talk about trophy head

This here is a photo from the Toronto Film Festival last September. I first attended the big do back in 1984 when it was still known rather presumptuously as the Festival of Festivals. I bought a book of ten tickets, good for every screening except the galas, for forty dollars. I thought I'd be seeing five movies with Barbara, the girl I had been dating that summer, but as luck would have it she decided that she "didn't want to have a boyfriend." As far as I know she's still with John, a guy she met at school that fall. So it goes with good old Gord. Breakups and divorces are getting to be old hat. One of these days I'm going to find me a keeper, see if I don't.

Some of my lost comments resurfaced in my inbox this morning. Four are political, so start suppressing those yawns.


February 4th

I currently refuse to fly Air Canada and fly United Airlines on my flights from Korea, originating either at Kimhae or Incheon, to Toronto. I also try to avoid connecting flights through Vancouver. Last summer I departed from Vancouver on a flight to San Francisco. Even after arriving two and a half hours early I discovered that the line for clearing U.S. customs snaked right through the duty free so I wasn't even able to shop for gifts. They even had the audacity to place a Welcome to the USA sign above the customs desk in VANCOUVER AIRPORT!! Isn't that the most offensive relinquishment of our national sovereignty you've ever heard of? I hope Mr. Harper can sort out this mess with his buddy Mr. Bush. (Airline watchdog nixes one-hour check-in rule.)


February 3rd

I hate to reiterate and I've said this before, I've left Canada with my kindergarten-age daughter because as a single parent I SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD $700.00 A MONTH FOR DAYCARE! Here in South Korea I am paying less than $300.00 a month for full care from 10:00 am through 4:00 pm, six days a week. It is good quality Montessori childcare a short five minute walk from my home. Why is this not possible in Toronto, of all places? Get rid of the subsidised spaces that most people never get and set a standard cost with childcare available to all by allowing more people to establish childcare services in their own homes without having to get through all the red tape. Any single-family dwelling in Toronto with a backyard and a kitchen could easily accomodate at least a half-dozen preschool kids with just one supervising adult. The solution is right in front of our eyes. At $300.00 a kid that's $1800.00 a month minus the $100.00 a week for decent lunches, or about a $1400.00 salary which is much better than welfare any day. It could be a great supplement to a Canada pension as well. (Provinces fear Tory plan to alter child care. I guess people care. I had comment one hundred and twenty-six.)


February 2nd

As far as I'm concerned, Herb Alpert was (still is?) the only recording industry executive worthy of his title. Let musicians control their art. Once it becomes necessary again for artists to tour in order to build a fan base, not to exploit one established by a "hit", the music industry will be back on the right track. I have always enjoyed buying recordings from the artists themselves and chatting with them after their shows at smaller venues, such as Lee's Palace in Toronto where I happened to catch a band from Texas last winter and purchased their LP. I know all the money went straight into their pockets because I watched them put it there! (Memo to music industry: cut your prices, make better music.)


February 1st

How about a shared portfolio for Mr. Harper: Prime and Finance Minister? He's the brilliant economist now, isn't he? A one percent repeal of the GST coupled by a one percent increase in the income tax rate for the lowest level of earners. That sounds rather fair, and fairly Conservative. Except businesses will be reaping the GST discount while ordinary Canadians shell out more. I expect the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Qebecois to all back that one, don't you? My original estimation was six months but now it's starting to seem more like three. Joe Clark you ain't, Mr. Harper. (Harper likely to introduce March budget.)


January 28th

I'm glad that Mr. Harper and the American ambassador have agreed to disagree. It all seems very cordial. It strikes me as somewhat similar to Denmark's response to a Canadian cabinet minister visiting a disputed arctic island last spring. We don't like it but I guess there's not a lot we can do about it. Icebreakers? Won't that just be helping any American ships that would like to navigate our Northwest Passage? It seems the Americans will be navigating one or two other passages rather freely as well. (Harper rebukes U.S. envoy over Arctic dispute.)