100k

Sometime today, well, sometimes in the next couple of hours, I will get my 100,000 unique visitor to the blog. I think that's supposed to be one of those significant blogging milestones. And it only took me two and half years to reach it. Actually, in a couple of weeks, I will also post my 1,000 post to the blog. So that's a couple of them in a short period of time.

I know there are more wildly read blogs out there, both nationally, in Nunavut and in Newfoundland. But still, it is kind of cool to think about all the people who have deliberately made the choice to seek me out in the big, wide blogosphere (what a terrible word) and the ever bigger, wider internet to see what I had to say on any given day.

So, thanks.

And with such an occasion upon me, I should really give some thought if there are any changes I want to make to the blog. Tomorrow I'll talk about that. Today, I'm going to get back to hacking away at the first four chapters of the novel. I'd like to have them in reasonably decent shape by the end of the day.

Last Five
1. Girl wedged under the front of a firebird - Matthew Good
2. Lay down beside me - Allison Krauss and John Waite
3. Bad fog of lonliness (live) - Neil Young
4. Back home weather - Matt Mays*
5. When rivers rise - Spirit of the West

Well, that was dumb

Someone must have broken Ed Hollett's fingers for him not to be commenting on the latest media racket involving Premier Danny Williams. I know he's in self-imposed exile for right now, but my God, I thought for sure he would break on this one....

So I read this lovely column from Geoff Meeker about a dust-up between CBC reporter David Cochrane and Premier Danny Williams. Cochrane was asking a bunch of questions about the latest bonehead stunt former mayor Andy Wells pulled - a fundraising dinner to help cover off the legal costs from his idiotic and ultimately doomed lawsuit against Paul Sears a couple of years ago.

Now if Wells was just basking in retirement, that might be one thing. But since he's head of the Public Utilities Board, there is just a hint of a conflict of interest happening there. Sending out invitations to businesses asking them to donate money to the guy in charge of a fairly major and influential organization is doing to draw some attention. So it's fair game to ask the premier if Wells should be doing that sort of thing and what the premier thinks about it.

But it seems that Williams didn't like Cochrane's questions. And after a heated exchange, and in front of witnesses, Williams turned to his communications person and said to cut Dave off. Which, as many reporters in Newfoundland know, means that any phone calls, any access to Williams Dave might have had, just vanished with the premier's snit.

Dave joins an illustrious group that once included Ryan Cleary of the Independent, until he worked his way back into the premier's graces, and Craig Westcott of the Business Post and CBC, who is still cut off and one figures will be as long as the premier draws breath.

This is a doomed and idiotic strategy. I'm tempted to tell all of you to just read this post I wrote from 2006 about Prime Minister Steven Harper cutting off the Ottawa Press Gallery and tell you to insert Williams' name where I have Harper. Much of what I said then, applies to this situation. But let's just be clear on this.

This. Will. Not. Work. It's is a doomed strategy. And it will, in all probability, just make Williams life more difficult.

First of all, there is zero chance Dave and the CBC are going to take this lying down. I've known Dave for more than a decade. We're not what I'd call close friends, but I know him well enough to sit down and have a drink with when I'm in town. He's as tenacious a reporter as you're going to meet locally. Being outside of the Premier's good graces won't mean a damn thing. He's only going to work harder to get his stories. And he will likely put a big "the premier refused comment" with every story where he needs comments from Williams. Which always, always makes the person who refuses comment look terrible.

Second, I'm not saying the press gallery at Confederation Building is going to rally to Dave's defence. But he might be the straw that finally breaks things, especially since this was a very public blacklisting. Williams normally does this more stealthily, but I guess the last few weeks has addled in his brains a bit.

Too many reporters have been blacklisted by the premier on and off over the last few years. At some point that's going to piss them off enough that there's going to be consequences. What those are, I do not know. But I can't imagine the premier is going to be any happier with the press he's going to get in the next few months.

