PONDERABLES
Did Bernie Sanders ever think a pair of mitts would bring more fame than his two presidential bids and fourteen years as a U.S. senator?
Is there no end to the number of unprincipled Republican senators and members of the House of Representatives?
Has CTV news reporter John Musselman ever smiled?
Speaking of CTV, what’s become of Washington bureau chief Joy Malbon and correspondent Richard Madden?
Sticking with CTV, why does Power Play and Question Period host Evan Solomon feel compelled to make a ninety-second speech before every question he asks a guest? And doesn’t he realize that his “great to have you on the show” greeting to every guest every day is obsequious and has become hackneyed?
Has there ever been a Canadian politician use more words with less substance than Justin Trudeau?
How many fatal single-car crashes are suicides?
When did “interesting” and “laboratory” lose one of their syllables?
THINGS I FIRMLY BELIEVE
Far too many people who were “born on third base,” such as Justin Trudeau, think they got there by hitting a triple.
Pittsburg Penguins recently-retired GM Jim Rutherford is one of the best ever.
News that’s more than an hour old is no longer “breaking.”
The best way to improve writing skills is to read Strunk & White’s The Elements Of Style at least twice a year.
Automated spellchecking makes more mistakes than it corrects.
Self pep-talks and positive imagining work, especially in sports.
A PERTINENT QUESTION ABOUT PAYETTE’S “RESIGNATION”
Toronto radio station CFRB host Jerry Agar raised a pertinent question about the “resignation” of former Governor General Julie Payette: Why didn’t Justin Trudeau just fire her for cause (of which there was an abundance) and avoid taxpayers having to pay her up to $355,484 per year for the rest of her life?
The answer: Our prime minister’s monumental ego simply won’t allow him to admit he’s made a mistake.
ANOTHER GOOD QUESTION ABOUT TRUDEAU
National Post columnist Kelly McParland wondered how much Justin Trudeau thinks before he acts, and offered the following reminders: the Aga Khan trip; election reform failure; the India costume farce; SNC Lavalin; Jody Wilson-Reybold and Jane Philpott; WE scandal; blackface episodes; vaccine rollout; and Julie Payette. His conclusion was that Trudeau probably does think a lot, but just doesn’t do it very well.
EVIDENCE THAT MCPARLAND IS CORRECT
In an interview with The Toronto Star, Trudeau, referring to the Payette fiasco, said “I knew right away that we needed to call on an independent professional.” The “right away” that Trudeau referred to was last summer. As he was the only person who could have the Queen remove Payette, and it was abundantly clear to everyone familiar with the situation at Rideau Hall (except apparently to Trudeau himself) that Payette had to go, why did he think he needed to consult an independent professional? The answer: Because McParland was right, our prime minister has a serious thinking problem.
CANDACE BERGEN NEEDS TO ’FESS UP
Federal Conservative Deputy Leader, Candace Bergen, by not explaining how and why she came to be photographed wearing a Trump maga camouflage cap, is potentially hurting herself, her party, and especially her leader, Erin O’Toole. She’s going to have to deal with it sooner or later, and it’s doubtful her explanation could be worse than fuelling her critics’ imaginations by silence.
A JEOPARDY! ANSWER THAT MAKES NO SENSE
The show’s executive producer, Mike Richards, announced that when Ken Jennings’ current stint as a possible replacement for the late Alex Trebek is over, veteran TV journalist Katie Couric, 60 Minutes host Bill Whitaker, Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers, actress Mayim Bialin and others will be appearing as guest hosts. Richards also mentioned that he will host a few shows himself, which is a necessary bridge while the new host records catch-up shows.
That Couric, Whitaker, Rodgers and Bialin will be appearing is not the nonsensical part, the producers couldn’t just hand the job to Jennings without a safety net. But contemplating “others” makes no sense to die-hard Jeopardy! fans. Jennings’ outstanding performance as the first guest host should make him a shoo-in for the permanent job. Also, because of his incredible 74 consecutive wins in 2004, he’s a salutary link to the show’s past.
UNACCEPTABLE USE OF “UNACCEPTABLE”
Politicians’ use of the word “unacceptable” to describe every misdeed, real or imagined, has itself become unacceptable. It’s a weak, lazy, indefinite word that’s so overworked it’s become trite. The vast majority of the circumstances could be more accurately described as unbearable, intolerable, objectionable, unsuitable, unsatisfactory, distasteful, disgusting, unpalatable, unspeakable or unwelcome.