No Politics Today

17 January 2010



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Cultural Round Up: Sadie, Vancouver and Gaga

Despite what the casual reader of this journal may believe, politics is not the most important thing in the world. The things humans do for fun are. So this week is an especially rich time, ignoring for the moment the plain awful weather in the northern hemisphere. The Westminster Dog Show, the Winter Olympics and the Brit Awards are going on or have happened.

Starting at Madison Square Garden with the oldest dog show in the US, a black four-year-old female Scottish Terrier won the 134th Westminster Dog Show. Sadie, as she is known, is something of an old hand at this. It was her 112th Best in Show. While she is quite a lovely beast, one can't help but feel the dread-locked Puli and the genuinely funny looking French Bulldog should have had a blue ribbon as well.

A continent away in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Winter Olympics are operating under several clouds. The death of a Georgian luge rider just before Friday's ceremonies put a dark spin on things. The mechanical failure of part of the cauldron was a disappointment. That was off-set, however, by the Canadian organizers asking four of their countrymen rather than just one to light it. Wayne Gretzky, Nancy Greene, Steve Nash and Catriona Le May Doan participated in a uniquely Canadian rite. They do one for all and all for one a bit better than most nations.

The weather has been a real issue there. First, there was not enough snow for the skiing events, and then, there was too much snow falling to hold them. Eventually, the men?s downhill will happen. Until then, there is enough ice hockey to keep even the most jaded fan happy. Naturally, the Kensington Review is most interested in the curling events. Perhaps a reader from BC or Alberta can explain why there is not mixed team curling at the international level. If it's good enough for Wimbledon . . . .

Over in London, the Brit awards proved a bit of a weird event. Lady Gaga picked up three awards, and while she is a bit bizarre, the girl can sing. So, she deserved the trophies. British boy band JLS took home two. Then the ceremony got stupid. The Spice Girls won the Best Brits Performance for 30 Years. Let that sink in a bit. Then, Oasis got the prize for best album of the last 30 years for "What's the Story Morning Glory." Now, that's a fine bit of music, but really. From 1980 to today, that was hardly the best. Didn't Elvis Costello, Paul Weller and a ton of others spend anytime in the recoding studio at their peak in the 1980s?

And finally, pitchers and catchers have started to report to spring training. Go Dodgers! Political grousing will return shortly.

© Copyright 2010 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.

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