Also, and I can't believe I have to say this again....they're doing their jobs. It's not their job to make the government look good. In the absence of any kind of substantial opposition in the House of Assembly, it falls on the press, who have resources the opposition often doesn't, to dig around and see what's happening. They're doing their jobs, which involves asking hard and fair questions. If Williams doesn't like it, then he really doesn't have to be there. And honestly, he's had it mostly pretty easy since getting into power. This is the first time (well, maybe the public service strike) that he's been seriously under the gun. And given the stories that are coming out right now, he deserves it. It isn't the goddamn press or the inquiry that's going on right now into the massive clusterfuck that was Eastern Health that's going to "ruin health care", as Williams said earlier this week. They're only pointing out the really effective job the current government is doing in that field already.

If he thinks taking it out on Cochrane and the CBC is going to make things any better, that "that'll teach him a lesson" and make them contrite, then he's falling deeply out of touch with reality.

My advice? Call Cochrane, apologize and say that he lost his temper for a moment and that it was unprofessional of him to behave in that manner. I doubt he will do it, but my way shows that he's human and the story blows over quickly. If he sticks to his guns, then he can look forward to be tortured for many, many months to come.

Last Five
1. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams*
2. Everybody pays - Mark Knopfler
3. When anger shows - The Editors
4. The lucky ones (live) - Allison Krauss and Union Station
5. I would die 4 U - Prince

Smart drugs

I don’t know why, but drugs have never held any interest for me. About the only ones that I’m addicted to are caffeine and whatever they put into Wendy’s hamburgers. But nicotine and alcohol have never done anything for me. The only time I’ve smoked in my life are a few cigars. And I probably haven’t smoked one of those in nearly a decade. I have an occasional drink, but again, nothing serious. I can probably count the number of drinks I have each year on one hand.

And trust me, that’s a huge leap. For most of my first three decades on this planet I could count the number of drinks I had in my life on one hand.

So it goes almost without saying that soft drugs like marijuana or hash and harder drugs are right out of the question. I’ve been in rooms where people have been smoking dope and tend to leave after a bit. I don’t like the smell and my tolerance for cigarette smoke in recent years has dropped to near zero. If there’s a person less likely to ever become a meth addict than me, I’d be hard pressed to find him.

I suspect you could find any number of reasons for this. My parents did an effective job of putting the Fear of God into me when I was younger, which probably kept me away from drugs. However, I suspect the real reason might be due to control issues. Yes, some drugs might make you feel great or give you an altered sense of reality that can become addictive. However, as I’ve discovered, I hate not being in control of things. I don’t think I’m a control freak. I don’t try to control everyone around me. I just don’t like being out of control myself.

So drugs that would make me out of control hold little sway. I don’t even read many articles dealing with the latest drugs out in the market. I’m in good health, I have no mental problems (resist the urge, all of you) I don’t need any medication, so why would I pay attention to any of it?

However, I think I just read about my first drug that honestly would make me go “Can I get a crate of that? And can you send it Expresspost?”

(And no, it’s not Rogaine or Viagra)

The drug is called Progivil (Alertec in Canada) and I read it about it on this guy's blog. I understand it’s popular on some university campuses during exam crushes and I know it’s been around for years, but this is the first I’m hearing about it.. And no, it’s not an upper or anything. I’m still reading more about it, but according to Hari, all it does is improve memory, concentration and IQ.

"It’s not an amphetamine or stimulant, the article explained: it doesn’t make you high, or wired. It seems to work by restricting the parts of your brain that make you sluggish or sleepy. No significant negative effects have been discovered.”

So what are the drawbacks? It looks like there might be some insomnia involved. And, oh yeah, weight loss.

So let’s see, it’s a drug that makes me smarter, allows me to focus and, as a side effect, I can lose weight. I'm surprised I haven't started shopping at online pharmacies yet.

Granted, the consequences of long term exposure are not really known yet. An increased risk Alzheimer’s could be one of them for all I know. So a lot more research needs to be done before I would even seriously consider buying some. But if this shit is for real, then it is seriously tempting. A drug that would let me focus better at work? A drug that would improve my concentration so I can finally break the back of the book I’m working on and perhaps getting started on the next one?

