Hail to the Chief

It's been a rough couple of weeks for your humble scribe. Getting back to work after the holidays sucked a lot out of me. But never fear, for I've been inspired, and have returned after my absence.

Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated today, becoming the 44th President of the United States, and ending eight years of the retarded child emperor, George W. Bush.

As a Canadian, watching the inauguration made me long for the kind of leader that my neighbours to the south find themselves welcoming. Obviously, we have a different system of government, and our prime minister isn't the same kind of figure as a U.S. president. But still, our leader is supposed to be the face of our country, and should inspire the Canadian people.

Instead, we find ourselves with a button-down accountant as our leader. Just as Bush will likely be remembered as the worst president in American history, Stephen Harper may be remembered as the dullest prime minister in Canadian history.

As Obama spoke to the two million plus people in Washington, and the millions (maybe billions) watching on television, I got the sense that things were going to be okay. Maybe not right away, but eventually. When Stephen Harper speaks, I have to fight the urge to yawn.

I'm proud to be a Canadian. But recently, I've started to think it might not be so bad to be an American. It would mean living in a country where people actually care what their politicians say and do. In Canada, apathy is slowly becoming more prominent.

We need an Obama of our own.

Happy New Year

"Another year over, a new one just begun"

I rang in 2009 in a very different way from 2008. Last year, I was at Disney World, watching the fireworks at Epcot, surrounded by thousands of people. This year, I spent the evening at a small gathering, enjoying the company of a dozen or so people.

Celebrating the beginning of another year, one often pauses to look back at the year gone by, and I'm no different. I figured I'd put together a list of some of the most memorable events of 2008.

In no particular order:

• The New York Giants upset the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, winning 17-14, in perhaps the greatest upset in the history of pro sports.
• Illinois Senator Barack Obama is elected the 44th president of the United States on Nov. 4, becoming the first African-American elected to the office. Obama picked up 365 electoral votes, soundly defeating Arizona Senator John McCain.
• Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized to Canada's First Nation peoples for the residential school system.
• The 2008 Summer Olympics take place in Beijing in August. American swimmer Michael Phelps wins a record eight gold medals. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt sets two world records in the 100 and 200 metre dashes, and makes it look easy.
• Canada's opposition parties attempt to defeat the Conservative government and form a coalition government. Prime Minister Harper manages to hold off the coalition until at least the end of January, after convincing the Governor-General to suspend Parliament.
• A global financial crisis, drawing comparisons to the Great Depression, sends world economies spiralling downward.
• The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers renewed their rivalry, meeting for the first time in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987. The Celtics defeated the Lakers four games to two, winning their league record 17th title, and first since 1986.
• An outbreak of the bacteria listeriosis from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Ontario, led to a massive product recall, and at least 20 deaths.

Some good, some bad, some just ridiculous. That was 2008 in a nutshell.

On a personal level, there were a few highlights. I graduated from university and got my first job in journalism.

And what about 2009? Unfortunately, I can't predict the future. If I could I'd be out buying lottery tickets right now.

I have some hopes of my own, and some things I'd like to accomplish. I've made New Year's resolutions in the past, but I usually can't keep them. They're quite often too much to handle. This year, I decided to make a short list, mostly of easy resolutions to keep, things that really won't be difficult, but will certainly improve my life. That's what I think a resolution should be about, making yourself better. With that in mind, I'll share a few of my New Year's resolutions.

• Read at least two books a month. I used to read a lot. But through university, I just couldn't find the time to read for pleasure. Now, I have more time. I'm working a regular job, with regular hours, so I want to take the time and get back into reading. I won't limit myself to two, but I figure two books in 30 days is reasonable.
• Watch more old movies. I watch a fair number of movies, but it's mostly films from the last 15-20 years. There's so many of those great old classics out there, from the Golden Age, that I've never seen. Even as recently as the 1960s and 70s. From my perspective, those are relatively old movies, and there's some real classics out there. Part of this resolution will probably involve watching the American Film Institute's top 100 movies of all time. (see list here)
• Go to the gym at least three times a week. I've been an irregular visitor to the gym as of late. Three times a week is a good start, as I try to get back into a regular workout routine. As the year progresses, the number will certainly increase. Three times a week probably won't include any time I spend swimming either.
• Kick the caffeine habit. I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I tend to have at least one a day, and more often than not, at least two cups. It's really just something I want to do for myself. It upsets my stomach, and leads to acid reflux (TMI perhaps). I'll be drinking much more green tea in 2009.
• Move on to a job in Ontario. I work in Woodstock, a town of 5,000 people. This is not my final destination, by any stretch of the imagination. Since I started on my career path as a journalist, my ultimate goal has always been to work in Ontario, specifically Toronto. Whether it's for one of the major newspapers like the Globe and Mail or the Toronto Star, or for a magazine, a radio station, or anything else media-related, When I write a similar post to this as we ring in 2010, I fully intend to be writing about my experiences in the big city.

