What a week. A Federal election and Rabbie Burns Day.
- I am glad the Federal election is over. It took time away from fretting over popular televised sports. I am comfortable with how things turned out but I am still a bit unclear how arguing over the Arctic became such a hot button issue all of a sudden. Consider this from the Star this morning:
As he wrapped up his first news conference since winning Monday's election, Harper made a point of admonishing U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins, who told a forum at the University of Western Ontario that "we don't recognize Canada's claim" to northern waters and that "most other countries do not recognize their claim." "The United States defends its sovereignty. The Canadian government will defend our sovereignty," Harper said. "It is the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States," Harper said, only a day after taking a 15-minute congratulatory phone call from President George W. Bush.
Are we really going to spend billions and billions to set up a paper tiger if the US and other allies get insistent? Time for the diplomats and treaty writers if you ask me. - How to get yourself fired 101.
- Will TV die in five years? That is sort of the message in the Globe this morning.
"In the 1960s, there was one type of television consumer and that probably carried on through to the 1980s, with the advent of the VCR -- and that started to change the way things happened." said Alan Sawyer, a consultant with IBM Business Consulting Services in Toronto. Today, there are two primary audiences -- viewers who watch scheduled television and those who are driven by gadgets, mobile TV and on-demand programming. "Over time, one will disappear and the other will become the dominant segment," Mr. Sawyer said.
I don't buy it. I listen AM radio every day, that great 1920's technology that fulfills a great segment of the market's needs - communications via a device that costs $9.99 at Radio Shack. There is no economic model that shows people in Canada moving to say satellite radio as an expensive alternative. New technologies will simply layer and perhaps interact. Society is too complex to move to the uni-screen. - Does the internet act as your "social glue"?

Comments
Alan - January 27, 2006 9:07 am
Add this post from Blork to the topics: "Atlantic Canada elected 20 Liberals to Parliament with only 475,000 votes" !!! That is insane.
Alan - January 27, 2006 9:08 am
And this. You really need to know more if you are going to fret properly.
David Janes - January 27, 2006 9:14 am
"Everyone gets kicked" went to 100 comments and you're getting us going again? -- you're a slave master.
Re: this. The nastiest hits are always the blindsides, not the ones you're looking for.
GR - January 27, 2006 9:31 am
Me and the wife always have some champaigne in the fridge, in case one of those rocks gets serious about obliterating the planet. What else can do you with five minutes left? (I suppose this is where one fills in the blanks)
SOCIAL GLUE: Well, look at those of us who seem to be regulars at Gen X at 40. Alan has created the equivalent to a 1979 era paneled basement rec room, where everybody wants to hang out after school. There is a ping pong table, old stuffed sofas (or is that a chesterfield?) a dart board, plenty of doritos, and a stereo with Pink Floyd albums ready to go. I ask myself why I hang here, but it is a congenial and interesting place that Alan has created.
cm - January 27, 2006 10:04 am
Did someone mention Doritos?
Alan - January 27, 2006 10:09 am
I am fairly confident that Doritos are post-1979. <p>Gary's analogy reminds me that in my 1981 yearbook there is a montage from the actual rec room we inhabited through high school with iconic examples of what was important to our gang displayed in still life. I suspect it is undeciferable without certain forms of assistance.
portland - January 27, 2006 10:09 am
yum, coco crisps
GR - January 27, 2006 10:12 am
1979ish, because doritos were an important part of my teen years. I bet Marian is killer at darts, philosophers always have these interesting hidden talents.
Alan, was 'The Wall' in that montage?
Alan - January 27, 2006 10:15 am
<i>The Wall</i> was the anti-cool. Music for people with Chevy Novas who were trying to be deep. We were heavy <i>Talking Heads 77</i> sorts. I walked out of the movie <i>The Wall</i> much to the confusion of my date.
GR - January 27, 2006 10:20 am
Sure sure sure, Talking Heads, Clash, Monty Python, Dr Who, THOSE kinds of kids. Gotcha. Me too. But I thought everybody liked Pink Floyd?
David Janes - January 27, 2006 11:44 am
I liked Pink Floyd. I liked The Wall a lot though I prefer Animals these days. When I first moved to Toronto, one of my buddies and I used to call up friends at 2 AM in the morning and play The Wall over the phone. Ah, good times. People stopped answering their phones after awhile though...
PhantomObserver - January 27, 2006 11:55 am
I'm just remembering those ads with Avery Schreiber (sp?) getting foiled in his nefarious activities by a Doritos crunch.
Oh, and Blahgger Bob has decided that Canada should invest in nukes. Actually I kinda like the idea of Canada having a nuclear-powered navy, but I think Bob means something different.
