Author: Alan

Canada Votes Day 4: How Many Swing Votes Is Puffin Poo Worth?

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:

None

Canada Votes Day 2: The Nasty Campaign

Being Canada’s favorite swing voter, it’s sad to see that Mr. Harper has begun with a great big fib, caught so plainly by the Edmonton Sun:

…it’s Harper’s Conservatives who are likely to prove most adept at demonizing their opponents. For almost two years, the Tories have kept up a barrage of negative radio and television ads against Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, depicting him as weak, indecisive, “not a leader,” and “not worth the risk.” Most ads have been accompanied by an unflattering photo of Dion shrugging his shoulders — a gesture that makes him look clueless and ineffectual…Nevertheless, Harper now says he expects to be the victim of “a very nasty kind of personal-attack campaign.”

Seems to be a case of he who lives by the sword dying by the sword…unless he who lives by the sword also beats off and beats up he who was trying to kill off he who lives by the sword. Regardless, be not fooled. Dion has endured an embarrassment of slander through the days of the last government and has actually come out a teensy-weensy bit better off for it, most Canadians actually thinking the Tory tactic was punkish if not a little thugish.

Whether Dion can leverage something off of his two years of rope-a-dope is an entirely different matter.

Other issues for Day 2: There is more going on out there today like:

More later if there is more later.

None

Apparently Beer Is, In Fact, The Affordable Luxury

Last December, I suggested that we may see a bump of sorts in beer sales in response to the recession in the US. In another in a series of events that prove that, yes, if enough monkeys used typewriters one could write sonnets, it appears I may well have been right as The Washington Post notes, via a twittery h/t to Cizauskas:

…this time around is different. Smoking has fallen into such ill repute that many municipalities ban it. Fuel costs have made driving or flying to a casino a pricey proposition, and gambling has become almost an afterthought at many of the lavish new ones. Now it seems the only acceptable — and affordable — sin left is alcohol, namely beer. “It’s really considered a consumer staple kind of industry,” said Dan Ahrens, author of the book “Investing in Vice.” He put it on par with toothpaste, or, say, soap. “People gotta drink no matter what’s going on with the economy.” More than 16 million barrels of domestic beer were sold in the United States in July, and annual sales through that month are up 1.4 percent, the largest increase since 1990, when the economy was headed toward a recession…

So not only is beer affordable but, in this time of downturn or at least stagnation, there are fewer and fewer acceptable sins available to the average American, who on average, has a bit less to spend. I still think this means craft brewers need to focus on the low-price end of the their brands.

The high end of beer pricing is moving in the wrong direction, however. When I was beer shopping down south this year, I saw beer in the $20 and even over $30 range for the first time. I declined even though I have some advertising support for my sin spending. I did buy a $20 De Ranke Kriek but that was only because I am obsessed. But I was not snookered at all by those offerings as a quick review of my sales slip shows a great number of great beers for a great price – Harviestoun Ola Dubh 12 for $8, a small bottle from Meantime for $3.50, large Bernardus 12 for $10 plus a large number of great new New England craft beers for even less than half of those prices.

My point? Beer is the affordable sin not just as a budget recourse to easy mindless comfort but because it still can provides great value for extraordinary products in tight times.

Confused About The Candidates? Get A List Going

I was flipping channels last night and caught Andrew Coyne on TVO’s news show The Agenda as part of a panel. He was lamenting the actual record of Stephen Harper as a conservative and listed a few items like the ignoring his own fixed election law and keeping an unelected Senator in the cabinet…not to mention that blurting out that Quebec is a nation. It got me thinking about lists. Look at this now instantly famous list from one Anne Kilkenny, the Alaskan voicing her familiarity with the arc of Sarah Palin’s career:

  • “Hockey mom”: True for a few years
  • “PTA mom”: True years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
  • “NRA supporter”: Absolutely true
  • Social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, but vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconstitutional).
  • Pro-creationism: Mixed. Supports it, but did nothing as governor to promote it.
  • “Pro-life”: Mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby but declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation.
  • “Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
  • Political maverick: Not at all.
  • Gutsy: Absolutely!
  • Open and transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
  • Has a developed philosophy of public policy: No.
  • “A Greenie”: No. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
  • Fiscal conservative: Not by my definition!
  • Pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
  • Pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
  • Pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
  • Pro-labor/pro-union: No. Just because her husband works union doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.

