Reality TV Could Really Use Some Deoderant

There seems to be a new trend turning up on the Slice channel here in Canada – turning reality shows about wedding planning into competitions and stress factories.  Now granted their programming has never been a bastion of Harvard-inspired lessons, but it really bothers me when shows deliberately set people up to be highly stressed and bring out their worst behavior.  Case in point, two new shows – Rich Groom, Poor Groom and In-Law Wedding Wars.

First, Rich Groom.  This show twists the traditional wedding planning process by giving a couple a $5,000 boost to their wedding budget, provided that the bride willingly gives up all control and allows her fiancé to do all the planning.  Now I know there are at least a few women on Earth that would gladly not have to deal with wedding planning, but none of them appear on this show.  The producers seem to be able to find the most lame-brained, stereotypical doofus males in Canada to do this, including one whose love of soccer made him think that holding their reception in the middle of a soccer pitch was actually a good idea.

The other, In-Law Wedding Wars, is far more offensive.  Most new couples inevitably find themselves in the middle of a tug-a-war between their families as they all learn to live together.  This show vaults it into a cruel whirlpool of guilt, pitting the couple’s mothers against each other, competing to see who gets to plan their child’s big day.  And then to add insult to injury, the losing mother gets to be the winning mother’s assistant.  Needless to say, tension, irritability and truly inspired craziness soon follows.

I don’t watch a lot of reality TV, but I understand the basic concept – find people who will push the audience’s buttons, who will irritate or create sympathy or even all-out hatred from those watching at home, and ultimately who will cause people to talk, tell their friends about the show and inevitably tune in for the next episode.  But the pool of just plain dumb that’s being tapped into year after year is truly staggering.

As put so smartly by Fred Flintstone – it makes me want to turn in my running pants and get out of the human race.

The Vancouver Riots, 2011 (aka What The Hell is Wrong with People???)

I’ve never been to a riot before.  And I didn’t intend to go to one last night.

I went to a downtown restaurant to watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.  As an Oilers fan, I had no real heartfelt stake in what was going on, but wanted to cheer on the team for my adopted home as they tried to win their first championship in franchise history.  The game itself was a heartbreaker, but maybe not entire unexpected, considering how a 2-0 series lead devolved into a 3-3 tie that forced a Game 7.  And afterwards, my friends wanted to check out Granville Street to see what was happening. 

Now I had been down to Granville after the Canucks won Game 5, and have video of a lot of jubilant people cheering and high-fiving and generally behaving themselves.  And we had all seen the ghost town that downtown became every night they lost.  Expecting a ghost town, here is what I saw:

• Not only a fight, but also a large crowd that flowed around it as it moved
• People tearing down the five-ish year old trees that line Granville Street
• People cheering on the young man (dressed in a Canadian flag) who climbed one of the light standards, and then chanting at him to destroy the light
• Young guys stomping on top of overturned cars
• More young guys, dressed in Canucks jerseys, smashing the shit out of a luxury car parked on the street
• One of those jersey guys had somehow managed to get hold of a crowd control barrier, then threw it off the top of the car at somebody which not only started another fight, but had the crowd fleeing in fear of being caught up in whatever came next

And this was all within 30 MINUTES of the game ending.  Needless to say, we immediately left when we saw how quickly things were devolving.

The police are saying that this was instigated by anarchists who came down to the area specifically armed with masks and incendiary devices and who were generally aiming to create as much chaos as possible.  That may very well be.  But there is NO EXCUSE for the thousands of (mostly) young men who decided to descend into mob mentality and destroy and steal other peoples’ property!!

I don’t know if the cops were as effective as they could have been, but I sure as hell know that they were outnumbered.  As we were trying to get out, we would see groups of a dozen or so at various intersections just trying to deal with what they could see, and I don’t blame them one bit for not diving headlong into any situation where they could be hurt.  The fact that there were only nine police injuries is a miracle.

I am ashamed for this city.  I am embarrassed that I call it my home.  I am shocked and horrified that people I saw in the crowd who were carrying a beer bong were later filmed jumping on top of an overturned car.  There are no words to describe just how I feel about this.  I didn’t have a lot of faith in people before this, and I sure as hell don’t have any in them now. 

Laughter Really is the Best Medicine

Check out what happens when this little boy's dad tears up a job rejection letter.

Young and Hip Oscars?