Oh yeah, that’s deeply tempting stuff for a guy who has always had problems focusing and procrastinates like a son of a bitch. This merits more research. Well, more than what I'm finding on Wikipedia at any rate.

Anyone heard of this or used it?

Last Five
1. Rock 'n' roll star - Oasis
2. Save the best for last - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
3. I will follow you into the dark - Death Cab for Cutie
4. The whole of the moon - The Waterboys*
5. A legal matter - The Who

Tomorrow

I had a pretty spectacularly bad day (people who know me will be able to figure out why pretty quick) and Cathy had an even worse one, if possible. So I'm sure there's something I can blog about, but really, sometimes you just go, "fuck it, let's try again tomorrow."

And so I shall.

A few things

1. I don't know why this story about a 78-year-old man who is legally blind grabbed my interest so much, but it is kind of weird. And I imagine it produces a "well, that's kind of cool" reaction to people like me who don't bowl and perhaps a sense of despair in those who do bowl.

However, I don't really know anyone who bowls seriously. Well, I do kind of know one. Author Peter David takes his bowling quite seriously. However, other than meeting him for about 30 seconds during the New York Comic Con, I wouldn't say that I know him. Still, on a lark, I emailed the story to him. And much to my surprise, about 20 minutes later I got a response.

I won't print what he said, other than he had heard of the story and wasn't exactly feeling inspired. So I guess that's that mystery solved. And hey, Peter David responded to my email. That's kind of cool.

2. A fascinating story on NPR about Gender Identity Disorder. What happens if you have a young child who firmly believes they should be the opposite sex. Part one focusses on boys who believe they are girls. Two psychologists offer up radically different ways they believe is best to deal with the situation.

3. Once upon a time I used to review TV shows, but given the clusterfuck this season has been, I haven't bothered too much. My favourite show continues to be "House" and while the first couple of shows back after the strike were all right, I had pretty much resigned myself to having to wait until the fall to get the really good stuff again.

Except last night's episode was a home run. One of the best of the series. And yes, smarter people than myself probably could have figured out the twist at the end, but I never really bother with these things. The enjoyment for me in mysteries has never been about solving them ahead of everyone else, it's been about watching the pieces fall and see if they land in an entertaining manner.

They all fell into place seamlessly last night. Cathy clued in about 30 seconds ahead of me, but there was still that delightful "holy fuck!" moment at the end that nicely sets up the season finale next week.

Someone explain to me again how Hugh Laurie hasn't won the Emmy for best actor yet? Here's the recap, in case you missed it.

4. I've espoused many times how much I enjoy Colleen Power's music. I consider her to be one of the finest singer/songwriters in Newfoundland. And it's a pity I can't convince her to play up here because I haven't seen her perform since 2005 and I'd love to see her play again.

Fortunately, I will soon get to hear some new music from her. Colleen's new CD "Rejects" (the title comes from how many times she was rejected for grant funding to record the album) will be coming out next month. For those of you would like to get a real deal and a chance to sample Colleen's work, she has a special offer on the go right now. Pre-order her CD and you can get it for just $10 s/h included. I think that's a hell of a deal. Send a check or money order to:

Colleen Power
P.O. Box 5332, Station C
St. John's NL
A1C 5W2
Canada

If you're outside of Canada, you should probably email her first, just to be on the safe side - baygirlmusic AT yahoo.ca

The CD will be put in the mail the day after the CD release party, which is June 13 at the Rose and Thistle, I believe. Go and buy it. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Last Five
1. Sacrifice - Oh Susanna
2. Jacksonville - Sufjan Stevens
3. Your bruise - Death Cab for Cutie
4. Diva's lament - Spamalot Broadway Cast Recording
5. Save me - The Donnas

Mercy rule

I spend more time reading American political pundits than Canadian ones these days. Which is a waste of time, really, but I'm kind of addicted. And all of them offer a take on what's going to happen in the Obama vs. McCain election (only the truly committed still thinks Clinton has a chance). How it's going to be close. And will Obama be able to overcome the smears. Is he the next promising Democrat who is going to get crushed in the fall. Is he a Carter, Mondale or Dukakis?

