Random thoughts

I haven't been active for a while, so I figured it was time to dust off the place.

ENTERTAINMENT

It looks like it's happening again! A major US television network has picked up another Canadian series for it's prime time lineup. Following the success of the CTV police drama Flashpoint on CBS, ABC has picked up 13 episodes of the Global Television series Copper, a series billed as "Grey's Anatomy" in the world of rookie cops.

To date there are currently four Canadian TV series either currently broadcast, or scheduled to broadcast, on the major US networks in primetime:

Flashpoint (CTV/CBS)
The Listener (CTV/NBC)
The Bridge (CTV/CBS)
Copper (Global/ABC)

And most likely more on the way. I like this. After decades of Canadian networks buying American programming, while doing very little to tell and promote our own stories, it's about time the trend started to reverse itself. And with good story-telling as an added bonus.

POLITICS - CANADA

HA! Liberal Leader of the Opposition Michael Ignatieff was in Washington for a few days after accepting an invitation to speak at a conference on Afghanistan. While there, he also took the time to speak to members of Obama's inner circle and speak at a Human Rights conference organized by the Carr Centre of Human Rights Policy at Harvard. Canadians of the Conservative bent are more than a little put out by the fact that he had dinner with the likes of Richard Holbrooke and David Petraeus and is having meetings with Obama's economic advisor, Larry Summer and foreign policy advisor, Samantha Power, saying that since he's not the PM, he has no right to speak for Canada. True, but he's the LO, and has a real shot of being the next PM, so he does have the right to feel out the moods of others towards Canada, especially those of our largest trading partner.

That being said, I am uncomfortable with any politician who is too close to the White House. Under the Bush administration our current Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, was well known for doing almost anything for a belly-rub from the former President, from the billion dollar theft from the timber industry to his decrying global warming/climate change as a myth (ironically, his stance did a complete 180 after Obama won the election last November).

So, Michael, after you get the PMO in the next election (and no, I won't be voting for you), don't do what pretty much every PM has done for the last thirty years and sell us down the river.

Represent Canada, not American interests in Canada.

POLITICS - US

This torture thing is getting fun. Everybody is so busy pointing fingers after the Obama administration released the CIA memo's that Washington is finally getting interesting again. Now with the possibility of criminal prosecution of those of the former Bush administration who drew up the legal basis for torture, this is turning into must-see tv.

Afghanistan

Well, we can add another name to the roll of the fallen in Afghanistan. Major Michelle Mendes of Wicklow, Ontario was found dead in her quarters at Kandahar Airfield.

According to authorities, it wasn't war related. More as it comes available.