Notes on the day

1. So after mentioning that I hadn't started my Facebook campaign for the Board of Regents, Dale Kirby very nicely goes ahead and starts one for me. So far, so good. When I checked before heading to be last night there was about seven members. As of lunchtime today there are about 35 or so.

Granted, not all of them can vote because they either graduated from another school or are too young to go yet (not that I don't appreciate the support, Kelli), but who knows, maybe I just make a good showing here . But I don't think I'll start writing any acceptance speeches just yet.

By the way, if you want to vote, go here. All you need is your MUN student number. If you're like me, I'm not sure an ice pick to the brain will ever erase that number. It'll probably be the last thing I mutter before I die.

Actually, those would be great last words to confuse people:
Me: (gasping out student number)
Relative #1: What did he say? It sounded like a bunch of numbers.
Relative #2: Maybe it's a secret bank account number. He could have thousands stashed away!
Relative #1: That bastard. I always knew he was holding out on us.

Oh, and I know this is a slightly not nice thing to suggest, but you can vote for up to six people, but you can also only vote for one, if you want.

2. It's nice to see Ed Hollett back in full force from his self-imposed exile. He's been doing the best coverage, either online or offline, of the MUN president fiasco. The two nice finds for today? Dr. Eddy Campbell, MUN's acting president, withdrawing his name from consideration for the presidency while at the same time saying the provincial government has no right to interfere in the hiring process. It's about time someone in the university's administration spoke up. It's a very polite invitation for the government to fuck off, but it's better than what the university has said previous, i.e. nothing whatsoever.

The other find is Jeffrey Simpson's column inviting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to grow a pair and start standing up to Williams. That the racket over MUN's president is only the latest case of people not standing up to Williams. Maybe people are, but by god I'd like to see it reflected somewhere other than semi-anonymous griping online or on VOCM's open line shows. I'd like to see the government lose a byelection or two. I'd like to see the next opinion polls show at least a sharp drop in support for the government. Something. Anything. Just to cut the hubris of the government down a notch or two.

3. And in something unrelated to MUN or provincial governments, it was entertaining to watch Jon Stewart go up one side of John McCain last night and down the other. He also managed a rare trick; for one brief, shining moment I felt sorry for the Hilton family. I felt sorry for Paris Hilton. Then I hit myself in the head repeatedly and the feeling mercifully went away.

Here's the clip (about 2:20 in). Apparently the Hilton family donated thousands of dollars to the McCain campaign. The maximum amount, actually. And as a way of saying thanks, the McCain campaign crapped on their daughter in a political ad. Granted, it's Paris Hilton, so I don't think many are going to feel sorry for her. Lord knows worse has been done to her, and a lot of it self-inflicted. However, as Stewart rightly noted, it was just a bit "dickish."

Then again, after the calibre of attacks for the past week or so from the McCain camp, "dickish" might be the most polite thing you can say about their campaign.

Last Five
1. For America - Jackson Browne
2. Racing in the streets (live) - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band*
3. Upon a veil of midnight blue - Elvis Costello
4. Put your arms around me - Texas
5. End of the end - Paul McCartney