News Bits and Gladrags...or Something

Rolling Stone is reporting the best news all year! It seems Paris Hilton will not be polluting the airwaves with anymore musical vomit. Warner Music will apparently drop the caustic heiress from the label. Maybe the pop music industry does have standards afterall. Unfortunately, Rolling Stone is also reporting some bad news. Original lead singer of the monster rock band Boston was found dead in his home. Bradley Delp was responsible for the rock anthem More Than a Feeling, among others. In other Rolling Stone-delivered bad news, Maroon 5 is set to release their new album.

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The membership of the new (US Congressional) Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was announced on Friday. Looking at the members two things jump out: (1) only one member is from auto-hub Michigan (Candice Miller - who happens to be from directly across the Twin Bridges from me - that is, not Detroit), and (2) the only state with two members is California (the jurisdiction with the strictest emissions standards in North America). According to the Washington Post, this committee was initially met with friction from "veteran lawmakers, such as Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), who in the past guarded the interests of the big U.S. automakers from his state by opposing higher fuel-efficiency standards." The committee was created by the House, not the President, but I still see it as a step forward in America's battle for the environment. It means at least a small shift in power and focus.

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The Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have both spoken out recently in admiration for a 2002 Saudi peace initiative. Though the initiative was outright rejected in 2002, the prevailing situation in Israel (including increasing numbers of suicide bombings in recent days) has led the government to reconsider its merits. Could this be a step in the right direction? If it is, it's a tiny one, but then, the only big steps in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seem to go backwards.

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If you didn't believe that Dick Cheney was the mastermind behind the Bush Administration's Iraq strategy, you should now. While the rest of the Administration seems to be taking a more low-key approach, the Vice President is still saying the same old things: "those in Congress who pursue a gradual drawdown of American forces are 'undermining' the troops and that a withdrawal would represent 'a full validation of the Al Qaeda strategy.'" How much longer until November 2008? Funny I should mention this now...I just got the mail and the cover of Time magazine calls Cheney "one of Bush's biggest liabilities." Coincidence abounds today (more on this later).

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The newest Conservative Party candidate (for Newton-North Delta, BC) is a liar. Sandeep Pandher said publicly that he was never a member of the Ontario Liberal Party when in fact he was up until last year. He says federal and provincial parties are different, which they are (I'm a Liberal federally, but I've been considering both Liberal and Conservative memberships provincially), but if Pandher knows this, why lie? Because that's what Tories do.* I guess Sandeep was just trying to "pandher" to his new party. (Sorry, that was bad.)

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Auditor General Sheila Fraser, the one who's report on the sponsorship scandal rocked the Canadian government and (specifically) the Liberal Party, refuses to investigate why former environment commissioner Joanne Gelinas abruptly left her job. The Tories will tell you she just wanted to move on, but if that's the case, why did Gelinas tell us she learned of her dismissal through a Globe and Mail news report? Because Harper and his cronies pushed her out (even though the position she held is not supposed to be subject to the government's whims)?

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I don't think I can avoid talking about the Chris Simon incident....so I won't. Simon is a veteran NHL enforcer (one of the few who actually has some skill) who has a history of over-the-line incidents. He's been suspended a total of six times now. But Simon, by all accounts, is a great guy. His work in his home town (Wawa, ON) is impressive. He also happens to be among the few Native Canadians in the NHL and his work for that communittee is admirable as well. Different people around the league have stood up for Simon, calling him "an honest guy" and a "great teammate". Chris had this to say (from NHL.com):
"I want to apologize to my team and Islanders fans everywhere," Simon said in a statement released Saturday night. "My actions Thursday night played a major part in our team losing a crucial game. I also want to apologize to the National Hockey League for the damage I have caused this great game of ours. “What you saw Thursday is not the person, player and competitor that I am. I know my teammates and opponents over my 14 years in the NHL understand that. I do not remember much about Thursday's incident. When I saw the tape on Friday morning, it explained a lot to me when I saw the look on my face after being hit into the boards. I was completely out of it."
I don't know about anyone else, but I believe him. Just before the incident, Simon took a hit from behind and went face-first into the end boards. When he got up, it was clear he wasn't all there (he says the hit gave him a concussion). I'm not justifying what Simon did, he deserves every game of his 25-game (maximum) suspension, but I'm still a fan of his. I have been ever since his days as a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

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(I'm taking a big risk here, but for good reason.) This article** is extremely poignant (as in "astute and pertinent; relevant" - thanks Dictionary.com) for me right now. I'm not sure if the author knows the connection, but it would be a wonderful coincidence otherwise. Anyway, click the link, read the article, get an understanding of what I'm thinking.

The inspiration for this topic is one of my best friends. I want to wish her all the best in her forthcoming endeavor.

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Congratulations J & T

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* Okay, that's not a fair generalization, but I'm a blogger, I can get away with it.

** This link is probably temporary, but it's the best I can do. Look for "In Defense of Marriage."

P.S. If you're wondering about the title, think Rod Stewart...and remember how daftly random I am.