Okay, so going in, everybody with a microphone kept talking about how hiring James Franco and Anne Hathaway to host this year's Oscars was an attempt to make it hip and cool and appealing to the younger crowd.  A for effort, but a D for execution.  It looked like it was the writers and director that were young, glaring of a show written by people with no experience writing shows at all.

Case in point, the little historical vignettes.  Nice idea, but having 5 to 10 seconds of dead, orchestra-covered air while some video cue is playing is not going to win you any fans.  The whole thing seemed stilted and forced, and most (but not all) of the truly funny and spontaneous moments came from those who were off script.

• Kirk Douglas.  The man is 94 years old - he can say whatever the hell he wants and take as long as he wants.  And he was loving every second of it.

• His exchange with Melissa Leo when he gave her her award.  "Pinch me!"  "Mine?"  "What are you doing later on?"

• Melissa Leo dropping an F-bomb on live, worldwide TV. Sadly, the prudish American networks were running on a time delay, and only the rest of us got to see an uncensored, truly historic Oscar moment.

• James Franco dressed as Marilyn Monroe.  It's sad to say, but he had better looking breasts in that dress than a lot of the women there did. 

• Colin Firth threatening to well up into interpretive dance.

It wasn't an unpleasant visit to Hollywood, but certainly a boring one.  I had a better time sitting for two hours, waiting in line to see The Tonight Show.  I'll be the first to admit I don't know what the answer is to a bigger and better show, but with this many people on the case, they've got to be able to figure something out before they become completely redundant.

Because 4-Year-Olds Apparently Need Legal Guidance

Every once in a while, a good commercial will break through the drone of sex-fuelled advertising to get my attention.  Nissan has just put up a great one.



It's fresh, it's different, and it's just like so many little boys out there playing with their toy cars.  I genuinely like it.  But here's my issue with it.

No, no - THIS is my problem with it:

Now I know it's a rule that you have to legislate for the dumb, to ensure you won't get sued because somebody with nothing better to do tried to duplicate your stunt.  But what 4-year-old boy that you know would take the time to read, think about and then follow the advice being given to him on the screen?

We live in an overly-cautious world - but for god's sake, can't we use our brains?  I am so sick to death of seeing "Dramatization.  Do not attempt" on commercials that are trying to be fun, witty and to actually appeal to some people's intellect instead of waving breasts or fast cars or dunce husbands in our faces.  Every time I see one of those warnings, I want to scream "YES!  PLEASE DO IT!  HELP THIN OUT THE GENE POOL A BIT!!"

Or is it just me?

Alright, I Am Frustrated

I try to stay positive about looking for work as an actor, because I know full well what I’m up against as someone who isn’t a Size 0.  But today a conversation with my agent threw me for a bit of a loop.  She told me that she wasn’t able to submit me for anything lately, even though there’s quite a bit of work these days, because the pilots that are being cast are pretty much looking for the same small group of actors they always are.

I’m not saying that every casting director in the world should run out and cast fat people for every production.  Hell, I wouldn’t do that when casting my own projects.  I did an interview for a national entertainment show a few years back when they did a spot on plus-size actors, and they asked me why it’s so hard for larger actors (especially women) to find work.  And I still have the same answer that I did then.  People want to see fantasy in their day-to-day TV and film viewing.  Why else would we have high-end soaps like Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives?  I personally like shows that have characters that are much closer to real life, but those shows don’t tend to last long.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be an actor any less.  So why do I keep doing this to myself?

Because for me, acting is the most incredible experience.  There’s something electrifying about crawling inside a character and bringing them to life, feeling all their drama and emotion, and then letting it all fly away when you’re done.  Sometimes it can be an exploration of the human experience.  Other times, it’s just silly and it makes you laugh until you pee yourself.

Either way, it’s not something that I’m about to give up on again.

All The Best for 2011

As 2010 draws to a close, I am in my usual, reflective state. This year has been a good one for me - a sweet volunteer gig during the Olympics in Whistler, leaving my job to become a freelance writer (then actually working consistently after that), and continuing on the path to where I want to be in life. Though some of the lessons this year were harder than hard, I am calmer, more confident and genuinely feeling that I'm heading in the right direction. As I've always said, things may seem like hell at the time, but when you look at them later on, they seem ridiculously minor. It's all worth it.

So I'll close by saying to you, and to everyone you love, have a happy, prosperous and safe 2011. May it be the best one you've ever had.

This Show Has GOT to be Cursed!!!

Any new show needs to work the kinks out. Apparently Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has more than just kinks to work out.

Just some of the problems getting this show to Broadway?

