DG's Quick Hits- August 11, 2002
JOE TO GO: HOW FAR WILL CANADA'S TORIES?
Canadian Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark announced August 8 that he would be resigning his post as leader next year. Clark, 63, did say that he won't go if Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien called an election, saying he didn't want to thrust a new, un-groomed leader into the stresses of an electoral campaign. On another front, Stephen Harper, the new Canadian Alliance leader, said he's interested in uniting the two parties in a "united right"- long debated as the "viable alternative" to Chretien's Liberals- but doesn't expect the Tories to go along with it.
To me, the fate of Canada's Tories lies on two things: one, if Mike Harris chooses to lead them, and two, if the Tories and the Alliance do merge. Harris, the old Ontario Tory Premier, would make a good fit as Conservative leader, since, for at least the first part of his term, Harris' Common Sense Revolution revitalized and re-energized Ontario, losing steam only when Harris continued the changes past what was necessary. I'd hold that Harris would be able to learn from his mistakes and make the whole country better for it, but he may not get that great a reception in Ontario, the most important province in an election (due to it's population), because many Ontarians still don't like him. As for the united right, it makes no sense for two parities to bleat, practically, the same platform, and, with the right leader, it could reach new heights. However, the new party would probably have to drop some of the hard-line ideas that the Alliance supports, like the death penalty, if it is to ever succeed.
WHAT MARINA ANISSINA DOESN'T GET ABOUT THE FIGURE SKATING ORDEAL
French ice dancer Marina Anissina, who won a gold medal at Salt Lake City with partner Gwendal Peizerat, recently complained about the current figure skating scandal where a Russian mobster has been charged with fixing the pairs and ice dance figure skating results. "It's a ridiculous affair. I've only seen things like this in American movies," said Anissina about the affair, of which she too is involved with because of her ties with the mobster.
The Toronto Sun's George Gross wrote a very good piece about what Anissina doesn't get about the figure skating ordeal, outlining the fixings have been happening for ages are more real than what she- and, by extension, the "victorious" Russian pair at the Salt Lake Games- would like to believe. I agree with him: these types of shenanigans have been occurring for ages, and are more blatant than it appears. I vividly remember a Russian ice dancer falling- badly (though no injuries)- during her routine, and, afterwards, she started to cry, knowing she just lost the gold medal for her country. Instead, the judges not only handed her team the gold but also gave them exceptional marks for artistry and technicality, in a blatant exposition of how figure skating was rigged. Maybe it's time to make figure skating- and, by extension, any judged sport- just an exhibition instead of a competition, so there wouldn't be any worries about future fixing. Anything just to end this mess.
ON THE RADAR SCREEN
Apparently, Tiger Woods is just hungry for the PGA Championship, the last golf major, after blowing the British Open earlier in July, and he should be. What better way to pump anyone up but redemption...Woods' feelings are in response to fears that he'd be unmotivated for the event just like Jack Nicklaus was decades before when he too failed to get the calendar Grand Slam at the British Open. Nicklaus basically stated that the PGA Championship was now "just another event" and would be "hard to wake up for." At least Woods is trying to appear like he's gotten over it, and, hopefully, he has...George W. Bush recently passed a physical very easily. As Jay Leno himself put it: "Good for him. It's not very often he passes an exam"...If no one tries to stop the wars in Palestine, eventually they'll be no one left to save, staining what should be a happy place...Not exactly a happier topic, but different: Afghan women were apparently voted the ugliest on Earth, followed by Britain, Russia, Germany and the U.S. Canada did not place...Liz Friedlander may have done a great job with Michelle Branch's "All You Wanted", but wouldn't know creativity if it slapped her in the face: she just had to make noted on-screen personality and burgeoning singer Jennifer Love Hewitt look almost exactly like Branch did in "Everywhere" in Hewitt's "Barenaked", using almost the exact same sets and having Hewitt dance almost like the Arizona girl did in the video. Despite what you may think, Liz, no one will ever confuse Hewitt with Branch, since the latter's in a completely different league...Speaking of Branch, she's going to- and I'm not making this up- play Lesley Gore, the '60's teen musician, for a T.V. miniseries. Now, I'm not about to write Branch off yet- she pleasantly surprised me with the exceptional quality of "The Spirit Room", so she may surprise me again- but considering Britney Spears, Mandy Moore and Mariah Carey all flopped as actors, the prospects don't look too good. At least she won't have the expectations...The baseball players are delaying the inevitable: a strike and baseball's demise...So thankful the two California girls are safe after an attack like that. Nobody should have to deal with something like that...Just to let everyone in Canada know, the New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois still exist, just in case anyone forgot- or stopped caring...Finally: former Toronto Raptor Keon Clark, expected to be a hot topic in the National Basketball Association free agent derby, hasn't found a home yet. Maybe the kid should just accept a pay cut and stay in Toronto.
-DG