A new year, new possibilities, new challenges. Sounds a little corny and cliche, but it is what it is. Hopefully, the year past was a good one for you, and 2009 brings good things as well. If you're interested, share your thoughts on 2008 and 2009 in the comments.

Happy New Year to one and all.

-BT

Niles rocks out

Boxing Day Madness

So the economy is in the tank. And maybe you're one of those unfortunate souls who is really struggling because of it.

So does that mean you didn't bother with the Boxing Day sales in your area?

From what I saw in Saint John, not so much.

I went out on Dec. 27 (Boxing Day being a "Day of Rest" in New Brunswick), and went to a few stores. And what I saw were people who were still spending just as much on electronics and clothes and everything else that might have been on sale for ridiculous prices.

For myself, it meant spending $100 on DVDs at HMV. There were some steals in that store. My friend Kyla found a collector's edition box set of E.T. The set has two versions of the movie, a book with photos, annotated script pages, and a frame from the film itself. Regular $100. Kyla picked it up for $6. I can't even fathom how it came to be reduced by that much, but there it is.

There were deals everywhere, and I was surprised to see so many people out spending money in these tough economic times. But then something crossed my mind.

Maybe everyone waited until after Christmas to buy the really nice gifts for friends and family members.

Think about it. My youngest brother got an XBOX 360, which cost around $300. Toys 'R Us was selling the unit on Dec. 27 for about $240.

So why wouldn't you wait until after Christmas to buy yourself a brand new video game console, or a giant plasma television? Why not wait to buy some movies or music until they're on sale for a couple of bucks.

Sure, retailers lose money on merchandise when it's on sale for the crazy reduced prices seen during Boxing Day sales, but it almost has to balance out in the end. They had less business leading up to Dec. 25, when prices were more or less what they'd be any other time of the year, but then they sell boatloads of merchandies between Dec. 26 and New Year's. Granted, it's at much lower prices, but they're selling more.

So maybe the economy is struggling. And maybe some of those who bought brand new, 50" LCD televisions will see them repossessed in six months. But for now, it seems the consumer mentality is alive and well in North America.

Long live the credit card!

-BT

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas, or whatever other holiday you may celebrate at this time of year, to you and yours.

Absolute genius

My country's leader is a chicken

Stephen Harper is a wimp.

Harper managed to put off his political death at least until the end of January. He asked Canada's Governor-General to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament, and she granted his request. So rather than facing a confidence vote on December 8, now he gets to hold on to power while our country's economy goes to hell. Hopefully he spends the next two months figuring out how to fix it rather than how to screw the opposition parties.

Harper has gone from being the bully to the victim. All of a sudden, the nerdy wimps he's picked on for the last three years have decided to stand up and fight back. Too bad they didn't do it during the election campaign, but better late than never.

And to those of you who say the proposed Liberal-NDP coalition wouldn't be legitimate, I suggest you take a look at our constitution. This country doesn't elect a head of government the way the United States does. In a minority government, if the majority (in this case, the opposition parties) can show they have the support of the house to govern, then they should govern. What Harper is doing is what is illegitimate and undemocratic. He's running from the people's representatives. He's so afraid of losing his job and losing his grip on power, he's decided to take his ball and go home, and hope the other kids will lose interest in the meantime.

All the prime minister has done is delay the inevitable. Come January 2009, he'll still be out of a job. And then we'll either see a coalition government, or we'll have yet another election. Either way, Harper's days as prime minister are numbered. If the opposition can't get rid of him, his own party will show him the door.