You Don't Say... February 21, 2012

I'm not saying that I'm a practicing Catholic any more, but even a lay agnostic-atheist-who-the-hell-knows-what's-really-out-there like me can appreciate the joys of Mardi Gras. In New Orleans today, one can find divine song, dangerous drinks, delectable food and beads. Who doesn't love beads?

I'm not saying that recent studies showing that the results of bullying last into adulthood were a waste of time, but anyone who has survived high school, including yours truly, can tell you that those thoughts and feelings don't just disappear. The real trick is to give youths enough guidance and avenues to take out their aggression in healthy ways so that they don't beat up on the goths, rockers, freaks, geeks, skaters, stoners, nerds, lesbians, gays and the big-boned.

I'm not saying that Rob Ford and his cronies firing TTC chief general manager Gary Webster is an act of childish retaliation, but he was one of the people who stood to be counted as a fan of light rail and an opponent of the mayor's underground subway strategy. Aww...the mayor didn't get his way, so he not only left last week's council meeting to ride the subway all night, but he also helped get Webster fired without just cause. Webster's only recent crime was to give his honest opinion and tell Mr. Ford that building light rail was more logistically sound than subways, which it is. What's next? President Obama being impeached because he tells Republicans in the House that unemployment and healthcare are more important than corporate tax cuts? Pearl Jam firing Eddie Vedder because he believes that some causes are more important than living the rock star life? Mickey Mouse being fired because he told Disney CEOs to stop making movies full of racism, prejudice and stereotype?

I'm not saying that Jose Bautista is tired of being asked about performance enhancing drugs, but if you look close during interviews you can see he has his baseball bat cocked and ready to hit an unsuspecting reporter's microphone into the upper deck if he mentions the word steroids.

I'm not saying that Premier McGuinty is missing the boat by ruling out any tax hikes to help pay off the deficit, but he is standing in the harbour as it sails out to sea. If corporate taxes were raised even to 2001 levels, the province would have half the problem solved right there. It's better than gutting this province and dealing with the Greece-style social unrest that will occur if the premier follows most of Don Drummond's recommendations.

I'm not saying that Rupert Murdoch's new Sun on Sunday will be full of scandal and corruption, but I'm pretty sure my European correspondents saw his employees tapping Silvio Berlusconi's phone the other day...only to untap it 12 minutes later and run away screaming after hearing words that should never come out of an old man's mouth: "Honey, where did I leave my speedos?"