And I laugh. Because it's mostly (there are a few good ones) people talking out of their ass. Or people talking because they get paid to espouse an opinion, never mind that it's non-sensical. Just keep talking, that's the important thing. And sound like you know what you're talking about.

Barring something catastrophic, Obama is going to win this thing by a mile. On top of that, Obama's downticket appeal means the Democrats are going to open up a sizable majority in both the Senate and the House. I don't think we're talking what happened to the Tories in Canada in '93, but we could be looking at what happened to the Tories in England in '97.

I can quote articles from people's whose opinions I respect and who seem to be talking sense. But I think the article that best sums up the Republican Apocalypse that is on the way is the one below. The one with the best headline I've read in ages, which was sent to me by my friend Corey.

Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens

In an election year, Republicans in Congress at first voted for a motion "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day" and then, after careful thought, reconsidered the idea. That's when 177 Republicans voted against this motion. Against moms. And they flipped-flopped on it. They were for moms, before they were against moms.

Sure I could point to the cluster-fuck that is the Iraq War. A foreign policy that looks like it was designed by Kindergarten bullies and an economic policy that appears to have been designed by someone who flunked Grade 5 math. But you will always get people who will argue the pros of each of these policies in such a way that, if you're not careful, you will almost believe the bullshit.

But the Republicans just voted against mothers right before Mother's Day. If you want a clearer sign of a group of people that need to go away now, who have lost touch with reality, I can't give it to you. The 177 Republicans that voted against moms should lose the next election just for being that fucking stupid. Yes, politicians can be idiots, but that is stupidity above and beyond, my friends. That's historic stupidity. Future historians will point to that vote and go, "That's quite possibly the stupidest group of people in the history of our country."

And this is what Obama, who even his adversaries will admit is as gifted a politician as they've seen in a generation or more, is going up against this fall. Someone who just defeated the combined might and cunning of the Clintons is going up against people who don't think a motion celebrating moms is a good idea.

If there isn't a mercy rule in politics, then they might want to consider legislating one after the November elections. It's going to be exactly that ugly.

Last Five
1. Not falling apart - Maroon 5
2. Silver road - Sarah Harmer*
3. Momsong (really!) - The Be Good Tanyas
4. Sweet love - Anita Baker
5. How do you keep love alive? - Ryan Adams

Four things

1. Dear God but my blog stats are in free fall right now. I know this happens every year around this time, but it's always disheartening to see 250 unique visitors a day plummet to below 150, which is about where I am right now. The one thing that keeps me doing the blog is that a lot of people probably just subscribe to the blog using a feed of some kind. However, I have no way of tracking that. Does anyone have a feed tracker that would keep track of everyone subscribing here? I realize in the long run it probably doesn't matter, but I do like keep tracking of how many people visit the blog. Because really, those numbers help give me the boost on days where I really can't be bothered.

2. I've just acquired Scarlett Johansson's album of Tom Waits covers. Anyone care to lay wagers on how badly this album is going to suck?

3. Starting to put together a list of songs for the third anniversary CD. If you have any suggestions, feel free to pay them along. Although once again this year, we won't be together on our anniversary. I head back to Iqaluit on July 20 and she heads back to Newfoundland. Which kind of sucks. But next year that will change as we plan on being in Australia.

4. Finally saw "There will be blood last night", meaning I've now seen all the finalist for the best movie of the year for the Oscars. Ummmm....they were kind of a lacklustre bunch. "Juno" and "Michael Clayton" were all right. "Atonement" was blah and "No Country for Old Men was horrifically overrated. And aside from the amusement of watching Daniel Day Lewis (the "I drink your milkshake" is classic, I have to admit), it was kind of a blah film as well. Aside from "Juno", I don't really see a potential classic in the bunch.

And that's all from the Chateau from now. Something interesting tomorrow, I hope...