• Production has been delayed several times, due to technical issues and to add/delete/write new scenes and work out story problems.
• The show was temporarily shelved in 2009 for being $25 million in debt
• The first preview performance had to be stopped five times due to glitches
• Injuries to actors on the show have included a concussion, a broken toe, two broken wrists (on the same actor!) and now today, broken ribs from a 30 ft fall because a tether cable was not properly attached

I have worked in theatre for many, many years, and I can't even begin to imagine the pressure that this show is under. It seems to me that maybe Julie Taymor, Bono and The Edge have created something that now, after so many years of labour, could very well become this generation's Ishtar.

Some believe that, because of big-budget/scale shows such as Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, etc., that Broadway shows have to be huge spectacles to be successful. But I beg to differ. Previous Tony winners for Best Musical in the last ten years include The Producers, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, Avenue Q, Jersey Boys and this year's Memphis - all shows that are much smaller in sheer ooh-aah factor, and yet they seem to have no problem living on (both professionally and in community theatre).

Maybe $65 million is too much for a play. Besides, how do you tour it?

It's time for quality to override spectacle. After all, the play IS the thing.

Nativity 2.0

This really made me laugh.

A New Look for New Posts!

So I finally decided, after a very long procrastination period, to update the look of this blog. Blogspot's templates have improved greatly, and I'm very pleased with this one. Who knows - I might change my mind, but for now, it works.

I have a little idea percolating in the back of my head right now for a small project that will help me get off my butt and get moving in the right direction. Can't give any details now, but even just writing down some of the details is very exciting! The funny thing about chasing a dream is that, like all things, your interest can wane sometimes and you fall off the horse, only to have it come by again and some hand picks you up and puts you back on for the ride. Now we just need to stay in the saddle!

Super Omelette

I just made the most amazing omelette. Nothing super spectacular - sauteed mushrooms and lots of cheddar, but the thing that made it amazing was the addition of minced garlic in the butter while sauteeing the mushrooms. Deelish!!

We All Need a Refresher on Manners

I've noticed lately that people seem to need a refresher course on simple manners. Not people being rude or bossy or nosy, but just the general questions that we should all have the answers to.

Today there was a string of them on the way home from work. See if you can answer these questions better than they did:

1) Should I stand in the middle of a busy sidewalk while I gab to my friend about how great her boots look? Yes or No

2) Should I acknowledge the person who held the door open for me after they went inside the store? Yes or No

3) When bumping into someone while rounding the corner of a building, should I stare at them vacantly and wait for them to move out of my way? Yes or No

4) When at work, and a customer engages me in friendly small talk, should I bother to respond? Yes or No

5) When pulling out of a parkade, should I nose out in front of the pedestrians on the sidewalk because my Flintstone feet will never get it moving again otherwise? Yes or No

I have a friend in North Carolina who told me once that her classmate's mother would slap him across the back of the head when he didn't add "ma'am" to the end of any words spoken to a lady. Can we bottle that? We could create a whole new industry for retired ladies who just want to supplement their pensions, following an assigned person around and giving them a quick smack every time they don't acknowledge the people around them.

Either that, or create a shock collar for it, so that way she doesn't have to be on her feet for the whole shift.

Wow! Is This Thing Still Here?

I look at this site, and discover that it's been nearly two years since my last post. :o

I still call myself a writer, but seem to be lacking a little in the volume department. So as a start, I am going to try and contribute to this blog as often as I possibly can, to flex the writing muscles and to hopefully entertain my two faithful readers (now lost to the electronic sands of time, I fear).

Getting motivated to write is hard enough - getting motivated to write when you're going through a mountain range full of crap is about ten times worse than that. To say that the first nine months of this year have been challenging would be a grotesque understatement. But like nine months, the result has been the birth of my new life, one filled with wonder, questions, and a need to follow my heart and my passion.

I may tell you the details later on; but for now, suffice it to say, the journey has really been worth coming out at the other end, a level up from where you started, with your whole life ahead of you to continue trying to make a change for you and for everyone else.

I really couldn't say it any better than this...

On the Eve of History...

All we can say is, "See ya, Dumbass!!!!"



and

Senate Reform, Schmenate Reform...

Of course, Stephen Harper is fighting for his political life. Everyone in Canada (and those others who watch The Daily Show) know this. But now, the champion of senate reform is now going to appoint 18 new Conservative senators before Christmas.

Senators have the most ridiculously posh job on earth. Appointed by a prime minister, they have the job until the age of 75 - of course, that's assuming that the lazy little fuckers bother to show up at all.

