The Liberals must be loving this. Everything so far is about how Dion is not as bad as made out to be. First, we learn he has a hearing issue: so he is not the risk the Tory ads would tell you. Then, now he's outdoorsy: so not an inept bookish dweeb the Tory ads say. And, now, he wears no bird poopie upon his shoulder. Bird poopilessness good. And by the way, Toronto Star, let's be clear: a puffin is an auk, not a duck as your website stated. Just because we are in an election does not mean we chuck ornithology out the window. Duck poop, indeed.
So now Jack(!) has called for civility and, brace yourself, Stephen Harper has apologized. Harper never apologizes for his own actions. But, now he has - so that is good. He is growing up, too. And speaking of change, don't expect website management to be left in the hands of partisan teenagers anymore. This apologizing tone is not the campaign the Tories expected.
You know, given that the Conservatives had wanted to make this election about Dion's ineptness, Grits should remember Iggy wanted to make the puffin the symbol of the Liberal Party. Perfect. Do it...err, bad choice of words...make it so. They should shower themselves with stuffed puffins and plaster puffins on bumper stickers to remind us of the value a sense of humour in the face of mean spiritedness.
Other news for Day 4:
- Don't you dare forget the GX40 election pool.
- "No, no - after you, Ms. May. Can I get you a coffee? What a striking outfit!"
- Why does Jack (!) most firmly hold on to the same stump speech?
- The Conservatives fail to ask the most basic question of a candidate in Halifax, forcing her to leave and leading to preparedness questions.
- Given this poll, the country may be playing for that weak minority which seems to work so well.
- Hazel would have spent the 300 million on sewers - better value.
Comments
Hans - September 10, 2008 9:35 am
I was wondering where the puffin thing came from and I think you have identified the well from which the CPC drew their cheeky graphics. Also, thank you for standing up for ornithology. Genx40 blazes the trail again! Not to wear my regionalism on my sleeve, but, geez, only in Toronto could a reporter mistake a puffin as a duck!
sean - September 10, 2008 9:48 am
I was wondering as well where it came from. Good on you Alan!
Aside: I think a puffin looks like some sort of Acadian Pokemon. If we are going to choose a party animal, I think something people outside of the East would recognize would be more apprpriate, like a groundhog or a crow.
Brodie - September 10, 2008 10:11 am
I suppose they can have the Puffin but not Auks in general. I need to be able to wear my college hockey sweater (The Auks) without it being confused as party support. Yes, we were the SSFC Auks - the Great Auk to be exact, extinct, and a fine mascot for an environmental school. Plus we got to paint our faces at hockey games with clever sayings like "Auk U" and "flAuk off".
Alan - September 10, 2008 10:16 am
I am a proud owner of a well-worked in Auks hat.
Matthew Fletcher - September 10, 2008 10:45 am
The link to the poll is the same as the link about the Tory criminal candidate. Otherwise I'm a big fan of bullet-points creeping out of their regular Friday slot.
Alan - September 10, 2008 11:00 am
You sure? It's working for me.
sean - September 10, 2008 11:01 am
Well, if we can use extinct bird as mascots, can we use mythical ones, like a Roc?
Was an auk named after the sound it makes when it flies? AUK AUK AUK!!
David Janes - September 10, 2008 11:11 am
I was way ahead of Harper on this one: Dion & 4 Puffins.
Alan - September 10, 2008 11:24 am
Clearly you lead, others follow. Interesting puffin do-do analogy reference.
Matthew Fletcher - September 10, 2008 6:22 pm
I'm now only following up on my first comment because I find it curious, not because I'm really desperate to have the link work:
But when I click on the link in this sentence:
Given this poll, the country may be playing for that weak minority which seems to work so well.
I end up in the same place as when I click on the link in this sentence:
The Conservatives fail to ask the most basic question of a candidate in Halifax, forcing her to leave and leading to preparedness questions.
The link is:
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hRtTeay_mvWAbggUBEVR_GBFK_yw
Same result at home and work. If its just *me* that's quite strange.
Alan - September 10, 2008 7:54 pm
Oops. I had two other links as the ones you were comparing. Should be fixed now.
Alan - September 10, 2008 7:58 pm
Oops. I had two other links as the ones you were comparing. Should be fixed now.
Brodie - September 11, 2008 9:59 am
sean - sadly the Great Auk was flightless which contributed to it's demise. The last two in existence were bonked over the head and stuffed for the ROM.
sean - September 11, 2008 10:09 am
Maybe if they flew, they'd have escaped the ROM collectors! Survival of the fittest!!
Auk Auk Auk!
Alan - September 11, 2008 10:35 am
The auk could also be used as a fuel. They were so full of oil, an auk corpse would be lit with a match. They were stacked and used to fuel pots into which other auks were piled to render off the oil for the lamp oil trade.
Stevie - September 12, 2008 1:11 pm
This country was built on the backs of hard working people not by the political opportunists with their platinum incomes and pensions.
So...which honest politician should I vote her?
Alan - September 12, 2008 1:15 pm
This country was built by colonial policy and chance.
David Janes - September 12, 2008 2:03 pm
I'll note that we built this city on Rock & Roll though. Where's Mike these days anyway?
Alan - September 12, 2008 2:07 pm
Isn't he still diapering?