For me, this is an effort to establish understanding rather than a purely snarky attack. And by “understanding” I mean one’s own opinion of the acts of another – not some effort to interpret in the context of either ideological purity or some fuzzy concept like the truth that the two-dimensional (to be charitable with the number of dimensions) fools on most blogs would tout but never actually comprehend. Note also the use of the word “mixed”. For me, it admits as much as about Palin as about the list maker. Each are imperfect and carries baggage.

So what would you list as the characteristics of the candidates in either the US or Canadian elections? Are you, like Coyne, one who can’t make a list for our Conservative Party Prime Minister which is “conservative”…or even arising from his “party” rather than himself for that matter. And what of Dion the Grit or Jack the Dipper? What do they stand for when we compare words and actual deeds? What is on your list for them? For me, it is important to take on this exercise for a couple of reasons. First, there has never been such a time when promises and actions were as distantly placed. The Tories have governed as Liberals, the Liberals have been the Tory’s best back benchers and the NDP have been inordinately silent through the whole thing. Second, this is an important election. If Harper is to get his majority – which he may now have earned however unlikely – it should not be though sleepwalking the electorate to the polls. If he does get it, expect a national reflection of Ontario’s Mike Harris years: low tax, high spend retreat to deficit financing with an minoritarian ideological response for every practical problem. You may want that. You may not. You may be considering this in the context of the listeria scandal. Do you actually know what you want? Third, this election seems to be entirely about voting against someone – not some policy but someone. Is it? And shouldn’t you know what you really think about them if that is the case?

What’s on your list?

None

Friday Bullets For You And You And You And You…

…and especially for you, little Jimmy.

We stayed up again for a speech. I like speeches so I am something of a sucker but I thought there was just the right measure of menace and warning to the Republican party that my expectation that he would govern as an unfettered independent remains in place. I seem to have liked it more that Tiger but maybe because McCain spoke more to a person like me (internationally transposed, of course) than the party faithful. I liked this: “Let me just offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second crowd: change is coming.” Me first? Sounds like an attack on neo-cons and libertarians to me.

  • I Once Knew Someone Now Famous Update: I dimly recall taking civil procedure at 8:30 am on Monday or some other ungodly hour from Thomas Cromwell in 1989. I paid more attention to the fall of the Berlin Wall that year, however, than when to bring a third party action (know what I mean…nudge, nudge) or when to garnish (right before dinner is served, as I recollect). Wonder what grade I received. He must have done better as he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada today.
  • Up here, Dion seems to be getting all snippy. Will this help given this?
  • Earth to Fox News: you are the mainstream media, too.
  • Nice touch delivering right to Poti. What else is on board?
  • I tried the new browser Chrome from Lord Goog and the Googleplexians – but I can’t run it on my four year old computer at home! Drag. It is good. Like the recent tabs closed as well as the favorites selection when you open a new tab. Egghead debate points here.
  • One good reason to be thankful for blogs.
  • So far no “rats flee sinking ship” comments that I know of. Maybe Emerson wants to try as an NDP now but why, Monty, why? What’s that…because you never got what you deserved? Errr…because you want to start a western party that actually cares about about reforming Canadian politics? Makes sense.
  • Just in case you were wondering, Morton sucks so far.

Surely that is enough. Surely your incessant demands for more bullet points has an end, a satiation point.

None

The Somewhat Surprising Mrs. Palin

I have admitted I have a slight crush but am more amazed by the strength of anger focused on Mrs. Palin from some Democrats and also perhaps the degree of adoration by certain Republicans. There is a very good article in The New York Times – that bastion of leftiest lies – entitled “The Unusual Challenges Palin Faced in Alaska” that points out that the Governorship there is never a cakewalk and that her two years were more active than most.

I don’t need to hear the lipstick and bulldog joke again, however. We should not be in a position where her family, gender, age or decision to work in leadership become questions. We do not question absentee Dads ever and she has no plan to be an absentee. Her speech was more than polished – it balanced that somewhat embarassing effort by Rudy Giuliani. I have a sense (avoiding the now worn out word “hope”) that she will be able to speak to specifics – perhaps even demand them – in the campaign. That would be good. I have a sense that the Vice-Presidential debate may be more interesting than the senior circuit’s one.