He wants to even the odds. A palm-smack to the forehead, especially since his new 18 Conservative senators will put them in power - with only 20 less than the majority Liberals will still have.

Has Harper cut funding to education and I didn't hear??

Censorship at it's *!@#@ing Finest!!

So one of my favorite movies, Blazing Saddles, is currently on TV. Now, because it's TV in Canada, a classic movie like this can take one of two forms: completely unedited (because it is Canada, after all), and the censored, family-friendly version. Unfortunately, it's the latter.

So explain to me why shit and goddamnit are blanked out, and yet n***ger is in full force? Particularly ironic and infuriating - especially considering yesterday's historic events.

Yet another good reason to keep Republicans from ruling the world!

The Nightmare is Over!!!

On the Eve of History...

One has to wonder whether or not Barack Obama actually has a lock on the White House like everybody seems to be thinking he does. They said the same thing about John Kerry and Al Gore. Keep your fingers crossed...

Happy Halloween!

My favorite creepy character...

Discovery Channel Has Got It Right

Network promos are usually boring as shit. Whoring out their sexy, stick insect stars crying "Watch us! Watch us!!" is living proof that narcissism is alive and well. But the Discovery Channel has certainly gotten the promo right. Catchy tune, simple enough to fully enable all their stars regardless of singing ability, but that sticks in your head for a long time after. And DC has even launched a contest for the best fan-generated version of the ad.



And the Canadian version (just because I like Andrew Younghusband):

I Called It...

Let us review, shall we?

Oil ridiculously expensive? Check.
Housing prices starting to fall? Check
Stock market crashing? Check.

My entry from back in April 2006 pretty much sums it up. Psychic abilities? Big check.

Damn, I Hate When An Analogy Is Right

I mentioned previously in the Tennis Lesson #2 post that a second lesson is like showing up for your second day at your new job - you think you can do it, and fate smacks you across the chops and yells, "What the fuck are you thinking?"

Acting Class #2 was tonight. Started out great with a good scene with a young woman playing my daughter. Then we came to tonight's cold read - a scene from Boys On The Side between Mary-Louise Parker and Whoopi Goldberg. MLP's character Robin is throwing WG's Jane out for accidentally telling her boyfriend she has HIV.

Should be simple enough to figure out, right?

Unfortunately, Second Day on the Job Syndrome kicked in, and what should have been a serious oh fuck I'm sorry moment came out of my mouth as a giddy, embarassed oops instead.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

This not reading a line until it's time to deliver it is going to kill me. I think I liked working in oblivion much better. At least then I have an excuse to act like an ass.

Is It Mandatory to Get a Lobotomy Before Running for the Conservatives?

Our current (and hopefully soon forgotten) federal agriculture minister is the prince of tact.

If you're not in Canada, let's bring you up to speed.

Maple Leaf Foods, a Canadian food institution, had to pull millions of dollars of cold cuts from the shelves because of contamination that causes listeriosis. This has killed 17 people so far, and could kill many more as it takes months for symptoms to begin showing.

So this crown prince of idiot decides to say in a meeting (when referring to the current election, "This is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts." Then to add another jewel to his crown he says when told of a new death, "Please tell me it's (Liberal MP) Wayne Easter," - the Liberal critic for his department.

Now you see, this is the problem with democracy - not only can you elect anyone, but you can elect anyone with just enough brain cells to manage to scrape together signatures and an entry fee.

Fringe

Okay, so Fox is airing the pilot episode of Fringe. At first sight, it really looks like an old script from The X-Files. For that matter, it has a lot of the same elements - foxy FBI agents, creepy stranger, people melting to death on a plane...

Any of this sounding familiar?

I'm half an hour in, but this already seems pretty hackneyed. We've seen this before. And before. And before. The only new element seems to be the hardass from Homeland Security that's running the show. That, and the scene titles that they seem to have stolen from Heroes. Let's just hope it can rise above its first impression.

Before the icky stretching guy reaches through the nearest duct to pull the plug on it.

The Best Thing I've Heard Today

"I think he's regretting not picking her now, I do. What determination, and grit, and even grace through some tough shots that were fired her way -- she handled those well." - Sarah Palin, to Charlie Gibson tonight on World News with Charles Gibson.

