HA CM! Beat ya.
Chris Taylor - July 20, 2007 9:50 am
I think the Chileans are going to need better brawling skills if they're to have any hope of boarding and capturing an enemy vessel.
Hans - July 20, 2007 9:55 am
These soccer players are going to have to be taught to respect the refs. All tournament long, they bitched and whined and argued about every little call when they weren't poking and grabbing at the ref. I would institute a rule that any physical with the ref is a red card. Secondly, the players are going to have to stop the diving and faking. I wish the Chilean really had kicked the guy rolling around on the ground. Finally, the refs are going to have be trained to be more attuned to the fakery and I would institute another rule that faking when you aren't even hit is an automatic red card.
Gorthos - July 20, 2007 10:31 am
I actually woudl rather have Neo-Victorians as neighbors than tubby annoying boomers schlumping around in dirty t-shirts mowing their lawns and looking for praise for every aspect of their public lives... but thats just me, Neo-Victorian-Steampunk-Wannabe Sean
As far as Potter goes, i enjoy the movies but have yet to read a book. Odd because when I was a kiddee I would have sold my grandmother to the soylent green factory for such novels and resulting escapism, but now I am feeling more the urge to read some Gibson, Coupland or any one thing that shows up in the post from the Military Book Club. My wife is a potter fiend.
Gorthos - July 20, 2007 10:32 am
I am glad to see Argentina progress to the final, if only because of all of the Argie soccer moms who I am sure will don the same apparel they wore to the WC games last year. w00t.
cm - July 20, 2007 1:41 pm
You and everyone else, gary. I'm well behind this week.
I've seen the Potter movies, but only read the first book. While I do love a spoiler, I'll wait until someone I know has read the last one and can tell me what happens.
Jay Currie - July 20, 2007 2:02 pm
One of the more amusing elements of the neo-Victorian conceit is how wonderfully ignorant the journalist was about pretty much anything to do with the Victorian period. For example: the neos would be more than a little surprised at the four hour Church services, thirty minutes of father lead family prayer and total absence of any activity other than Church going on the Sabbath.
I was pretty appalled when I read about the possibility of mentioning crimes for which Black had been acquitted during sentencing; how it is all of a piece with the rest of the disgrace which purports to be justice in Fitz's Chicago.