But she has flip-flopped on the Bridge to Nowhere, lives (like Canadian conservatives) with the dillusionary effects of resource based surpluses, has a love hate relationship with earmarks and has to decide whether she is rejecting or embracing the apparently gushingly offered title of “American’s Sweetheart”. I hope she rejectes it and the accompanying cloy. I hope this is about capability as much as experience. But having hope about politics is a bit of a mug’s game.

None

29 Yards At 45 Years

 

cfl3It was seeing photos from last year that got me going – 22,545 sit-ups since 23 September 2007 plus a whole bunch of other stuff. Yet, as far as I can tell, I probably have not changed my outline all that much. Hmmm. Could it be the beer? Really? Well, I suppose I might as well have started writing “A Good Cheesecake and Lard Pastry Blog”. Fortunately, within the walrus is the cheetah – my new mantra – that is what the blood test say…honest. So even though I could not get last year’s 30 yarder, there is plenty of time in 2008 to improve on the 29 yard field goal of today. I am well placed for a break through. I see it all now.

How Does Gustav Affect The Race?

I know this is grim especially if this is Katrina II, but is it possible that the response to Gustav that may hit New Orleans this week could be a defining moment in the Presidential election? Apparently George Bush has canceled his trip to the Republican convention. At what point does the convention get canceled? Here are a few scenarios:

  • Gustav misses a major center or fails to, say, cause major damage even with a direct NOLA strike: no issue and everyone sighs in relief.
  • Gustav causes levee breach, flooding but no huge losses and convention continues: response has to be perfect but that may only mean reduction in presence of convention which, given the Palin announcement, may be fine with McCain – the opportunity to avoid association with the party may help.
  • Gustav causes levee breach, flooding but no huge losses and convention canceled mid-week: this is a tricky one as there could be over reaction. Tension over the idea that there was nothing the convention attendees could do anyway.
  • Gustav causes levee breach, flooding and things get really serious: Can the convention continue? And any peep by anyone including the Democrats becomes a huge negative. The balance of the election campaign is entirely taken up with the response. Confusion as the three leader situation – Bush, McCain, Obama – leads to an expectation that each of the three lead…somehow.

Any other possibilities? It is easy to imagine how to botch things but what is the response that a candidate can make to a crisis that honestly elevates their esteem in the public mind? Ever since Hurricane Juan hit Halifax I have been conscious of that late summer warm shore water pop a storm can get. Usually, the worst of consequences means that nothing else really matters – except maybe a Presidential election.

None

Massachusetts: St. Hubbins Abbey, High and Mighty Beer, Holyoke

sha1Excellent. A Spinal Tap reference in a well-priced Belgian-style ale, named for the patron saint of quality footwear. The brewery’s website is but a page – refreshingly Tap-tastic as well. The brewery apparently uses the equipment at fellow Holyokarians at Paper City, whose mixed 12 packI reviewed three summers ago…when I was but a pup.

This ale pours an attractive orange amber with a cream head that resolves to frothy rim and foam. A light citrus scent is followed by a orange peel nutmeg and black pepper spiced wash of soft water fruited maltiness. Perhaps nutty but that’s mixed up with some black tea astringency right in the middle of all the $6.75 for a bomber at Tully’s of Wells. Great value and, at 6.2%, not a skull crusher. I envy myself having one in hand, I really do. BAers give respect…but not to eleven or anything.

Johnny On Coco

Last night was another Red Sox victory over the Yankees and something of a hint how they may actually play into October. The nibling grinding pitcher Byrd held them at bay with his masterful 88 mph “fast”ball. The guy who never could replace Manny got 4 RBIs. This quote is from the game before but it stands, too:

“Coco Crisp’s single really led to three runs,” an admiring Damon said. “He was able to steal second and score on an infield single. That’s pretty amazing, how a string of three runs happened when Coco Crisp came to bat.”

I don’t know if that all beats ry’s Angels – can anyone truly beat the team that has Vladimir Guerrero? I still don’t know what to think about the Ray o’ Satan. I understand there are still lines on their stadium’s roof which designate which ball is a home run or a triple when it gets up there hitting the low roof. Do you really want a World Series won with a home run whacked into a ceiling?

None