The Best Thing I've Heard Today

"Sarah Palin should spare us the phony sentiment and respect. Governor Palin accused Senator Clinton of whining and John McCain laughed when a questioner referred to her by using a demeaning expletive. John McCain and Sarah Palin represent no meaningful change, just the same failed policies and same divisive, demeaning politics that has devastated the middle class." - Florida Congresswoman and vocal Clinton backer Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

The Best Thing I've Heard Today

"Jesus was a community organizer - Ponchos Pilot was a governor"

Susan Sarandon, commenting on the US political race.

Elizabeth May is In!!

Ha! The old boys gave in!

The Green Party's leader, Elizabeth May, was excluded by from the national English and French television debates for the second election in a row. The last time around she was told that it was because her party wasn't running candidates in every riding. This year, they told her it was because she didn't have a MP in Parliament (which she got a week ago).

Here's the lesson kids - if you're going to lie, make sure you tell the same lie twice.

A national backlash was swift in coming, lead by Ms. May's charge of being excluded because she was a woman. Not a long stretch, considering that a number of the other party leaders resorted to pulling her pigtails, stealing her lunch and saying, "Well if she's going to be there, I'm not going!" After Green supporters started dogging Smilin' Jack Layton at his campaign rally, he had no choice but to back off, leaving Stephen "the Cowboy" Harper no choice but to capitulate as well.

Finally! We've managed to figure out how to make MPs listen to Canadians!

The First Volley in the Lipstick Wars

"You can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig." - Barack Obama.

Can anyone else hear Howard Dean yelling?

Barack Obama may have been able to ride on his white horse past Hillary Clinton to the finish line, but he's going to have to watch his mouth if he expects to win this election. John McCain managed to build himself a fervor with Sarah Palin, and despite her personal so-called-feminist politics (wanting to ban abortion even in the case of rape or incest is certainly no feminist that I've ever met), women all over America are deciding whether they want to stick with their sister on this one.

You don't need to sleep around to lose an election. Just ask Dan Quayle if he watches Murphy Brown reruns.

My First Acting Class

Even though I've been acting off and on for the last 17 years, believe it or not, I've never actually taking an acting class. And what a great experience to be missing! Within a couple of cold reads, I'm already starting to learn to stop concentrating on the words on the page and instead start to quickly crawl inside a character that I've never met. A weird sensation began to crawl into the pit of my stomach.

I was ACTING! God knows it's a first. ;)

I was so incredibly nervous before starting, and was more than pleasantly surprised with what awaited me. I can't wait to go back next week.

Angelina better watch out, cuz I'm coming to town!

It's Time to Face the "Hole in the Wall"

My first foray into the new television season has landed me on "Hole in the Wall" - Fox's ripoff of a popular Japanese game show. Simply put, the object is to contort your body to fit through a silhouette cutout as it slides toward you, otherwise you end up in the drink.

The first two teams, all men fitted in lovely silver jumpsuits that draw direct attention to their measuring sticks, are comprised of either bodybuilders or beer guzzlers. One of whom listed their biggest thrill in life as being kicked out of a Kevin Federline concert.

Best of America's best, right?

None of the men are over 5'9", which is fine. But it seems Fox simply borrowed the sets from Japan - none of the cutouts are even close to big enough to fit these guys. And the host's cry of "It's time to face ... the hole..." will certainly not go down in history of "is that your final answer" and "are you smarter than a fifth grader".

I think I'm about to scoop my brain out with a rusty shovel. The pain would definitely be less. New season - strike one!

The Liberals are About to Get Their Asses Handed To Them...

With a "snap" election call mere hours away, CTV News had a very interesting story on how each party is ramping up. Apparently Stephan Dion, who is even more annoying than Al Gore, has chosen a Boeing jet built in 1979 as his party's official air transportation.

1979??

Their excuse? They bought carbon credits to offset the carbon dioxide that this clunker will spew across Canada.

What the fuck??

I admit my knowledge of how carbon credits work is slim at best, but when you've spent the last year or two preaching at Canadians to be as green as possible, is the smartest move to make it THAT easy for the Conservatives ammunition?

I hate to say it, but Smilin' Jack Layton is starting to look interesting. It's a sad, sad day for Canada.

Well if She Doesn't Win In America, She Could Rule Alberta

Sarah Palin has a huge set.

Of cahones, you perverts.

This girl's speechwriter deserves a HUGE raise. Because her words have raised ranks of walking-dead Republicans that we all love to hate. I've never seen so many standing ovations, starting with a three minute standing ovation before the governor of Alaska could even begin speaking.