Alan - January 27, 2006 12:27 pm
Coco a no-go? no show fo sho?
:-(
cm - January 27, 2006 12:34 pm
Sometimes you just need a little Floyd. Someone at my high school scribbled on the brick wall outside the theatre "Another brick in the wall?"
GR - January 27, 2006 12:39 pm
DJ shows great wisdom--after all, Pink Floyd sang it for us 'hey, teacher, leave them kids alone'
I had a pal up the street who not only had doritos and a big TV, his father collected antique slot machines. Yes, they worked, and there was lotsa change around for play....
I notice Marian is still hanging around the 'kicked' post.
And yes, Alan, maybe the Red Sox are going to make another big mistake.
Mike - January 27, 2006 1:13 pm
Hmm, "That 70's Blog". Nah.
I do have every PF album on my iPod. I'll have to do a runthrough some day ... that would be a bit scary, I think.
Marian - January 27, 2006 1:26 pm
In 1979, I was twelve and I had just bought my first record. It was a 45 of "We Are The Champions" by Queen. I thought Queen was the greatest until one of my sister's talked me out of it. Otherwise, I was a nerd's nerd and the teacher's pet. My best friend was a tall gawky guy with a speech impediment who (it later turned out) was gay. He listened to stuff like "Dead Babies" by Alice Cooper and smoked a lot of dope in the attic. His parents never seemed to be home. I eventually dumped him as a friend so that I could pursue a full time career as a hermit.
Marian - January 27, 2006 1:26 pm
sisters.
Marian - January 27, 2006 1:37 pm
Oh, is this not the childhood confessions thread?
Alan - January 27, 2006 1:43 pm
It appears to have really been about teen rec room and blogging space as a valid analogy. From more of a procedural than content point of view as well - we really do not need to know too many details. Remember. The internet is forever. Do you really want to share that much?
Marian - January 27, 2006 1:46 pm
Got it.
Marian - January 27, 2006 1:57 pm
Actually, are you sure? My life could work as a sort of light comedy. You know, like Paul Moth's Mexican film career...Oh never mind.
Alan - January 27, 2006 2:01 pm
I mentally reserve the title of Moth's other show, <i>Sunny Days and Nights</i>, for another blogger of our mutual acquaintance.
Marian - January 27, 2006 2:09 pm
Really? Who?
GR - January 27, 2006 2:29 pm
Yay! Queen!
I nominate Marian for the next reader profile. Tell us more! Confess!
Marian - January 27, 2006 3:16 pm
Uh Oh.
cm - January 27, 2006 5:28 pm
I second the nomination.
David Janes - January 27, 2006 7:22 pm
Me too. Anyone who lives in Budapest can't be entirely bad.
GR - January 27, 2006 8:13 pm
Well, its decided then! Cough it up then, Marian, Who Are You? I really wanna know.
DJ-you're next please, Portland has already made his excuses.
Alan, do you feel the inmates have started to run the asylum?
Alan - January 27, 2006 8:59 pm
To a certain degree, that is the point. We are merely somewhat exclusive as to who gets to be an inmate.
Marian - January 28, 2006 6:09 am
I work for a private intelligence agency funded by the Bilderberg Group. I could tell you more, but I would have to kill you. If you want, (and Alan is willing) I'll send along some declassified photos of my trip to Mexico.
Arthur - January 28, 2006 8:20 am
I work for a private intelligence agency funded by the Bilderberg Group.
You too???
Marian - January 28, 2006 9:13 am
We few. We happy few.
Alan - January 28, 2006 9:42 am
Sure, Marian - send along a bio sketch and some pictures. We need more of these and Arthur is next.
Marian - January 28, 2006 12:29 pm
So who is the "Sunny" blogger?
Alan - January 28, 2006 12:32 pm
Dreamy Pollyanna? Sees only the sunnyside when all around him is a tawdry facade?
Marian - January 28, 2006 2:38 pm
Send me an e-mail. I know many yes-men, but I'm not sure I can guess.
alfons - January 28, 2006 4:07 pm
Arthur, I have to kill you now.
Arthur - January 28, 2006 4:42 pm
Arthur, I have to kill you now.
I can keep a secret. I promise!
Arthur - January 28, 2006 4:46 pm
We need more of these and Arthur is next.
I'm going underground.
Alan - January 28, 2006 5:06 pm
I know where to find you. I know how to pronounce Musquodoboit as well as <i>als tu blieft</i>. You can run but you cannot hide. <p>How about an Alfons and Arthur combined bio? Please forward a photo with you wearing the same shirt. Perhaps an Ajax jersey.
alfons - January 28, 2006 7:10 pm
Alan, you wouldn't know who is me or who is Arthur. I'm the disguised one.