Boy George - You might be an idiot if . . . .

With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy and his redneck rants.

Boy George has gotten himself into trouble. And will I think that might just be karma karma karma(silly and gratuitous 80's music reference - my apologies), it really seems like this is self inflicted.

First, he falsely reports a burglary. That's dumb by itself but is especially so if you have 13 bags of cocaine in your apartment. Soooo, he pleads guilty to the false reporting charge and goes to rehab and that's that? Noooo. He decides that the community service he is sentenced to is too demeaning for him so refuses. He was assigned to rake leaves in a park. He claims that it is humiliating for him and that it would be a circus if Boy George was raking leaves. Apparently he is also delusional. He is now simply an overweight bald englishman living in New York (and apparently putting all of his residuals up his nose). Boy (or should I say George) get over yourself. We're all over the Culture Club. I don't really want to hurt you. I don't really want to make you cry. BUT get a grip.

The judge apparently sees it my way and says he's like any other offender and will rake leaves or go to jail. Cruel and unusual punishment? I think not. He might be an idiot.

Misguided Canadian Angst

There was much handwringing and pontificating during the NHL playoffs that a Canadian team had not won the Stanly Cup in many years. It is only fitting, went the logic, that Hockey's Holy Grail be returned to the cradle of the game. What a load of crap.

Hockey is a global game played at the highest level in a North American market. We should appreciate the game. Clearly fans of Edmonton wanted thier team to win but why did all of Canada get choked up about the Oilers - a team generally almost as reviled as the Leafs outside of the core Edmonton market due to the obnoxious city of champions fans (one of whom I had as a long time room mate). It is hardly a matter of nationalism. The MVP goalie on Carolina was from Edmonton whereas Edmonton's goalie was from Finland. Carolina's young star is Canadian Eric Staal. Edmonton has a lot of Canadians too. The point though is that the location of the winner really isn't that important. Is it?

Saving the Hungarian Whales

You may have seen the news recently that the Internation Whaling Commission voted to restore commercial whaling. This vote was merely a policy vote. In order to get rid of the moratorium on commercial whaling 75% of the members of the commission need to vote for the end and there are not yet sufficient votes.

There may ore may not be an ecological argument for the resumption of the commercial whaling. I will leave that to the experts. BUT, I read with interest the composition of the modern Internation Whaling Commission. While the commission started with the seven major whaling nations, it now has more members. St Kitts, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands are on the water but have never had any commercial whaling. Mongolia, Mali and Hungary are landlocked and obviously have never had commercial whaling fleets. Why then, would these countries be on the commission and voting to restart commercial whaling. Perhaps because whaling proponent and original member Japan paid their member ship dues? Perhaps because Japan is a major supplier of aid? Might I be too cynical?

This sort of obvious stacking of panels happens all the time in internaitonal commissions and organizations. Just take a look at the Human Rights Organization for the United Nations. It politicizes the process and makes a mockery of good decision making. Why even bother having the Commission if we undermine the process and buy votes to change policy. It may be right to change the policy but if its all just a game why bother. We're not buying the crap anyway! Well maybe we are because most of the media didn't report Hungary's desire to restart commercial whaling.

Em-bare-assed or another reason for gun control?

The story goes something like this. Man asks woman to marry him. She is wavering. Loves him but not sure they are ready. In an effort to convince her he strips naked and jumps out of her second story window. We will leave for now the rationale as to why he would think that might work and continue the story.

He is out running across the street and sees a couple coming. He then hides under a bush. Another man seeing the bush moving and bare feet underneath pulls out a pistol and tells the guy to come out. Pistol man is not a policeman but pistol packing citizen joe. Naked man runs away - clearly rethinking the whole thing about convincing his girlfriend to marry him. Pistol packing Joe gives chase and opens fire. We will also not delve into the rationale of shooting at naked running men. Sure you might be offended but let's keep some perspective here. Naked man not hit but falls and hurts himself. Pistol packing citizen is charged with a number of offences - while in Michigan it is legal to carry a gun it is still illegal to shoot at naked guys who are running away. Naked guy not charged. No word on engagement.

Open questions.

Why get naked and run across the road to convince someone to get married?

Why shoot at (obviously) unarmed naked fleeing man?

Should everyone really be allowed to carry pistols? Guns don't kill naked streakers. Trigger happy pistol packing citizens at least try to.

The fat lady has sung

Well Toronto's new Opera House opened last night with a grand reception and celebration. The cultural mucky muck's had decried the lack of an opera house for years and the various levels of government ponied up cash to get it built. I don't pretend to know the finer points of the acoustic requirements of an opera house but this just seems like a big boondoggle to me.

Opera isn't that popular. Why do we need a dedicated opera house? We don't but he cultural elite loves opera and wants a place to see it. They also have cash which they donate to politicians and generate a very nice return on when they get an opera house in return. Very nice.

The cultural imperialists also would have you believe that you can't be a world class city without an Opera House. It represents one of the pinnacles of sophisticated culture. If the Horseshoe tavern wanted some cash to upgrade the facilities they would be laughed out of town. Some of the greatest up and coming bands play there and it should be a Toronto cultural icon but it is not. Doesn't differ that much from an opera house. You can have drinks before and after music. No tux's at the horseshoe thought.

I personally don't feel any better about the opera house and wrote my MLA and MP to tell them. I'm sure I will be scorned as a cultural simpleton without enough sense (read cash) to know what good culture is.

A real sense of context

There is a vote today in the US Senate on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. I oppose such a constitutional amendment but I suppose they have every right to bring it to a vote. It seems a colossal waste of time - especially when the people proposing it admit they have little chance of it passing. A purely pandering election year ploy.

A couple of points.

Republican Senator in a fit of hyperbole said "I don't believe there is any issue more important than this one." WHAT. I want to be clear. There is a war in Iraq. There are trillions in deficit. The US dollar is weak and the trade deficit is growing. Parts of Louisiana are sinking into the Gulf of Mexico. High fuel prices are slowing the economy. Pictures of Brad and Angelina's baby have been leaked and prohibiting gay marriage is the most important issue around???? Come on. Even Pat Robertson wouldn't be so stupid as to say that.

This whole thing is something I don't understand anyway. How is anyone else's relationship threatened by allowing two gays to marry. If two loving adults want to make a commitment let them. How is that making more of a mockery of the tradition of marriage than seeing these freaky Michael Jackson/Lisa Marie Presley 30 second marriages. Liz Taylor's 243 marriages are OK but others aren't? A quickie annulment but well connected and wealthy Catholics is perfectly OK but two gays in along term commited relationship is an abomination? Seeing the huge money these churhes spend on fancy churches and political action to fight issues like this is an abomination to me but I recognize thier right to do it. And they would denounce me if I tried to curb it. Why do they have to limit others rights because it makes them feel icky? No one is saying thier church has to marry gays. Just let them get married as they want to. It is ludicrous.

apologies

sorry folks. I've been distracted and have been delinquent in posting. not without rants but rather without time. will promise to do better.

rantman.