Her speech at the Republican National Convention ran the entire range of topics and tones, from her introducing her husband (a world champion snowmobile driver) and her oldest son (deploying to Iraq on September 11th) to taking barely-veiled potshots at Barack Obama's coronation (her question of what Obama would do after his styrofoam Greek columns were returned to a Hollywood studio was priceless) and his lack of record ("he's authored two books, but not a single law").

Truly showing her stripes, she remarked that while John McCain would defend the country from Al Quaida, Barack Obama (though she never used his name) would be more concerned about reading terrorists their rights. She could very well fit in with the Alberta rednecks that I know.

It barely felt like 40 minutes - she is a decent speaker that was able to keep this cynic (and probable future Democrat) truly entertained. I can't help but wonder just what kind of turn these campaigns are going to take.

President Milquetoast?

Okay, so John McCain isn't the greatest speaker on earth. He's not even the most desirable-looking politician (watching him smile reminds me of watching Mr. Burns trying to smile when running for governor). He got his point across, and that's all he had to do.

His prisoner-of-war history was used quite a bit, not only in his speech but also in the tribute film that ran before it. John Kerry couldn't motivate voters with the three purple hearts won in Vietnam - will John McCain fare any better?

For once in recent history, both the presidential and vice presidential debates are going to be very, very interesting. And probably much more original than what's on TV.

They're Doing a Dance in Vancouver Kingsway

So lo and behold, with another federal election looming, the news comes out yesterday that David Emerson will not be seeking re-election.

I think some of his constituents cried and maybe peed their pants a little.

This gem of a politician was elected as a Liberal for Vancouver Kingsway after being annointed to the post by ex-prime minister Paul Martin. When the Conservatives won a minority government, Emerson managed to cross the floor before the new PM was even sworn in. Needless to say, his supporters were more than a little pissed.

Now if only we could convince Stephen Harper to cross over to the Natural Law or the Rhino party....

Tennis Lesson #2

So tonight was my second tennis lesson. After tennis lesson number one, I was feeling pretty damned good. Seemed like I had some natural ability - and this for someone who hasn't put an honest effort into exercising for years.

You ever start a new job, and feel that you learned so much on the first day that you think you remember how to do the stuff on the second day?

For the first hour of tonight's lesson, I was an absolute klutz. Couldn't hit a darn thing. The ball could have bee the size of New Jersey and I would have missed it. But eventually my body started remembering what it was doing, and the instructor said I had "great form" whilst serving and volleying.

If you're looking for me, I'm the one with her feet in a bucket of ice.

A Grandmother in the White House?!?

Okay, so it was revealed that Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant with her "redneck" hockey player boyfriend's baby. Suddenly this has become a political issue.

Why?

We all know that teenagers very rarely use their heads, and that's without being in the heat of the moment. Parents can harp until they drop dead of asphyxiation and their kids may or may not listen to what they're being told. Without knowing what went on that household, no one really has the right to turn this poor kid's accident into a political weapon. For god's sake, it's not like she slept with Michael Dukakis! (Ewww!!)

At least if she'd slept with Bill Clinton, she could have gotten commercial endorsements.

High School Was a While Ago, But...

I caught the first few minutes of 90210 tonight (purely by mistake, I assure you), which included our young Kansas heroine inadvertently catching a girl giving her boyfriend a hummer in a car outside the school before morning classes.

I don't know about you - but that's a new one on me. I'm all for realistic television, but did anybody do or see this sort of thing when they were in high school??

US Politics Just Got A Lot More Interesting...

So how do you top Barack Obama speaking to 80,000+ rabid Democrats in a speech that rivals JFK, Martin Luthor King and Abraham Lincoln?

You try and make a woman vice-president.

Last night as I watched Barack Obama's impassioned stadium speech, I wondered whether people were going to buy him for his personality or for the production value of his speeches. Between his beautiful wife, nauseatingly beautiful children and his traditional old white man running mate, he had appeared to have things locked up. A new Camelot for the 21st century.

Insert squealing brakes here...

John McCain (or the party, because who really knows if he truly made the choice himself) has made a very daring decision. Sarah Palin is someone that could be the answer to all those PUMAs out there who were desperately holding out this week, but she's a complete contradiction in terms. A pro-life feminist who has a son deploying to Iraq, and yet she represents the latest stab at the glass ceiling where Hillary Clinton just came up short.

As a Canadian, I should have little to no interest in the US presidential race. But as a people watcher, it's been more hours of entertainment than Hollywood has even tried to churn out in the last few years.